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Battle of ace lefties: Rockies’ Kyle Freeland vs. Rays’ Blake Snell on Tuesday

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This the kind of challenge Kyle Freeland craves.

Tuesday night, the Rockies’ left-hander will match skills and grit vs. Tampa Bay left-hander Blake Snell. Freeland, 25, finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting last year. Snell, 26, won the AL Cy Young.

“The thing about Kyle is that he doesn’t let the big moment, or the distractions, get to him,” veteran Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta said. “In fact, I think he tends to get an even clearer focus in those moments.”

During spring training, several of Freeland’s teammates anointed him the “grittiest” Rockies player.