The Colorado Rockies are in the middle of what seems to be their annual September march to the playoffs.
Once again, the national media is turning its attention towards the team that plays at Coors Field. The team that has been phenomenal at home and less than impressive on the road is suddenly on fire. On August 22, the Rockies were 11 games out of first place and eyeing the Wild Card as the only way to get into the postseason.
Even the Wild Card was a long shot at that point. The Rockies were just 4.5 games behind but had four teams that they would have to jump in order to overtake the Phillies, who were leading at the time.
After all hope seemed lost on September 2nd, when the Rockies gave up nine runs in the seventh inning to allow the Phillies to win a crucial makeup game 12-11 at Coors Field.
Just as the local media (myself included) wrote the club’s obituary, the Rockies showed why they can never be counted out. After struggling on the road all season long, the Rockies went into San Diego and swept the first place Padres, who were at the tail end of a free fall. The Rockies didn’t stop there, they returned home and swept the first place Reds and the Diamondbacks to extend their winning streak to 10 games.
Suddenly, the Rockies were right in the thick of things again, looking to make yet another September run for the playoffs.
The run, however, will only be a good month if the Rockies cannot overcome the 1.5 game deficit and capture their first ever National League West title.
With work to be done, the Rockies head into Arizona for three games and then they face the Giants in a three game set.
With all due respect to the Diamondbacks, the Rockies season hinges on the three game set with the Giants. The Rockies have had success so far with the Giants at Coors Field in 2010, going 4-2 in their six matchups so far. Winning those three games will not be easy. San Francisco is heading into the series with Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Matt Cain on the mound. The Rockies will not counter with their best. Instead of going with Jimenez, Chacin, and Hammel, Colorado’s rotation falls on Hammel, Jorge De La Rosa, and Jeff Francis in the finale.
The Rockies, as long as they can take care of business in the desert, will be looking to the weekend to make their move. If they can find a way to win the series, they will be in a good position to win their first ever National League West crown. If they lose that series, they may not have enough games left to make up the ground.
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