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 19, 2007
Rockies 6, Dodgers 5
The Rockies extended their winning streak to four games after scoring a pair of runs in the eighth inning to overtake the Dodgers at Coors Field — and in the standings.
Down 4-5 and facing burly reliever Jonathan Broxton, third baseman Garrett Atkins singled to right field to lead off the frame. Manager Jim Tracy replaced Atkins with speedy Kazuo Matsui on the basepaths, and Matsui almost immediately rewarded his manager by stealing second base only three pitches later. Perhaps the pressure that Matsui represented rattled Broxton, because on a full-count pitch to right fielder Brad Hawpe, the sweet-swinging lefty crushed Broxton’s offering, sending it into the right-field stands for his 26th home run of the season.
Rockies closer Manny Corpas made the narrow, 6-5 lead stand up; retiring Luis Gonzalez, Russell Martin and Nomar Garciaparra after Jeff Kent led off the inning with a single.
The Rockies, now 80-72, passed the 79-73 Dodgers, claiming third place in the NL West. It wouldn’t be the last team they would pass in what would become the most memorable month in team history.