DENVER — Coors Field filled up with fans clad in Cubs and Rockies jerseys on Tuesday night. Only one small problem: a majority of them donned jerseys of players who were no longer part of those teams.

Two teams at crossroads met for an August matchup. On one side were the Cubs, who came to terms with their sub-.500 record in a competitive NL Central and traded away seven key players in exchange for nine who could help them rebuild for the future. That included Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, both of whom were well represented in the bleachers despite no longer being in blue.

The Rockies, on the other hand, held still at the deadline, opting to try their hand at free agency and with compensatory draft picks. They believe they are one or two players shy of being a playoff team, even if their record reflects a different picture.

So a new Cubs lineup filled with up-and-comers faced off against the best the Rockies have to offer. The score, as will be the case for the rest of the season, isn’t important for either team. But the history book will show that the Rockies came out on top 13-6 in round one of three at Coors Field this week.

“I know this Cubs lineup has been flipped on its head, but regardless it’s still a professional baseball team with some hungry guys that are looking to fight for a roster spot,” Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland said. “You can’t take that lightly.”

Now is the time, for both teams, to consider who is here next year, when they would both like their records to reflect much higher winning percentages.

Elias Díaz solidified his place with top-notch defense earlier this season, but has recently found his swing after a couple of months of looking lost. He hit a grand slam in the second inning Tuesday, the first of his career. He has 12 home runs already, a career-high with two months left to play. Rockies’ catchers had just two home runs in the shortened 2020 season, and nine in 2019. Díaz finished the day with three hits, coming a triple shy of hitting the cycle.

“It’s an amazing feeling, super excited,” Díaz said of his grand slam. “Rounding the bases, there was a lot of emotion going on there.”

Sam Hilliard is making a case for himself, and he hit a three-run home run in the fourth. He’s hit four into the stands since he was called back July 16, showing off the swing that took him months in Triple-A to get back on track. The Rockies want him, and his power, as part of their lineup in the future.

On the mound for the Rockies was southpaw Freeland, part of a rotation that is the only group that needs no adjustments to contend next year, granted they can successfully finish extension talks with Jon Gray. Freeland showed flashes of his best stuff, striking out the side in the first, but his day ended in agony. He was hit with a ball in the left foot in the fifth inning, and tried to walk it off when he fell to the ground.

Somehow, he managed to get back on the mound, where he talked at length with manager Bud Black. He finished the inning, and came back out for the sixth before Black retrieved his pitcher and sent him back into the dugout. He was diagnosed with a left foot contusion, a tough blow for Freeland, who has already had a shoulder strain, minor hamstring injury and blisters interrupt his outings this season. X-rays were negative on his foot, and the team won’t know until later if he’ll be able to make his next start as scheduled. 

“Right now for me it’s a season where I’m fighting little injuries like that,” Freeland said. “I can’t let it alter my mentality at all.”