Darren Holmes says fine, he no longer holds the Rockies’ record for postseason pitching victories.
For 12 years, Holmes was the only Rockies pitcher to win a postseason game, that coming Oct. 6, 1995, in a divisional series game against Atlanta.
After Atlanta won the first two games in Denver, the Rockies won the third game, 7-5 in 10 innings. Holmes earned the decision by getting the last two outs in the ninth inning.
That was the only postseason victory in club history until this season. Jeff Francis and Josh Fogg each have two victories in this year’s postseason.
“That record was a big thing around here,” said Holmes, who resides in Asheville, N.C., home of the Rockies’ Single-A minor-league affiliate in the South Atlantic League. “A lot of people knew I had the only victory. I had been with the organization from its inception, and it was neat to get it against the Braves, because they had been my team as I was growing up.”
Holmes was part of the birth of major-league baseball in Denver. The Rockies claimed him in the expansion draft from Milwaukee. In his five seasons with the Rockies, Holmes started six games and pitched 257 in relief. He recorded 46 saves.
“I look back on the first year (1993) and remember we were all saying that if we could avoid losing 100 games, it would be a successful year,” Holmes said. “It’s been so much fun to watch this year’s team. I know how hard it is to pitch at Coors Field. I didn’t know if they really could pull it off, but they did.”
As for records, Holmes has one that might stay around awhile, especially with the introduction of the humidor at Coors Field five years ago.
“I still hold the record for giving up the longest home run at Coors Field,” Holmes said. “Mike Piazza hit one that went over the fountain in center field.”
On Sept. 26, 1997, Piazza hit a 496-foot blast.
Irv Moss: 303 954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
