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Rockies in an unfamiliar spot, but that's good news

Rockies well-positioned to make push for playoffs

Published August 14, 2007 at midnight

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"What you want is an opportunity," said first baseman Todd Helton, the team's elder statesman, having celebrated the 10th anniversary of his major league debut Aug. 1. "We have the opportunity. Now we need to take advantage of it."

The Rockies have re-established their Coors Field dominance. Their 35-23 home-field record is third best in the NL, trailing Arizona (37-23) and Milwaukee (39-20), but they also have won 24 of the past 34 at Coors Field and have not lost in their past 11 home series. They split four-game series with St. Louis and the Cubs and won the nine three-game series in between.

Now comes the next challenge in the evolution of a team built off a homegrown foundation. They need to shake off road nightmares of the past and show they can compete against the rest of the West.

The unbalanced schedule - which has the Rockies playing each divisional opponent 19 times - provides that opportunity. Beginning with the trip to San Diego and a weekend series in Los Angeles, the Rockies play 31 of their final 45 games within the division.

It's a nice change for a franchise that never has won more than 83 games in a season, has managed to finish .500 only once in the past nine years and has finished in last place or next-to-last for 11 consecutive seasons.

The Rockies feel this year might be different, though. They point to the fact they have enjoyed winning records in three consecutive months for the first time in franchise history and rebounded from an early-season struggle (18-29) to compile the best record in baseball since May 22 (43-29).

"This is not a one-year quick fix," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We have a core that has been here before and understands what we are trying to accomplish. We dealt with the adversity last year. We have a good idea what doesn't work."

What doesn't work is struggling in the division and on the road.

The Rockies' residence in the bottom of the division can be underscored by the fact the team has had a winning record within the division only once in eight years - 39-37 in 2004.

The team never has come closer to a winning road record than the 33-39 mark in the wild-card season.

They are 26-33 on the road this year, but confidence has grown. They realize the difference between a winning record and their current mark was an eight-game losing streak during a 1-9 trip in late June. Closer Brian Fuentes, who never had blown consecutive saves, went 0-for-4 closing leads on the trip.

"What was important about that was we showed up every day and did the things that we needed to be in a position to win each night," Hurdle said.

The Rockies also overcame a major roadblock in late May. After losing two of three to Kansas City at Coors Field, then the opening game of a three-game series in Arizona, they not only won the next two games against the Diamondbacks but swept a three-game series against the Giants, their first sweep in San Francisco.

"We've knocked down a lot of walls," Hurdle said. "We have faced challenges and dealt with them."

Now comes the biggest challenge of all - a late-season shot at a postseason appearance.

National League West race

What's ahead

Of the four National League West contenders, the Rockies have the most intradivision games and the most games against teams with losing records. A team-by-team look (in order of the standings) at the stretch run:

Diamondbacks

• Games: 43 (21 home, 22 road).

• vs. NL West: 25.

• vs. sub-.500 teams: 15.

Padres

• Games: 45 (23 home, 22 road).

• vs. NL West: 28.

• vs. sub-.500 teams: 13.

Rockies

• Games: 45 (23 home, 22 road).

• vs. NL West: 31.

• vs. sub-.500 teams: 16.

Dodgers

• Games: 44 (21 home, 23 road).

• vs. NL West: 28.

• vs. sub-.500 teams: 12.

Strength in numbers

38 saves for the Diamondbacks - second in the majors to Milwaukee (40).

3.54 ERA - best in the majors - for the Padres.

601 runs by the Rockies - second in the NL to Philadelphia (640).

3.83 ERA on the road for the Dodgers - third best in the NL.

Best in the West

Since three-division leagues were created in 1995, only three times has a National League West champion not had the best record against NL West opponents.

In 2005, San Diego won the division with a 39-34 record but had the second-best intradivision mark. Arizona, which finished second in the division, was 41-32.

In 2002, Arizona won the division with a 43-33 record against the NL West. San Diego finished second despite a 47-29 record within the division.

In 2000, San Francisco won the division despite the third-best intradivision record (26-24). Los Angeles, which finished second, was 30-21 against the rest of the West, and third-place Arizona went 29-23.



Week to watch

A week that will impact each NL West contender:

Diamondbacks: This week, Arizona is at Florida (today to Thursday) and Atlanta (Friday to Sunday).

Padres: Aug. 21-26, San Diego is at the New York Mets and Philadelphia, two teams with NL East title aspirations.

Rockies: Monday to Aug. 26, Colorado hosts Pittsburgh (four games) and Washington (three), the same teams against which Arizona just went 4-2.

Dodgers: Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, Los Angeles is at San Diego for three games, then travels to the Cubs for four. The trip finishes with three in San Francisco.

Lately

Diamondbacks: Arizona has won 17 of 21, including going 7-1 on the road.

Padres: San Diego has a division-best 31-28 road record.

Rockies: Colorado has a 3.52 ERA since the All-Star break, lowest in the NL.

Dodgers: Los Angeles has lost 12 of 15, scoring two runs or fewer 11 times during that stretch.

Filling in holes

Diamondbacks: Made a waiver claim for former Rockies right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim, who is scheduled to start the first and final games of the current trip to Florida and Atlanta after being loudly booed from the time his name was mentioned in the first start of his return to Arizona last week.

Padres: Got a lift for its rotation with the return Friday of right-hander Chris Young from the disabled list. Young, who was on the disabled list with a strained side muscle, is 9-4 with a 2.02 ERA.

Rockies: Are expected to activate left-hander Brian Fuentes today. Fuentes, an All-Star closer the past three years, has been out since July 4. Manny Corpas assumed the closer role in the interim, but Fuentes gives late-inning depth to the bullpen.

Dodgers: Acquired right-handed reliever Scott Proctor on July 31 for third baseman Wilson Betemit to add depth. He has a 2.79 ERA in six outings. He had two-inning efforts in back-to-back games in Cincinnati last week, then threw two innings Sunday in St. Louis.