Rockies Win, Go to Tie-Break Game
Coors Field Will Host Padres for One Final Game
The National League Wild Card slot is still up in the air, decided by a one-game playoff between the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres.
It’s October and, for baseball fans, that means it’s time for the post season. But for the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres, the post season is still one crucial win away. Both ball clubs are tied for the National League Wild Card position with an 89-73 record.
This scenario seemed like a long-shot to the Rockies just a few short weeks ago. The Rockies would have to win almost every game they had left, sweep the Padres in the Padres home stadium and then have the Padres lose a few games to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Rockies kept up their part of the bargain with an 11-game win streak, a franchise record. It seemed like the post-season would be a possibility for the Denver-based team for the first time since 1995, the only time the Rockies have been to the post-season.
Friday, September 28th was a crucial game for Colorado against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, the game Friday night was a let down for Rockies fans with a 4-2 loss. For many fans this seemed like the end of the Cinderella story the Rockies seemed to be apart of this season.
Long-time fan Jim Greer was one of the fans who didn’t lose hope, even after the Friday loss. “The Rocks can still do it. San Diego has to lose the next two games and the Rockies have to win the next two. Stranger things have happened,” Greer said.
Other fans must have had faith as well because that is exactly what happened, which brings fans to today, Monday, October 1, 2007. At exactly 5:37 p.m. MST, the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres will play a one game playoff to see who gets to be the National League Wild Card team of 2007.
Todd Helton, Rockies first baseman and team captain, joined the team in 1997, two years after the Rockies only post-season appearance. As the last out of the game was thrown on Sunday he was seen hopping with excitement across the field to celebrate the tie with his teammates but his mind was still on the task at hand.
“We still haven't finished it,” Helton told MLB.com. “One hundred and sixty-three games -- it all comes down to tomorrow. We'll see what happens."
The Rockies will be pitching Josh Fogg (10-9) who had a win in his last appearance with the Rockies and the Padres will be pitching Jake Peavy (19-6), the leading Cy Young Award candidate. On paper, Peavy is the dominate pitcher but the Rockies are the hottest team in baseball right now, winning 13 of their last 14 games; an MLB record for this season. It's hard to stop momentum like the Rockies posess right now.
A regular season schedule has 162 games. For the Rockies and Padres, Monday’s game will make it 163 games, and the most important game of the season. The winner of Monday’s game will go into the post-season and meet the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia; the loser gets a one way ticket to the off season.
