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Sullivan comes to rescue for Rockies

Colorado rallies thanks to reserve

Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 1, 2007 at midnight

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PHOENIX - Cory Sullivan spent most of Friday night watching the Rockies-Diamondbacks game from the bench.

Once he got into the game, however, things began to happen.

Sullivan tripled and scored the run that ignited the Rockies' 7-3, 10-inning victory against Arizona after delivering the two-out, two-run pinch-single that started the Rockies' first comeback from an eighth-inning deficit on the road since July 23 last year, also at Arizona.

The Rockies, who had been 0-30 trailing after eight innings on the road this season, pulled within five games of National West-leading San Diego and also within five games of Arizona in the NL wild-card race with 28 games to play.

"Every win is big right now and to snatch one from a team that is on top of you, to come back from 3-0 in the eighth, just adds to the confidence," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It lets you know you can do special things as a team."

Sullivan greeted Tony Peña with a triple to center to open the 10th and scored when Kazuo Matsui hit a ground ball Peña threw away, setting the stage for an inning in which Garrett Atkins delivered a sacrifice fly and Brad Hawpe greeted left-handed reliever Doug Slaten with a two-run single.

"I was fortunate to be a catalyst but the key was we played well," Sullivan said.

Not only did Sullivan provide a spark for an offense that was stymied for seven innings by Livan Hernandez, who got out of bases-loaded jams in the second with one out and sixth with no outs, but the Rockies victimized the three key Arizona relievers.

In finishing August 15-14 - a franchise-record fourth consecutive winning month - the Rockies erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring twice in the eighth off Brandon Lyon and tying the game in an ejection-marred ninth off closer Jose Valverde, who leads the NL with 41 saves, then putting together the winning rally against Pena.

"Those three are one of the reasons (the Diamondbacks) are where they are," Hurdle said.

The late-inning heroics prevented rookie Ubaldo Jimenez from being saddled with a loss despite his fourth consecutive strong effort.

Jimenez allowed only three hits, but one was Miguel Montero's home run with two out in the seventh that gave Arizona a 3-0 lead. Jimenez had walked Stephen Drew and hit Mark Reynolds prior to facing Montero.

"He has a quiet confidence right now and he's fun to watch," Hurdle said of Jimenez.

Hurdle had to watch the final innings from the clubhouse, along with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, both getting ejected during an eighth-inning argument sparked by first base umpire Jerry Layne calling Tulowitzki out on a play on which the replay appeared to show that first baseman Tony Clark came off the bag in catching shortstop Drew's throw.

Hurdle was handed his third ejection of the season by Layne, while plate umpire Ed Montague got Tulowitzki for throwing his helmet onto the field.

For seven innings, all the Rockies had was frustration. They had runners in scoring position in every inning but the first, but they couldn't get any of them home. Hernandez gave up nine hits and a walk but didn't give up a run.

"He never gives in," Hurdle said. "He keeps making pitches, changing speeds. He's been doing it for a long time."

He only did it for seven innings this time, though, and then the Rockies broke through.

First came the two-run eighth that began with Todd Helton's single - the third of his four hits - and was capped by Sullivan, who took advantage of watching Lyon's approach with Ian Stewart, another left-handed hitter who struck out.

"(Lyon) threw that big curveball to get ahead, and I was looking for it," Sullivan said. "I took it the first time, so I could see it, and fortunately I got it the second time."

Then came the tying rally in the ninth, Helton singling with two out and pinch runner Jamey Carroll scoring form first when center fielder Chris Young overran Atkins' single.

And then came the winning rally.

"We were a little deflated after (Montero's) home run," Sullivan said. "It took the wind out of us, but we've been resilient all year. No sense stopping now."