Colorado Rockies history: Troy Tulowitzki hits for the cycle

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SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 18: Troy Tulowitzki #2 of the Colorado Rockies yells after turning a double play during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park July 18, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Entering Monday, August 10, 2009, the Colorado Rockies were in a three-way tie for the third best record in the National League and in a two-way tie for the National League Wild Card spot with the San Francisco Giants. They would go on to win the National League Wild Card spot and go to the National League Division Series but on that Monday night at Coors Field, the Rockies would face the Chicago Cubs and that night would become one of our best moments in Colorado Rockies franchise history.

The Colorado Rockies were wrapping up a four-game series that had started the previous Friday against the Chicago Cubs. They had won two of the previous three games against the Cubs so, at worst, they would be looking for a split in the series. However, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki would make taking three out of four much easier as on this night, he would hit for the cycle in front of 34,485 people in attendance and thousands more watching on television and thousands more listening on radio.

This is how the starting lineups would look that evening.

Chicago Cubs (58-51, 2nd place in the NL Central, two games back of the Cardinals)

Ryan Theriot, SS
Milton Bradley, RF
Derrek Lee, 1B
Jake Fox, 3B
Geovany Soto, C
Alfonso Soriano, LF
Jeff Baker, 2B (who had been traded from the Rockies to the Cubs in July)
Sam Fuld, CF
Tom Gorzelanny, SP

That lineup was made Cubs manager Lou Piniella. This lineup for the Rockies was made by Jim Tracy, who took over for Clint Hurdle earlier in the season.

Here’s how the historical evening unfolded.

DENVER, CO – JUNE 23: Troy Tulowitzki #2 of the Colorado Rockies takes an at bat against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field on June 23, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 10-5. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

In the top of the first inning, even though Theriot singled and De La Rosa walked both Lee and Soto, he got out of the inning unscathed as he stranded the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the first inning, with two outs, Todd Helton would single to left field. Four pitches later, Troy Tulowitzki would accomplish the home run part of the cycle as he would hit a two-run homer off of Gorzelanny to make it 2-0 Rockies.

De La Rosa would strand the bases loaded again in the second inning but again, the Cubs could not deliver with a run. In the bottom of the inning, the Rockies would blow the game wide open as Clint Barmes hit a solo home run followed by RBI single by Dexter Fowler three batters later. That would make it 4-0 Rockies and knock Gorzelanny out of the game.

Esmailin Caridad would come on in “relief” but in name only. Three batters later, Troy Tulowitzki would make it half way to the cycle with a two-run single to drive in De La Rosa and Fowler to make it 6-0.

Each pitcher would face the minimum until the bottom of the fourth. De La Rosa and Fowler would each strike out to begin the inning but after singles by Spilborghs and Helton and a pick-off throwing error by Caridad that scored Spilborghs and advanced Helton to third, Tulo came up in the clutch again as he hit an RBI double to make it 8-0 Rockies. He would be three-quarters of the way to the cycle before the fourth inning was even complete. He also already had five RBI.

DENVER, CO – JUNE 23: Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki #2 of the Colorado Rockies throws out a runner against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field on June 23, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 10-5. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

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De La Rosa would allow a solo home run to Geovany Soto in the top of the sixth but nothing further would come in the inning for the Cubs.

Nothing further would come for the Rockies until the seventh inning. Leading off the inning was Tulo. He would still be facing Esmailin Caridad, who had been on in relief since the second inning, and on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, he would lace the ball down the left field line and make it to third for a triple. With that, the cycle was complete.

Three pitches later, Brad Hawpe would drive him in with a RBI double to make it 9-1 Rockies.

No more scoring came until the bottom of the eighth when Tulo, who had already completed the cycle, had another at bat and this time, it would be with the bases loaded and only one out against reliever Aaron Heilman. He would hit a grounder back up the middle for a base hit scoring Omar Quintanilla (who came on as a pinch hitter to begin the inning) and Spilborghs to make it 11-1. Tulo would finish the night going 5-for-5 with the cycle as well as another single and seven RBI.

The Cubs would make it interesting in the top of the ninth as they would score four runs off Rockies closer Huston Street but Joe Beimel was able to shut the door and hold on to the Rockies win by a score of 11-5.

Next: Rockies history: Jon Gray strikes out 16 Padres

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