In the Rockies' way is a bad place to be

05.10.2007 14:02 Sport and Travel - Source: USA Today

These numbers do not seem quite right amid the tricky day-to-day world of big-league baseball under autumn pressure: 16 wins in 17 games, from a team nobody saw coming. A team that barely made it into the playoffs.

As reliever Brian Fuentes noted, "It's not like we're playing against Little League teams."

But look at some of the things going on. The latest highlight hit was a grand slam from Kaz Matsui — who before Thursday had 17 big-league home runs to his name — none a grand slam. Matsui led the 10-5 pounding of the Phillies and turned the passion and hope of the Philadelphia fans into sullen boos, followed by an early exit.

"I wouldn't say it's a miracle or anything," Todd Helton said of the Rockies' surge. "But it's dadgum close."

"We feel like something special is going on," Troy Tulowitzki said.

The Rockies have never won a postseason series in their history. They had only played in one before, a dozen years ago. They had to storm from the pack the final days of the season to get into this one.

"We've been in the losers' bracket for a month," manager Clint Hurdle was saying.

But now the Rockies are ahead 2-0 in this division playoff, which moves to Coors Field, where they had the second-highest home winning percentage in the National League, and there will be no Philadelphia-style animosity from the stands.

"It would be nice," Matt Holliday said, "to have our own fans and not be told how bad you are for three and a half hours."

In other words, the Phillies are an endangered species. The poor Phillies.

This is how fast the heart can change in October. Three days ago, they were the toast of their demanding town — darlings for having chased down the New York Mets.

Now? They left to rants, insults, jeers, as the Rockies keep rolling. The angry denizens of Citizens Bank Park on Thursday were waving white towels ... or were those white flags?

Whatever, the Phillies have landed in the wrong place at the wrong time — namely, in Colorado's way.

The Rockies have no clear explanation for what is happening, or how the stars seemed to all fall in place beginning Sept. 16 — the day after they lost 10-2 to Florida, to remain in fourth place in the division.

"Just going out every day and playing the game the right way," Tulowitzki said.

Holliday used the exact same phrase: "After the season's over at some point, you can reflect back and it will be hard to believe. In the midst of it, we're trying to be focused on the next day ... playing the right way and see where it takes us."

No secret formulas from the manager, either.

"All we did," Hurdle said, "was try to slow down the pace and win today's game, and that's what we really held onto. It's been about pure, simple execution.

"But this streak, I've never been involved in anything like this in my life athletically."

They are a good team. They were sure of that all along, even if no one else noticed them. And not many did. Because, after all, they're the Rockies.

"A sleeper pick for everybody else," Fuentes said. "But it's not a surprise to us."

"They have got plans," Hurdle said. "They want to keep playing."

Hurdle's analysis tends more toward the character of his team. He mentioned one example. The players voted to give a full postseason money share to the family of Mike Coolbaugh, the minor-league coach killed by a line drive this summer.

"(That) speaks to their awareness, speaks to their passion, speaks to — I don't know — every good thing about them," Hurdle said.

Notice the Rockies now? How can you not?

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