They aren’t so much the pink elephant in the room as the purple dinosaur in the corner.
Based on the standings, it’s safe to presume the rest of the country, or at least the National League, is aware of the Rockies even if their status goes unspoken.
Maybe it’s time to start whispering.
Psst … the Rockies, three years removed from Todd and the Toddlers, are in a playoff race. They are playing meaningful games in September for the first time in a decade. And they believe they have a realistic shot of reaching the playoffs after smothering the San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Monday at Coors Field.
One day after Josh Fogg provided a knot at the end of the tether, the Rockies began climbing back up in the standings thanks to Jeff Francis and a seven-run third inning. They sit four games behind the Diamondbacks in the NL wild- card chase, with only the Dodgers and Phillies in front of them.
“I consider us in a race and my opinion is the only thing I value right now as far as that question goes,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “Our team believes they are. Do we have to win a large volume in a short period? Sure we do.”
With seven victories in their past 10 games, the abacus no longer is the Rockies’ enemy. The way the players privately figure it in the clubhouse, they need to go 16-9 over the final 25 games and they would advance. That would leave the Rockies with a franchise-best 87 victories, though it will compute only if the wins come against the right teams (see San Diego, Arizona, Los Angeles, Philadelphia).
“There’s a lot of work to be done. We can’t say, ‘Hey, we are here and be happy about it,”‘ explained Todd Helton, his 71-66 team tying a season best at five games over .500. “You play this game to make the playoffs. That’s the focus.”
The idea of the Rockies as October party crashers became easier to see in the third inning Monday. Facing the Giants’ Matt Cain, a pitcher who has had his way with them, the Rockies put him through baseball’s version of a wood chipper in a 44-pitch meltdown.
Cain struck out five of the first eight batters he faced before Francis’ double triggered a collapse, leading the Giants right-hander ultimately to fire his glove and cap off the dugout wall in frustration.
“We are a good offensive team that can do a lot of damage,” the Rockies’ Willy Taveras said.
Francis isn’t the face of the franchise, but in many ways is the face of this team. It is expressionless. Businesslike. He practically carried a briefcase to the mound on Labor Day in earning his 15th victory, tied for the most ever by a Rockies left-hander. Francis, Fogg and Ubaldo Jimenez have provided a rotation rudder through a sea of injuries.
For now, Elmer Dessens will start Friday. That could change after discussions today, when the team could decide on a Tuesday spot starter as well. As the Rockies are quick to announce, they don’t worry about the particulars. The results, refreshingly, are the only things that matter.
“We control our own destiny. We play well and we will be there at the end. If we have lapses like we’ve been known to do, we aren’t going to make it,” Rockies reliever LaTroy Hawkins said. “We just have to keep our eyes on the prize.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
