These were the sounds of a young team springing forward, grabbing an opportunity by the throat. Screams of frustration, roiled up inside by two weeks of failure, replaced by barks of joy from catcher Yorvit Torrealba and outfielder Choo Freeman.
Two scenes in the Rockies’ dramatic 9-8, extra-inning victory Thursday night captured the improbable and explained why players filed out of the clubhouse feeling limited only by their imagination, not the standings.
“If this game isn’t a catalyst, I don’t know what would be,” second baseman Jamey Carroll said. “This was huge.”
With the Rockies down to their final out, Torrealba’s bat collided with a Trevor Hoffman fastball in the ninth inning. It rocketed skyward, easily clearing the left-field fence, tying the game at 8. The score wasn’t as important as the drama that accompanied it.
As he jogged toward first base, Torrealba turned to the dugout, pointed to his teammates and pumped his fist. Just as the season was fading to black, suddenly the floodlights were back on.
“Before the game I was talking to a couple of the guys about how important this game was,” said Torrealba, who was moved up to the sixth spot in the order because of his recent hot streak. “When I was yelling, I was saying: ‘We can win. We can win. I know we can.”‘
It’s impossible to underestimate the significance of Torrealba’s swing. It nudged the Rockies (48-53) within 5 1/2 games of the first-place Padres, but more than anything provided a reminder that Colorado still matters. He didn’t just hit a home run, he blasted it off one of the most accomplished closers ever, leaving Hoffman with his third blown save in his past six opportunities.
After slaying Hoffman, the Rockies capped their climb from a 6-0 deficit by tagging Scott Williamson. The 10th began with Freeman reaching on a double to left field. That brought up Carroll, who is hitting a team-best .377 at Coors Field, and cued the perfect bookend scene to complement Torrealba’s home run and make a winner of closer Brian Fuentes, who worked two innings for the first time this season.
Surprised by two pitches inside, Carroll waited for something out over the plate. That, after all, was the scouting report on Williamson. He possesses a nasty slider, and when on, gets hitters to chase. But he left this pitch on the corner, allowing Carroll to send a laser into right field. He figured that the play at home was going to be close. He had no idea.
“I took a wide turn, so I knew I had to get straight in a hurry,” Freeman said. “I just made an instinctive play.”
With catcher Rob Bowen forced up the line by Brian Giles’ throw, Freeman dodged to his right and slid headfirst. On first glace, he appeared out.
“I thought I nicked him. I told the umpire that,” Bowen said.
Replays showed Bowen grazed Freeman with the glove while the ball remained in his hand. Freeman wasn’t worried about the particulars. He jumped up and threw his arms into the air as the dugout, including manager Clint Hurdle, spilled onto the field.
“Man, it was exciting,” Freeman said. “I hope this is that jump-start we have been looking for.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
