Colorado Rockies: top 32 moments in franchise history tournament

In the top of the second inning, Jorge De La Rosa gave up a single to Sam Fuld and a walk to Theriot but, like the first inning, he got out of it unscathed.

In the bottom half of the second inning, the Rockies roughed Gorzelanny up as he allowed a home run to Clint Barmes with one out. Five pitches later, he gave a double up to Yorvit Torrealba. Two pitches later, De La Rosa helped his own cause as he got a single that advanced Torrealba to third base.

Fowler scored Torrealba with a swinging bunt single to the pitcher’s mound to make it a 4-0 game. Cubs manager Lou Piniella had seen enough from Gorzelanny and replaced him with reliever Esmailin Caridad. Two batters later after Fowler, Helton walked and the eventual player of the day, Troy Tulowitzki, got a single to score De La Rosa and Fowler to make it a 6-0 Rockies lead. Like the first inning, Brad Hawpe ended the inning by striking out but Troy Tulowitzki was already half way to the cycle.

In the third inning and in the top of the fourth inning, De La Rosa and Caridad faced the minimum (Caridad hit Barmes but he was retired two pitches later when Torrealba grounded into a double play).

After recording two outs to start the frame, the Rockies blew the game even more wide open as Spilborghs and Helton each singled. With Tulo up, Caridad picked Helton off of first base but his throw was wild and went down the right field line scoring Spilborghs and getting Helton to third. Helton scored when Tulo hit a double to center field to make it an 8-0 Rockies lead. Brad Hawpe, like in the first and second innings, ended the inning (this time, it was on a flyball, though). However, Tulo was already three-quarters of the way to the cycle in the fourth inning.

In the fifth inning, with the exception of a walk to Derrek Lee, each team went down quickly (on a combined 25 pitches).

In the top of the sixth inning, Geovany Soto lead off the inning with a solo homer off De La Rosa to make it an 8-1 Rockies lead.

With the exception of a double by De La Rosa to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, nothing happened for either team in the bottom of the sixth or top of the seventh inning. However, the Rockies and 34,485 in attendance, plus countless more listening on radio or watching on television were looking forward to the bottom of the seventh inning as Tulo would be leading off the inning…looking to make history.

After reaching a 3-2 count, on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Troy Tulowitzki laced a triple down the left-field line and with that, he had completed the cycle. It was the fourth cycle in Rockies franchise history.

Dante Bichette and Neifi Perez each accomplished the feat in 1998 as well as Todd Helton in 1999 and Mike Lansing accomplished it in 2000.

Brad Hawpe drove in Tulo with a double to make it a 9-1 game.

No further scoring happened until the bottom of the eighth inning. After Omar Quintanilla, who was pinch-hitting for reliever Rafael Betancourt, walked, Spilborghs and Helton each singled to load the bases. Tulo came up yet again and he delivered yet again with a two-run single scoring Quintanilla and Spilborghs to make it 11-1.

The Cubs staged a mini-rally in the bottom of the ninth as Huston Street was not on his game. In order of plate appearances, he allowed a single, a walk, a RBI double, a RBI single, a sac fly, and a double.

Joe Beimel came in to replace Street and he a RBI single to Jeff Baker but he retired the side in order to end the game with a final score being 11-5.

Aftermath

At the time of this game, the Rockies had a three game lead over the Cubs for the NL Wild Card. The game helped the Rockies tremendously as it helped drive the team to a 30-20 record in the fifty games following this game. The Rockies only advanced their lead by one more game to four so this stretch was obviously needed.

The Rockies will be looking to make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2009 this season.

Voting for the top moments

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