Judging from the scoreboard at Coors Field trumpeting the current homestand with the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers as an “NL West Showdown,” the Rockies’ 7-5, come-from-behind victory over San Diego on Monday night was a big deal.
And judging from the fan craziness unleashed by Brad Hawpe’s game-winning, two-run homer in the eighth inning, it was a very big deal.
But not for Matt Holliday, whose three-run homer in the eighth tied the game at 5-5 and set up Hawpe’s heroics.
Holliday refused to budge from his 162-game philosophy, although the Rockies were fresh off consecutive shutout losses in Washington and came home with a sputtering offense that was 0-for-31 with runners in scoring position.
“It’s nothing more than a come-from- behind win,” Holliday said. “I don’t think as players we think, ‘Golly, after our struggles in Washington, I sure hope we can score some runs tonight.”‘
With the division-leading Dodgers beating the Houston Astros 10-2 on Monday, the Rockies remained 5 1/2 games out of first place. The second-place Padres, losers of four straight, fell two games behind L.A.
Hawpe, who hit his sixth go-ahead homer of the season, was more jazzed about the victory than Holliday. Hawpe senses that late-July series against division rivals are crucial.
“The clock is ticking, and the sand is running out,” Hawpe said. “We have to play good, and we have to be able to beat teams like that.”
For much of the night, the Rockies were showdown no-shows against Padres starter Greg Maddux. The four-time Cy Young Award winner pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits. Maddux also sparked the Padres’ three-run third inning. He led off with a single, shocked the Rockies by swiping second and trotted home on Milton Bradley’s three- run homer off Rockies starter Jeff Francis.
But the Rockies sprang to life in the eighth. Padres reliever Scott Linebrink hit Cory Sullivan to open the inning, then walked Kazuo Matsui, setting the stage for Holliday. Mired in a 7-for-36 post-All-Star Game slump, Holliday crushed Linebrink’s changeup 446 feet to left-center, his 17th homer. After a Garrett Atkins single, Hawpe hit his two-run homer off Cla Meredith, Hawpe’s team-leading 18th homer.
Closer Manny Corpas gave up one hit in the ninth, but struck out Brian Giles looking to end the game and collect his fifth save in five chances.
“I think one thing that’s different this year from last year is the confidence level,” Hawpe said. “We have confidence in each other. Every player has confidence in himself to get it done, and if they don’t, they think somebody else will pick them up.”
The Rockies didn’t get their hoped-for shutdown performance from Francis. The Padres rocked him for five runs on 10 hits in just six innings. Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a 432-foot solo homer off Francis in the sixth.
“I don’t think I did much of anything well,” said Francis, who has given up at least five runs in three of his past four starts, a stretch in which he has posted a 7.43 ERA. “I had trouble getting good action on my fastball, and I was leaving it up in the zone. The home runs were just mistakes.”
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
