The Streak has officially joined legendary status. When Willy Taveras drew a bases-loaded walk and Ryan Spilborghs strolled home with the eventual winning run in the 11th inning Friday night in Phoenix, it was the Rockies’ 19th win in 20 games.
In doing so, Colorado became the first team in baseball history to find itself in the middle of postseason play with a 19-1 streak dating back to the regular season. The 1970 Baltimore Orioles had an 18-1 run at the end of the regular season and into the World Series, in which they closed out the Cincinnati Reds in five games.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the hot Rocks are the first National League team in 72 years to win at least 19 of 20 games after Sept. 1. The previous NL team to do it was the 1935 Chicago Cubs.
The last major-league team to accomplish the feat was the 1977 Kansas City Royals, a team that called up a hot-shot minor-league prospect named Clint Hurdle, now the Rockies manager, during the streak.
The 1916 New York Giants also went 19-1 after Sept. 1. However, only the Rockies extended their sizzling streak into the postseason.
“I don’t think any of us think about the history of this, at least not right now,” Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday said. “Maybe when the season is over we’ll look back on it, but not now.”
The Rockies are the second team in NL history to open the postseason with five consecutive wins. The other was the 1976 Cincinnati Reds of Big Red Machine fame. The Reds went 7-0 in the postseason, sweeping Philadelphia in the NLCS and the New York Yankees in the World Series.
All but one of the Rockies’ playoff victories have come on the road, a giant step for an organization long viewed as unable to win on the road. Colorado went 39-42 on the road during the regular season.
“It’s been a work in progress, this organization, to find a way to get a team together to play consistent baseball on the road,” Hurdle said. “They’ve removed some of the baggage in the past. We played better baseball on the road. Fundamentally sound. We execute. We pitch better. We find ways to win.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
