One-away train: Torrealba's homer has Rockies on the brink of World Series berth

Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Monday, October 15, 2007

Rockies-Diamondbacks box score

Maybe the Rockies are lucky.

Maybe they are just plain good.

No maybes about this, though: The Rockies are primed to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Showing power that had been missing this postseason, and getting another one of those Josh Fogg big-game efforts, the Rockies took command of the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory against the Diamondbacks in Game 3 on a wet and cold Sunday night at Coors Field.

Lifted by Yorvit Torrealba's three-run home run in the sixth, the Rockies stretched their late- season surge to 20 victories in 21 games, including a perfect 6-for-6 in the postseason.

They have followed their three-game sweep of Philadelphia in the NL Division Series by taking a three-games-to-none edge on Arizona in the best-of-seven NLCS. A win tonight will complete the sweep and send them to their first World Series against the winner of the American League Championship Series beginning Oct. 24.

The Rockies are the first team to win the first six games of a postseason since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds went 7-0 in sweeping what was then a best-of-five NLCS and the World Series.

"It's definitely an advantage to be three-up, but the key is we have to win one more," reliever Brian Fuentes said. "Each day we feel like we need one more win. We've been stressing that, wanting to win one more game each day.

"After the season, we can look in the rearview mirror and think about (winning 20 of 21 or whatever the stretch becomes), but right now, we don't talk about it at all. When you play this sport, it's a long season, and you have to keep things in perspective. Until we win the clinching game in the World Series, we are not done."

Heck, the Rockies might be just getting started. While the pitching and defense have continued to shine, the offense hasn't met expectations this postseason.

The Rockies only had one extra-base hit in the two wins at Arizona. They got two home runs Sunday — a bases-empty shot by Matt Holliday in the first inning that ended the team's 125 at-bat home run drought and the three- run game-deciding blast from Torrealba in the sixth.

"Those were big hits, but we were due to put up some big numbers," Fuentes said. "Maybe we're just spoiled by seeing all the runs and hits we had at the end of the year, but I think our bats are going to wake up before it's all said and done."

This step, at least, is close to being done after Fogg allowed only one run in six innings — a Mark Reynolds home run with two out in the fourth — and a scoreless inning of relief each from Jeremy Affeldt, Fuentes and Manny Corpas.

"I don't think we think of it that way," first baseman Todd Helton said. "We're concerned about going out and playing a tough Arizona team (today). They're going to be coming out, giving us everything they've got. Our backs have been against the wall before, so we know how it feels. We know they're going to be battling."

Arizona also knows it is looking to avoid its first four-game losing streak since before the All-Star break, trying to beat a Rockies team that has won 13 of 21 games against the Diamondbacks since Opening Day, including the past five in a row.

Rookie left-hander Franklin Morales, 21, will get a chance to help the Rockies sweep Arizona, drawing the start in Game 4 tonight against Arizona rookie Micah Owings.

"For the past five weeks, our focus has been on winning tomorrow's game," manager Clint Hurdle said. "It we don't win it, then the focus is on winning the next game. That's the way we've gone about our business."

It has been working for a month now, and showed no signs of changing Sunday.

Fogg got some early-game help, the Rockies turning a double play in each of the first three innings, including Fogg catching a line drive off the bat of Eric Byrnes and doubling up Chris Young in the first.

"When you can take the sting out of them early like that, three opportunities early, it helps our momentum, helped our confidence moving forward," Hurdle said.

The Rockies had that big inning against starter Livan Hernandez, who lost for only the third time in 10 career postseason decisions. Helton got it started with a walk, and Brad Hawpe had a one- out single. After Hernandez struck out Troy Tulowitzki looking, Torrealba struck back, driving a 3-2 pitch out to left field.

And as a final touch, Manny Corpas, who let the ninth-inning lead get away in the Rockies' 3-2, 11-inning victory at Arizona in Game 2, worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for the save Sunday.

"We've just got to keep fighting," Holliday said. "We haven't accomplished what we want to accomplish, yet."

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com