Todd Helton's Goodbye Goner and Kyle Freeland's Near No-Hitter Dazzle Coors Field

Tyler Paddor | March 30, 2025

As we move closer and closer to our top Coors Field moment in the stadium’s 30-year history, the impact and star power just keeps getting better and better.

The indelible mark of these memorable games is still felt today, decades later. Today, Hall of Famer Todd Helton gets spotlighted along with hometown hero Kyle Freeland.

Read more from this series here!

Coors Field Moment No. 1 – Game 163: Colorado completes their improbable run to Rocktober
Coors Field Moment No. 2 – Dante Bichette christens the Rockies’ new baseball cathedral
Coors Field Moment No. 3 – Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki and the Colorado Rockies are World Series bound
Coors Field Moment No. 4 – Nolan, Bloody Nolan: Arenado’s walk-off cycle spurs Rockies to end postseason drought
Coors Field Moment no. 5 – The Toddfather delivers a walk-off domino for Rocktober

#9: Todd Helton’s Final Thank You – September 25th, 2013

It was somewhat fitting and bittersweet that Todd Helton’s final game in Denver would be against the Boston Red Sox. The team’s most fabled player matching up with the franchise that spoiled the greatest storyline in Rockies history when they swept Colorado in the 2007 World Series.

Six years later, Helton found himself ready to walk away from the game. Not one for theatrics, the 39-year-old did not even announce his retirement until right before the final homestand. “There’s no crying in baseball,” Helton said to the Denver Post during batting practice before his final appearance at Coors Field.

Surely, it still was an emotional game for Helton. After 1,141 games at Coors Field, Helton would step into that left-handed batters box for the last few times ever.

Much like the 2007 Fall Classic, the Red Sox had no time for a heartfelt story. They jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead, racking up five hits off Jhoulys Chacín and ultimately extending the margin during a 15-5 win. But it wasn’t the results of the nine-inning game that anyone truly remembers or even cares about.

It was the bottom of the second when Helton got into the Coors Field batter’s box for the first time for the last time. It was not lost on the Coors Field faithful as they gave him a standing ovation for the ages.

Jake Peavy, a formidable foe from his days with the San Diego Padres, stood 60 feet away ready to quiet the crowd. Nearly 50,000 fans were on their feet. While the Colorado isn’t known for having quite the same culture as historic baseball locations like Boston or New York, Rockies fans knew the gravity of this moment.

Helton got himself into a 1-1 count with Peavy working efficiently per usual. Peavy went through his full windup and delivered an 87 mph changeup that ended up near the heart of the zone. Helton did not miss it even a little bit.

It is still one of those moments that gives you chills.

Helton’s 15th of the season — and, ultimately, the 369th and final of his career — might not have been the most impactful towards a win, but it is certainly one of the most memorable. Helton gave a curtain call while fans were still up in a roaring ovation as they watched the most legendary player to don the purple pinstripes leave the yard just one last time.

In his next plate appearance, the University of Tennessee Volunteer would deliver a sac fly to bring the Rockies within a run. His next time around, he walloped a double to left center to drive in Michael Cuddyer. In his final Coors Field plate appearance, the Red Sox finally recorded an out against him.

Going 2-3 with a home run, double, and a sac fly is a pretty amazing way to go out at home and give the fans a chance to reminisce on the legend of Todd Helton one final time.

#8: Kyle Freeland Gets First 25 Outs Toward No-Hitter – July 9th, 2017

Kyle Freeland was a rookie in 2017. You would not have believed that if you watched every pitch of his 18th career start.

The Rockies were in the midst of a stellar season. Entering the game at 51-39, Colorado were above .500 the first three months of the season before sliding out of the gate in July at 3-5. The club needed to get back on track before the All-Star Break and keep their postseason hopes strong.

After being roughed up at Coors Field on July 4th — a vibrant atmosphere for a local kid to pitch in — Freeland needed a bounce back performance as he had given up 14 runs in his last three starts.

The hometown kid started hot against the Chicago White Sox. After getting a couple of weak contact outs, Freeland battled José Abreu for 10 pitches before setting him down swinging on a 95 mph heater. Abreu led MLB in total bases in 2017 and was a true force that year.

Freeland diced hitters up in the second with a pair of strikeouts sandwiching a pop fly. At 30 pitches through two innings, he seemed bound for at least a quality start.

Colorado grabbed momentum in the bottom half of the inning with a Mark Reynolds walk followed by a Gerardo Parra double. A groundball and eventual throwing error would score both runners.

Freeland felt the momentum of the 2-0 lead over Chicago. On just 13 pitches, he struck out the side in the third.

In the 4th, Freeland had his first base runner after plunking Abreu. After generating some weak contact, Freeland was out of the inning without a scratch at 11 pitches, bringing him to 54 on the day.

A trio of groundballs got Freeland through the fifth on just seven pitches. The sixth saw Freeland issue a walk to catcher Omar Narváez before setting the next three hitters down in order. At this point, the no-hitter watch was truly on. Freeland had set down 18 out of 20 batters he faced without allowing a hit and seemed primed to go the distance.

After some short innings with the bats, the Rockies finally gave Freeland a break, batting all the way around in the sixth and knocking Carlos Rodón out of the game. Colorado homered twice in the inning thanks to a leadoff shot from Charlie Blackmon that went 477 feet and a Pat Valaika dinger for his seventh of the year.

Up 7-0, Freeland got back on the hill with less pressure regarding a Rockies’ win. This was no longer about navigating a close game: it was about taking the no-no as far as he could.

Things got shaky for Freeland in the seventh. He walked Abreu and Todd Frazier to open the frame before quickly getting a patented groundball double play and routine flyball to get out of the mini-jam. Freeland was now walking the tightrope as his pitch count had rocketed up to 99.

In a normal game, pulling Freeland for a low leverage reliever may have been the call, but Freeland was 21 of 27 outs into a no-hitter. Only Ubaldo Jiménez had every accomplished that for the franchise and that came away from Denver. It helped that Rockies hitters nearly batted around again, allowing the Thomas Jefferson High School product to catch his breath even further.

The eight started with a scare for Freeland. Yolmer Sanchez hit a bloop tweener into left field with an .890 expected batting average, but Gerardo Parra made a nice ranging catch to save the no-no. Though it took 12 more pitches — bringing his total to 116 — Freeland struck out the following two batters and found himself three outs away from history.

Hearts were racing in the ninth. Freeland, already with a career-high pitch count was certainly wavering. His game-average fastball of 93 mph was now down to 91 mph. Still, Freeland managed to punch out Adam Engel on five heaters for the first out of the inning. Two more outs remained. Were Freeland to close the deal on immortality, he would have been one of 26 rookie pitchers to ever complete a no-hitter.

In stepped Melky Cabrera for his fourth plate appearance against the Rockies lefty. Freeland got ahead 0-1, then 1-2, before missing high with a heater, setting up a 2-2 count. On his 126th pitch of the outing, Cabrera weakly lined a ball to left field against Freeland, just inches above the reach of Nolan Arenado. Crushing.

The hook was in for Freeland, triggering thunderous applause as Freeland walked off the mound with everyone in the building on their feet to show praise to the 24-year-old.

In what might be the best pitching performance in team history, Freeland finished with nine strikeouts in his 8.1 innings of work. He allowed just the one base hit and going deeper than any Rockies pitcher at Coors Field for a no-hit bid. All as a rookie, no less.

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