DENVER—Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer moments after pinch-hitter Seth Smith’s bloop double drove in two, and the Colorado Rockies took a 6-1 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks after six innings in Game 4 of the NL championship series Monday night.
The wild-card Rockies were trying for a sweep, having won 20 of their previous 21 games. They began the night with a nine-game winning streak that included a sweep of Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.
Colorado fell behind 1-0 early, then rallied for six runs with two outs in the fourth.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle took a risk by pulling starting pitcher Franklin Morales for Smith with two outs and two on.
Smith made the move pay off by blooping Micah Owings’ pitch just inside the left-field line, scoring Brad Hawpe and Troy Tulowitzki, both of whom walked.
The Diamondbacks had a chance to get out of the inning without further damage, but Conor Jackson booted Willy Taveras’ easy grounder for an error. Kaz Matsui followed with an RBI single and Holliday hit his second homer of the series to center.
Holliday, an NL MVP contender, had two hits and was hit by a pitch in his first three plate appearances Monday night.
Owings got off to a solid start—both with his arm and his bat. Owings led off the third inning by legging out an infield single. After Eric Byrnes drew a two-out walk, Jackson singled off Morales for his first RBI of the series.
Owings scattered three hits over the first three innings.
Then things began to unravel, and Owings was pulled after Holliday’s homer. He lasted 3 2-3 innings, giving up six hits and six runs—two earned.
The Rockies were a win from the first trip to the World Series in franchise history. It’s their inaugural appearance in the NLCS and first time in the playoffs since 1995.
Colorado was one of just five active franchises to have never made it to the World Series, joining Seattle, Tampa Bay, Washington/Texas and Montreal/Washington.
The game was played under more favorable weather Monday night—it was 55 degrees and the skies were clear for the first pitch. The night before, the teams played in a steady, cold drizzle with temperatures in the low 40s.
Owings made his postseason debut on the mound—he pinch-hit in Game 2 and flied out. He is one of the best-hitting pitchers in the majors, hitting .333 with four homers in the regular season.
Owings had a chance to help himself at the plate in the fourth, but struck out, stranding Justin Upton at second.
Morales went four innings, scattering five hits and striking out two, in just his second postseason start.
Morales, at 21 years and 264 days, is the youngest pitcher to start a postseason game since Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia threw in the 2001 division series against Seattle. Sabathia was 21 years and 84 days at the time.
