SAN DIEGO — Spring training is six weeks for one group and one group only … starting pitchers.

While position players and relievers can cobble together in about three weeks, it’s the starters who require the time to safely ramp up to full length. When Kyle Freeland left camp to compete for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, he missed out on half his spring training starts. He pitched only 15 innings between the Cactus League and WBC, and everyone, including Freeland, expected him to be limited at the start of the season.

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But this, after all, is still Freeland. And, no matter the circumstances, he is still a competitor first. 

“Adrenalines a hell of a thing,” Freeland said. 

On Friday, in his first start of the regular season, Freeland pitched six shutout innings as the Rockies beat the Padres 4-1. Colorado starts the season 2-0, while expected World Series contender San Diego fell to 0-2. 

Freeland didn’t get off to his best start. He got behind on counts early and had to work his way through the first two innings. But he found his footing in the third and was fast and efficient the rest of the night. He allowed only three hits and struck out one — Xander Bogaerts in the first — splitting his outs evenly between groundouts and flyouts.

He frustrated the Padres lineup, building on his momentum as his outing went on. 

“When lineups like that are put together, obviously they are strong and put together for a reason with the money backed behind it as well, but when you smell blood in the water you have to keep attacking,” Freeland said. “You got to keep attacking. When you sense a frustration, you have to stick with the game plan and not let them get any momentum going.”

Freeland also made a stunning defensive play, fielding the ball, transferring it and throwing across his body to C.J. Cron at first base as he fell to the ground. He used to practice the play as a kid trying to be Derek Jeter, but hasn’t attempted it since his rookie season. 

“It was pretty cool,” he said. 

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While Freeland held it down on the mound, the Rockies offense was once again able to put up numbers on the road. They scored first for the second night in a row, Ryan McMahon grounding out into a force out as Kris Bryant crossed home plate. Then Elehuris Montero sent Charlie Blackmon home with a RBI single. 

The Rockies didn’t get another hit against Padres starter Nick Martinez until the fifth inning, when Ezequiel Tovar hit a single. Blackmon, though, hit a two-run homer a few batters later to put the Rockies out front 4-0. That was his first home run in 182 at-bats. 

To close it out, the Rockies had to go to Pierce Johnson as Daniel Bard is on the injured list. Johnson has no major league saves, but the Rockies told him on Wednesday that they intended to use him in high-leverage situations. Manny Machado was able to get on base, but Johnson got the next three batters out to end the game. 

He got his first major league save for his hometown team, against the team he spent the last three years playing for. 

“I mean, that’s pretty cool,” Johnson said. “I don’t think many guys can say that. I’m definitely going to put that one in the memory back and I won’t forget it.”

Jurickson Profar still not with Rockies

Jurickson Profar, signed to a one-year deal at the end of spring training, is still not with the Rockies. After visa issues, he wasn’t able to enter the United States until March 28, after the team had already parted for San Diego. Profar will stay in Arizona at extended spring training until the team feels like he is ready. The Rockies will have to play with only three people on their bench until then.