Rockies Take 2-0 Series Lead With 11-Inning Win

Oct 13, 06:34 AM

Current Headlines: By Brian Gomez, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Oct. 13--PHOENIX â€"- Two down, two to go for the Colorado Rockies, who continued an improbable run Friday night and moved within striking distance of securing their first World Series berth.

The Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 in 11 innings in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series for their 19th win in the past 20 games before an announced sellout of 48,219 at Chase Field.

The best-of-seven series shifts to Coors Field for the next three games. In Game 3 at 6:37 p.m. Sunday, Colorado will start Josh Fogg and Arizona will start Livan Hernandez.

Willy Taveras drew a bases-loaded walk off Diamondbacks closer Jose Valverde to plate Ryan Spilborghs with two outs in the 11th.

Spilborghs led off the inning with an infield single before Troy Tulowitzki flied out. Brad Hawpe walked, Yorvit Torrealba popped out and Jamey Carroll walked, setting up Taveras' four-pitch walk.

"I wanted to be aggressive," Taveras said. "But I knew (Valverde) walked Jamey."

In Arizona's half of the 11th, Ryan Speier retired the side in order. Augie Ojeda flied out to left field, Micah Owings flied out to center and Chris Young struck out to end a game that lasted 4 hours, 26 minutes.

"It has been a work in progress -- find a way to get a team together to play consistent baseball on the road," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We've had some dramatic splits in the past, and this year this club has taken a step forward. They've removed some of their baggage in the past."

Trailing 2-1 in the ninth, Arizona tied the score against Manny Corpas on an RBI fielder's choice by Eric Byrnes.

Corpas retired Miguel Montero for the first out before hitting Young. Stephen Drew then singled, putting runners on the corners.

Byrnes hit a ground ball to second baseman Kaz Matsui, who flipped too high for Tulowitzki to stay on the base. Drew, thinking he had been called out, started toward the dugout and Tulowitzki, who was arguing the safe call with the umpire, threw to Carroll, who tagged out Drew. But Young trotted home for the tying run.

A sacrifice fly by Todd Helton in the fifth gave Colorado a 2-1 lead, and the Rockies got five strong innings from starter Ubaldo Jimenez and three scoreless innings from their bullpen before Corpas entered the game.

Making his second career postseason start, Jimenez allowed one run on five hits in a 94-pitch outing. He had six strikeouts, most of which were registered with a fastball routinely clocked in the high 90s.

"It was a gutsy performance," Hurdle said. "He pitched around some traffic, but he hung in there. He's got a lot of confidence. Plus, he's got good stuff."

Jimenez danced out of several jams, none bigger than the one he faced in the fifth.

Three walks in the fifth, the last an intentional pass to Arizona slugger Tony Clark, loaded the bases. Jimenez struck out Mark Reynolds for the final out on a fastball that hit 99 mph on the Chase Field radar gun.

Helton's fly ball to left field off Diamondbacks starter Doug Davis in the fifth easily scored Taveras from third, breaking a 1-1 tie. Taveras reached on a walk, Matsui moved him to second with a single and Matt Holliday advanced him to third with a sacrifice fly.

Davis was pulled after the fifth, having given up two runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out five and walked four.

The Rockies went ahead 1-0 in the second by scoring an unearned run.

Helton reached when Reynolds let a ground ball get through his legs at third base. With two outs, Torrealba hit a bloop single down the right-field line to score Helton.

Arizona tied the score in the third with consecutive hits off Jimenez. Davis blasted a double to center field and Young brought him home with a single.

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