Philadelphia – September baseball is a time for wonderful desperation. It is a time for fingernails to vanish along with aspirin to mask the pain from the season-long grind.
Walking into the Rockies’ clubhouse Wednesday, however, it was hard to see the doubt and tension that inspires them.
In fact, it was hard to see anything, with the players clustered in two pockets: those dueling on the PlayStation Rainbow Six video game and those watching the “Family Guy” movie.
They didn’t seem at work, but rather at play. It ultimately helped make complete sense of a bizarre game as the Rockies toyed with the Philadelphia Phillies in a 12-0 mauling at Citizens Bank Park, matching the most lopsided road victory in franchise history.
The win pulled the Rockies even with the Phillies for second place in the wild-card standings, 2 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres.
There were no white-knuckles afterward, only wide grins from a team that spent part of the seventh inning giggling as somebody stuck a gum bubble the size of the Phillie Phanatic on rookie Franklin Morales’ cap.
Not even a triple play, Denny Bautista’s brief wildness or Yorvit Torrealba’s ejection could serve as a buzz kill.
“It’s a good sign,” reliever Matt Herges said of the carefree attitude. “Even the young guys are relaxed. I am telling you, we have something good going on here.”
Mark Redman all but inserted himself into the rotation Tuesday with five scoreless relief innings, leaving ace Jeff Francis in position to win the series today.
“When I was told I wasn’t going to start, I told Skip, ‘I still want the ball,”‘ Redman said. “It’s one thing to say it and another to do it.”
Redman’s work reduced the first inning to a fascinating footnote.
Matt Holliday hit into a triple play on a low liner to third baseman Greg Dobbs. Then Bautista taunted danger, loading the bases with two walks and a single.
With the crowd ready to erupt, Bautista turned illusionist, making the Phillies disappear by striking out Ryan Howard and getting Aaron Rowand and Dobbs to pop up.
In the end, Bautista delivered 28 pitches, including 19 balls, and allowed zero runs.
“It was a weird first inning,” said Torrealba, tossed after commenting on a called third strike. “Then I get up and all I said was, ‘That pitch was away, Papi.’ And I am gone. I couldn’t believe it.”
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel shared a similar experience over the next two hours as the Rockies ravaged his bullpen. Matt Holliday, 6-for-11 with eight RBIs in the series, shoved Colorado ahead with his fifth home run in four games.
“I am seeing pitches well, laying off the bad ones and connecting on mistakes,” Holliday said.
In the fourth inning, Garrett Atkins knocked out Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick with a line drive off his right knee. Kendrick was carried off the field with a deep bruise. The Rockies spent the rest of the inning treating pitchers like sparring partners. Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki combined to knock in six runs.
“Everybody is hot right now,” Tulowitzki said. “And we are winning. That makes the game a lot of fun.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
