Step aside Brett Gardner and Chris Sale, Kyle Freeland is the new king of dugout meltdowns.
Freeland struggled mightily in his outing Thursday night at Coors Field, a ballpark known for being hitter-friendly. Still, the lefty was handed a no-decision in the Rockies’ 8-5 win over the Padres, despite not making it out of the fourth inning after allowing six hits, three walks, and five earned runs. Freeland was clearly upset when Rockies manager Bud Black took him out.
It didn’t take long for Freeland’s emotions to boil over.
The 29-year-old grabbed a bat and repeatedly slammed it into the roof of the dugout while screaming before throwing it across the bench. The meltdown did significant damage, with chunks of the ceiling falling around Freeland.
Kyle Freeman stewing on the bench after a rough start Thursday night. APThis isn’t the first major meltdown of the MLB season. Last week, Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale was recorded trashing the clubhouse of the team’s Triple-A affiliate after his rough rehab start.
Freeland is 4-7 with a 4.96 ERA over 101.2 innings this season.
