All you need to know about Matt Holliday is that he has a nickname.
His greatness, which should be further stamped today when he is named to his third consecutive National League all-star team, demands a moniker.
To teammates, Holliday is simply “Big Daddy.”
It’s not tattoo material, but it adequately explains his importance. He is known for changing a game with one swing. For the past two nights, he has been the father of home runs, his three-run laser Saturday steering the Rockies to a 12-6 victory.
It was their season-best fifth-straight win, leaving the Rockies’ eyeballs peeking out of the hole they spent last week residing in. The last four have come after losing ace Jeff Francis, first baseman Todd Helton and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the disabled list.
“We have to keep playing hard and doing the best we can. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us,” said Holliday, who has driven in nine runs over the past two games. “We have to find ways to win.”
At this point everything seems possible with the Rockies — trades, contention, a waiting list in the trainer’s room. On the same day that Tulowitzki was shelved with a lacerated right hand from a tempestuous moment — “I slammed a bat to the ground (Friday) and it cut me. It was stupid,” he said — the Rockies’ offense kept punching Marlins’ pitchers in the face.
Colorado has scored 30 runs on 31 hits the past two nights. On their recent winless six-game road trip, they totaled 19 runs.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
