​Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) throws a pitch in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The Reds led 4-1 after three innings. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co Colorado enters Friday night at 48-73, two games behind the 50-71 Giants for fourth place in the NL West. The Rockies went 1-2 in St. Louis, then took two of three from Arizona before Thursday’s off day, leaving them 3-3 through the first six games of the trip.This is also the final series between Colorado and San Francisco in 2026. The season series is tied 5-5, and the Giants have outscored the Rockies by only four runs across those 10 games.San Francisco spent June and July hovering around .500, going 24-27 with a minus-3 run differential. August has looked different. The Giants are 3-8 this month, their injured list is crowded and the roster has thinned since the trade deadline.Rafael Devers provides the most obvious threat with 24 home runs. His .467 slugging percentage ranks among the top 40 hitters in baseball, so there is real thump in the bat, but it comes with a less imposing .788 OPS. Beyond Devers, there is not much power in the lineup.But there is still enough competence to turn mistakes and free baserunners into runs, which makes Kyle Freeland’s command especially important tonight.Freeland enters at 3-10 with a 6.63 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 96 strikeouts across 112.2 innings.In his last start against St. Louis, he allowed three runs across 4.1 innings, but only one was earned after a two-out passed ball extended the bottom of the first inning and led to a two-run double. From there, the contact was mostly manageable — five hits, three hard-hit balls and an 83.7 mph average exit velocity on 16 balls in play — but he also walked three hitters.Freeland’s command has generally remained one of his strengths. His 5.1% walk rate ranks among the best in baseball, while his cutter and sweeper have been the strongest parts of his six-pitch arsenal.While it would be great for Freeland to continue avoiding the hard contact that has so often plagued him, he must return to keeping walks off the board against a potentially pesky Giants offense tonight.Taking the ball opposite Freeland is 27-year-old righty Landen Roupp.Roupp enters at 7-11 with a 4.22 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 123 strikeouts across 123.2 innings.Roupp allowed only one earned run across 5.1 innings in his last start despite walking five and striking out only three. Even with all that traffic, hitters produced just two hard-hit balls on 15 balls in play with a 79.6 mph average exit velocity.That is, in part, how Roupp has survived the walks.Roupp can absolutely strike hitters out, but he is not an overpowering strikeout pitcher. His 23.6% strikeout rate is only a little above league average, while his 25.3% whiff rate is almost exactly league average. He has still r