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There鈥檚 a new sound at , louder than the sweet noise of a home run bashed off the bat of . It抖阴ap the sound of a winning baseball tradition being born.

Our gritty little Rockies can win the National League West for the first time ever? Pinch yourself, this isn鈥檛 a dream. And Colorado can shock the mighty to make franchise history? Hug somebody you love and hold on tight.

鈥淚t抖阴ap nice to be the underdog. People are not going to believe in you. Then when you do win, you shock everybody. And, right now, we’re shocking everybody,鈥� outfielder said Thursday, after Colorado beat Philadelphia 5-3.

In Denver, we don鈥檛 have much history of baseball success, as the Dodgers or Yankees do. These last seven days, when Colorado went on a seven-game winning streak nobody saw coming, could change the way we look at the Rockies forever.

Around here, our lucky number seven has long been associated with a quarterback that turned trouble into a victory dance. But these seven days, when Colorado went from a near-hopeless playoff situation to a giddy Rocky Mountain high, were pure baseball magic.

During a 162-game season, seven days is an eternity. In the most rousing baseball we鈥檝e seen in this dusty old cow town since Rocktober, Colorado flipped the script, outscored Arizona and Philadelphia in seven games by the cumulative score 52-10 and stole first place from the Dodgers.

A Colorado team that left L.A. with its tail between the legs barely a week ago is now fixing to kick some Dodger blue butt. Don’t you love it?

After sweeping a four-game series against Philadelphia, the Rockies are so close to clinching a playoff berth they can taste it. It could happen as early as Friday night, with Kyle Feeland on the mound. But please put a cork in that champagne. Save the celebration for something bigger: The N.L. West crown.

Do you remember the 19th day of September? After his three-run homer rocked the Rockies and sent them reeling 2陆 games out of first place, L.A. Yasiel Puig went all arrogant Dodger on us. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to win the West,鈥� Puig boasted.

That bleat didn鈥檛 age well, Mr. Puig.

After getting swept in Dodger Stadium, the Rockies held a team meeting. And you know what team meetings usually mean? It抖阴ap time to conduct an autopsy, because your playoff dreams are dead.

But the Rockies don鈥檛 do meetings the way most teams do. 鈥淲e talked about it,鈥� said Gonzalez, who insisted there was no angry furniture-chewing or dejected navel-gazing. 鈥淲e just said, 鈥楲et抖阴ap get back to business.鈥�

How do seven days in September become magic?聽Nobody dares to dream of winning seven straight in the heat of playoff race. 鈥淲hat you think about is: 鈥楯ust win one,鈥� 鈥� Rockies manager Bud Black said.

This football-crazy town has caught baseball fever.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Gerardo Parra crushed a solo home run and upon crossing home plate, he shot his index fingers at the stands. 鈥淚 pointed to my family. My dad and mom were here. I was just trying to say: ‘This is for you, guys,鈥� 鈥� Parra said. Moments later, a triple by scored , giving Colorado a 5-1 cushion.

And on the giant scoreboard in left field, the stadium crew fired up the debut of a video in which Peyton Manning encourages the crowd to go crazy. Score that as another victory for Black, who envisioned the legendary Broncos quarterback on the big screen at Coors Field, then lobbied Rockies staffers to recruit PFM as a celebrity cheerleader.

鈥淒id they play the video? Did I miss that? Where was I?鈥� said Black, confessing he didn鈥檛 see the Manning video of his dreams. 鈥淥h, I was back down in the tunnel, taking a 鈥︹��

Hey, nature called. Black was in the bathroom.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe I missed it,鈥� said Black, laughing.

Truth be known, as maybe only Coloradans with 鈥淣ative鈥� stickers affixed to the bumper can truly understand, Denver becomes a little bit more like Los Angeles every day, as slowly as traffic creeps up the Valley Highway. The Californication of Colorado ticks us off.

Maybe that抖阴ap one more reason knocking off the Dodgers, who collect stars in their dugout the way Meryl Streep hordes Oscars on her mantel, would be so sweet.

We don鈥檛 want to be L.A cool. Baseball is different at 5,280.

鈥淲e play like family,鈥� Parra said.

Seven days in September.聽This is not Rocktober. This is better.

Remember 2007? That was a dream. This is real.

These Rockies have what it takes to win the first division title in franchise history. For real.