In 2007, the Colorado Rockies finished the regular season by winning 14 of 15 games to leap from fourth place in the NL West into what would eventually become their first and only World Series appearance. Mile High Sports celebrates the anniversary of ‘Rocktober’ by recapping each game from each of those days ten years ago.
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September 30, 2007
ROCKIES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3
An eighth-inning outburst by the offense helped compensate for a shaky save by closer Manny Corpas, and the Rockies finally closed the gap; tying the San Diego Padres on game 162 of the season.
After six-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Rockies struck first, when right fielder Brad Hawpe would double to left field to score Garrett Atkins. The Diamondbacks tied the game back up with a score in the top of the seventh.
The Rockies’ offense scored three runs in the eighth after Diamondbacks pitchers Dustin Nippert and Bill Murphy loaded the bases on an error, single, and a walk. Atkins and Hawpe had back-to-back hits to score all three runners, and closer Manny Corpas closed out the game — even after allowing two runs from Arizona.
Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, the Padres opened up a first-inning, 3-0 lead, but he Brewers began a comeback in the fourth, scoring two, before opening up for six runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. The Brewers added an insurance run in the seventh and eighth before closing out a Padres comeback attempt in the ninth.
The Rockies’ win and Padres’ loss had the two teams tied for the Wild Card. With no games remaining on the schedule, a 163rd game now had to be played to determine the Wild Card. Due to winning the season series between the two teams — thanks to a Rockies sweep in the middle of the 11-game winning streak — the play-in game would be held at Coors Field.