Friday night’s Cardinals-Rockies showdown was the kind of baseball game that leaves fans exhausted and players exhaling after every pitch.
So it was little wonder that Coors Field exploded with pent-up noise in the ninth inning when Yorvit Torrealba lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Troy Tulowitzki from third and propelling the Rockies to a 2-1 victory.
It was Colorado’s fifth straight win over the Cardinals this season. More important, it kept the National League wild-card race from getting too crazy. Although the surging Braves beat Washington 4-1 for their 12th win in 14 games, they remain 3 1/2 games behind the Rockies.
The sliding Giants lost 3-0 to the Cubs, falling five games behind the Rockies, whose magic number was reduced to six.
Jason Giambi, once again playing a starring role in a dramatic victory, wasn’t at all surprised that his new teammates came through when it counted most.
“This is what this team has done all year,” Giambi said. “When our backs are against the wall, we rally around each other.”
This late-season slice of baseball heaven was a pitcher’s duel from beginning to end. Colorado’s Aaron Cook was brilliant. So was the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter.
Returning from a sore shoulder and making his first start since Aug. 21, Cook had a sinker that had a cannonball effect on Cardinals bats. He induced 12 groundball outs in his five innings, allowing no runs and just four hits.
Carpenter, a leading Cy Young candidate, was seeking his 17th victory. He didn’t get it despite giving up just one run on five hits in seven innings.
The Rockies scored both their runs on sacrifice flies. No. 1 came in the first inning as Carlos Gonzalez led off with a double down the left-field line, advanced to third on Dexter Fowler’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Todd Helton’s drive to center.
But it was the second sac fly that drew the Rockies one step closer to another chapter of Rocktober. But when he hit the ball to right, Torrealba wasn’t sure it had enough wings.
“At first I didn’t think it was deep enough, but when I saw (Ryan Ludwick) take a couple of steps back, I knew it was deep enough,” Torrealba said.
Torrealba’s latest big moment set up like this: Helton led off the ninth by milking a walk off Cardinals reliever Trever Miller. Helton was replaced by pinch-runner Mike McCoy, while Miller was yanked in favor of Kyle McClellan.
Tulowitzki reached first on a fielder’s choice, leading to the first out. Into the box stepped pinch-hitter Giambi, who ripped a single to left-center, moving Tulowitzki to third. Then Torrealba lifted McClellan’s pitch into the dark September sky.
Tension climbed to white- knuckle levels in the eighth. With runners at the corners and one out, former Rockies star Matt Holliday strode to the plate, serenaded by a mixture of boos and cheers. Rafael Betancourt got Holliday to ground into an inning-ending double play. Second baseman Clint Barmes fed the ball to Tulowitzki, who gunned the ball to first with Nolan Ryan-like velocity.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
Sellout crowd greets Rockies
Pennant fever is catching on in LoDo, but so far it’s a relatively mild case. The Rockies drew 48,847 to Coors Field for Friday night’s showdown with the Cardinals. It was their fifth sellout of the season. Postgame fireworks were part of the attraction.
Team spokesman Jay Alves said the Rockies expect crowds in the mid-40,000 range for games tonight and Sunday.
The Rockies’ final regular-season home series is Tuesday-Thursday against the Brewers. Fan appreciation day is Thursday. Tickets are available, with crowds in the mid- 30,000 range anticipated. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
