Rockies Pitchers Freeland, Senzatela Combine for 3-Hit Win Over Astros

Colorado's starting pitcher and closer limit Houston to just 3 hits in 5-1 victory.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 8:55am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game, with the players and field broken down into overlapping, angular shapes in the Rockies' and Astros' team colors.The Rockies' pitching duo of Freeland and Senzatela stifled the Astros' offense in a crucial divisional matchup.Denver Today

Kyle Freeland pitched 6 1/3 strong innings and Antonio Senzatela threw 2 2/3 perfect innings to close out the game as the Colorado Rockies beat the Houston Astros 5-1 on Tuesday night in Denver. Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak homered for the Rockies, who have won three straight games.

Why it matters

The Rockies' pitching performance was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season so far, as they look to build momentum and climb back into playoff contention in the NL West.

The details

Freeland (1-1) allowed just one run on three hits, striking out five and walking one, to become the first Rockies starter to pitch into the seventh inning this season. Senzatela recorded his first career save by retiring all eight batters he faced. Christian Walker homered for the Astros' lone run.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, April 8, 2026 in Denver.
  • Freeland left the game after giving up a one-out single in the seventh inning.

The players

Kyle Freeland

The Rockies' starting pitcher, who pitched 6 1/3 strong innings and earned the win.

Antonio Senzatela

The Rockies' closer, who threw 2 2/3 perfect innings to record his first career save.

Willi Castro

The Rockies' outfielder, who hit a two-run homer and finished with three hits and three RBIs.

Mickey Moniak

The Rockies' outfielder, who hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.

Christian Walker

The Astros' first baseman, who hit a solo home run for Houston's only run of the game.

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What’s next

The Rockies will look to complete the three-game sweep of the Astros on Wednesday afternoon in Denver.

The takeaway

The Rockies' strong pitching performance, led by Freeland and Senzatela, was a much-needed boost as the team tries to turn around its season and get back into playoff contention in the NL West.