Torrealba's Big Blast Keeps Rockies Ripping Through Playoffs

Oct 15, 02:09 AM

Current Headlines: By Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Oct. 15--DENVER -- Some of the biggest boppers in Colorado's potent lineup have been noticeably quiet during the National League Championship Series.

Not that it has helped the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Unlikely hero Yorvit Torrealba snapped a 1-1 tie with a three-run homer in the sixth inning Sunday night as the Rockies extended their incredible winning streak with a 4-1 victory in rainy Game 3, putting Arizona on the verge of elimination.

After winning for the 20th time in 21 games, the high-flying Rockies will look to conclude a four-game sweep of the stunned Diamondbacks tonight and boost their record this post-season to 7-0.

Seeking their first appearance in the World Series, the Rockies will send 21-year-old lefty Franklin Morales to the mound in Game 4. The Diamondbacks will go with rookie right-hander Micah Owings, who has yet to pitch in the post-season.

"It's one game at a time, until they win four," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "We can't win four at once. We've got to get one on the board first. That's all it will be about (tonight)."

Arizona's offense, which went dormant many times throughout the season, has been missing in action in the NLCS. The Diamondbacks have scored a mere four runs in the three games, going 2 for 17 (.118) with runners in scoring position.

"We've played good defense and gotten good pitching," said Colorado manager Clint Hurdle, whose club is batting .231 in the series. "Pitching feeds defense and defense feeds pitching. They work hand-in-hand."

Rockies starter Josh Fogg, a journeyman right-hander, limited the Diamondbacks to seven hits and one run over six innings before turning it over to Colorado's stellar bullpen. Jeremy Affeldt, Brian Fuentes and Manny Corpas each pitched a scoreless inning, with Corpas atoning for his blown save in Game 2.

Arizona hoped to quell the Rockies' momentum by sending post-season veteran Livan Hernandez to the mound in Game 3, and the big right-hander had his club even entering the sixth. Todd Helton, a career .485 hitter against Hernandez, drew a leadoff walk and stopped at second on Brad Hawpe's one-out single to right.

Hernandez caught Troy Tulowitzki looking at a called third strike, bringing to the plate Torrealba, the No. 8 hitter. Torrealba, who had eight homers in 396 at-bats during the regular season, stayed alive by fouling off a 3-2 pitch before sending a drive out to left that whipped the soggy sellout crowd into a frenzy.

"Usually, he tries to pitch me middle/away," Torrealba said. "It surprised me that he tried to sneak a fastball by me inside. I just tried to react to it."

On the off day Saturday, outspoken Arizona outfielder Eric Byrnes insisted that his team had outplayed Colorado in the first two games in Phoenix. He pointed out that the Rockies "had a little luck go their way."

Byrnes' perception certainly didn't change in the top of the first inning. After Chris Young and Stephen Drew opened with singles, Byrnes ripped a liner right back at Fogg, who snared it out of self-defense and threw to second to double off Young.

"It was huge getting that line drive," said Fogg, who boosted his career record to 7-1 against Arizona. "It all happened so fast. The ball just went in my glove."

NL batting champ Matt Holliday had done little at the plate, going 1 for 8 in the first two games.

That changed with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the first. With two down, Holliday drove a 1-0 pitch from Hernandez into the left-field stands for the first home run by anybody in the series.

After hitting into double plays in each of the first three innings, the Diamondbacks finally managed to tie the score in the fourth. With two down, Fogg hung a first-pitch breaking ball to Mark Reynolds, who did what you're supposed to do with such offerings and hammered it deep into the left-field stands for a home run.

But that was it for Arizona, which advanced only one runner past first base over the final five innings.

"It's kind of been the theme of the series that they've gotten the one big hit where we haven't," Melvin said.

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