DENVER—The Colorado Rockies’ roller coaster ride of a season had fans cheering, jumping and swapping high fives in the stands Sunday.
It isn’t over yet.
The Rockies have one shot to make the playoffs with a tie-breaking game Monday against San Diego, after a wild turn Sunday in which both teams somehow finished with the same record in 162 games.
But there wasn’t much excitement at Coors Field at first.
When the San Diego Padres jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, fans were left to wonder if the Rockies’ late-season surge for the playoffs was all for naught.
The Rockies needed to beat Arizona—and the Padres had to lose at Milwaukee—to force a one-game playoff for the NL wild card.
Slowly, the Brewers battled back, scoring twice and drawing cheers at Coors Field.
Then, they scored four to take a 6-4 lead and the crowd went crazy, erupting every time the manual scoreboard operator in right field put up another number for the Brewers.
The Rockies finally did their part, scoring three times in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie before holding on for a 4-3 win.
“You didn’t have to look (at the scoreboard) today,” Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “You could tell by the crowd what was going on.”
At one point, the giant video scoreboard in left field gave an update of a Broncos’ early lead over the Indianapolis Colts. But that didn’t elicit nearly the response of the Brewers’ score. This day was all about the Rockies.
Throughout the concourse fans were chatting about what had to happen for the Rockies to make the playoffs.
Chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” rocked the stadium each time left fielder Matt Holliday made a play in the field and during each at-bat. It didn’t get any louder than when he hit a sharp single off Robby Hammock’s glove down the first base line in the eighth inning.
“This has reignited that feeling of excitement we felt when they first came here and made the playoffs for the first time, and the Blake Street Bombers and all that,” fan Pat Horn said. “Everyone is talking Rockies baseball.”
Coors Field certainly had the feel of the playoffs. The three-game series with the Diamondbacks was the most important since 1995—the first and only time the Rockies reached the postseason.
The team will play to end that drought Monday night in a winner-move-on, loser-go-home playoff against the Padres at Coors Field.
“It’ll be awesome to be at home,” right fielder Brad Hawpe said. “There were different scenarios, I’m not sure what they were. But for us to have the game here tomorrow will be big.”
The team posted its first winning record since 2000, but fan Justin Feather said there’s a certain something about this year’s team that has caught the attention of the city.
“There’s a little bit of a swagger,” he said. “Even the last couple of years when they were terrible, I still liked watching the young kids. It’s been fun to watch these guys develop and now they’re in a spot to get in the playoffs.
“It’s just nice to finally have some meaningful games in September,” Feather said.
And at least one more in October.
