MLB Game Preview - LA Dodgers at Colorado

Fri Apr 7, 2017 4:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- For any player, a major league debut is momentous. For Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland on Friday, that event will be elevated to heights that are nearly unimaginable and go beyond dream-fulfilling.

He will start against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Rockies' home opener at Coors Field. Freeland was born in Denver. He went from Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, then attended the University of Evansville and was the Rockies' first-round pick and the eighth player taken in the 2014 draft.

"It's something that's very rare," Freeland said of debuting in the home opener for his hometown team. "It doesn't happen too often in this game."

Freeland split the 2016 season between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque. He went 5-7 with a 3.87 ERA at Hartford, moved up to Albuquerque on June 25 and went 6-3 with a 3.91 ERA.

Freeland, who turns 24 next month, was not on the 40-man roster when he came to spring training and began competing for one of two open spots in the rotation. In six Cactus League games, four starts, Freeland went 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA and six walks and 19 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. He parlayed that spring into the Rockies' Opening Day rotation and a very special assignment Friday.

"I'm definitely going to soak in that first day," Freeland told MLB.com. "But my goal is definitely to stick, have a long, fulfilling career and have a ton of success."

The Rockies began the season by winning three of four at Milwaukee. Their revamped bullpen was impressive in the series. Rockies relievers had a major-league-worst 5.13 ERA last year. Free agents Mike Dunn and Greg Holland signed with the team in the offseason and have upgraded the relief corps. Holland earned saves in the three victories at Milwaukee, and Dunn worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings in three games and was the winning pitcher Thursday when Nolan Arenado homered in the ninth to give the Rockies a 2-1 win.

Overall, the Rockies' relievers had a 1.88 ERA with seven walks and 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings vs. the Brewers. Jordan Lyles allowed two runs in a 6-1 loss Wednesday, and Adam Ottavino gave up a game-tying homer Thursday.

The Rockies are 14-10 in home openers but have never launched a home season against the Dodgers. Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu will start for them in his 2017 debut. Ryu is 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in five career starts against the Rockies. He's 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA at Coors Field, where he gave up two runs in six innings June 6, 2014, in his only outing there.

The Dodgers opened the season at home with three wins in a four-game series with San Diego while outscoring the Padres 27-10.

Yasiel Puig, 26, who is trying to finally prove his immense physical gifts can translate into consistent baseball skills, had a huge series -- capped by his two-homer game Thursday. In the four games, he went 5-for-12 with one double, three homers and five RBIs, along with four walks and just one strikeout.

"The game today, you put the ball on the ground, we have a lot of data to gather up ground balls," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com. "With Yasiel so strong, he can hit the ball out of the ballpark anywhere. If he can elevate the baseball, pretty much anywhere he's got a chance."

Puig batted eighth in the Dodgers' first three games, moving up to seventh Thursday when backup catcher Austin Barnes hit behind Puig. He figures to be back in the eighth spot Friday when starting catcher Yasmani Grandal returns to the lineup.

"I'm not used to it, but that's the position I was given," Puig said, "and I'm going to ask God to keep me in the lineup and I'm going to try to do my job."