PHOENIX—Eric Byrnes hit an RBI grounder with one out in the ninth inning, and Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks were tied at 2-2 after 10 innings Friday night in Game 2 of the NL championship series Friday night.
Colorado was ahead 2-1 in the ninth when closer Manny Corpas hit Chris Young on a 1-2 pitch with one out, then Young took third on Stephen Drew’s single to center.
Byrnes hit a bouncer to second baseman Kaz Matsui. With no chance to get the speedy Young at home, Matsui tried for an improbable double play.
His backhand flip to second was high for an error, and slick-fielding shortstop Troy Tulowitzki came off the bag to grab it.
Drew, however, didn’t realize he was called safe by umpire Tom Hallion and wandered off second base. Tulowitzki, who had started to argue, soon noticed. He ran toward Drew and threw to third baseman Jamey Carroll, who applied the tag.
It was a costly mistake by Drew, in his first full season in the majors. Tony Clark grounded to Tulowitzki, ending the inning.
It was Corpas’ second blown save since becoming Colorado’s closer in midseason. The first was Sept. 21 at San Diego. He saved all three victories in the division series sweep of Philadelphia.
Todd Helton’s sacrifice fly gave the Rockies a 2-1 lead after six innings, and Willy Taveras’ speed helped produce the tiebreaking run. Taveras led off the fifth by drawing a four-pitch walk from Doug Davis, went to second on Matsui’s single and raced to third on Matt Holliday’s fly to left field, barely beating Byrnes’ throw. Taveras scored on Helton’s fly to left.
Left off the first-round playoff roster, Taveras was added for the NLCS after missing 24 games with leg injuries.
Having defeated Arizona ace Brandon Webb in the opener, the streaking Rockies were looking to take a 2-0 lead back to Denver, where the best-of-seven series resumes Sunday. They had won 18 of 19 coming in.
The Diamondbacks broke out their black jerseys, forcing the Rockies to wear gray with pinstripes instead of the black tops they wore in the opener.
But the change in colors didn’t help Arizona’s slumping bats. The Diamondbacks’ biggest hit came from the weak-hitting Davis, who led off the third with a double to right field off Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez. Davis scored on Young’s single through the right side of the infield, tying the score 1-all.
Davis turned in a typical outing, allowing two runs—one earned—in five innings. He allowed five hits, walked four and struck out five.
Jimenez was also lifted after five. He gave up a run and five hits, walking four and striking out six.
Jimenez worked out of a jam in the fifth. He walked the bases loaded with two outs before striking out Mark Reynolds on three pitches.
Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the second on Yorvit Torrealba’s bloop single. The Rockies took the lead after Reynolds let Helton’s grounder to third go through his legs for an error opening the inning.
After Davis struck out Garrett Atkins and Tulowitzki, Brad Hawpe singled to center, sending Helton to third. It was Hawpe’s sixth hit in 15 playoff at-bats this year.
Torrealba, the No. 8 hitter, followed with a soft liner that hit the right-field line, scoring Helton and sending Hawpe to third. Davis struck out Jimenez to end the inning.
