Rockies one win away from first trip to World Series

Torrealba's three-run homer leads the way in rainy Denver

Last Updated: Monday, October 15, 2007 | 12:55 AM ET

CBC Sports

That buzzing sound you hear might well be the death rattle of a desert snake.

Colorado is poised to deliver the final blow after a Yorvit Torrealba three-run homer led the Rockies to a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in game three of their National League championship series on a cold, rain-drenched Sunday night in Denver.

The Colorado Rockies' Yorvit Torrealba blasts a three-run homer during the sixth inning of his club's 4-1 victory over Arizona on Sunday night.
(David J. Phillip/The Associated Press)

The win gave the home side a 3-0 lead in the scheduled best-of-seven. Game four is Monday night in the Mile High City.

Josh Fogg took the win with six innings of one run, seven hit work. Setup man Brian Fuentes and closer Manny Corpas wrapped things up in the eighth and ninth.

Livan Hernandez took the loss for Arizona.

It's been an amazing run for the wild-card Rockies, winners in 20 of their last 21 games going back to the regular season, and now 6-0 in a playoff run that began with a three-game sweep of Philadelphia in the opening round.

One more victory and Colorado ties the 1976 Cincinnati Reds as the only National League team to go seven straight in the post-season. That club won the World Series in the minimum four games over the New York Yankees.

It also means a first pennant for the Rockies.

Slider was a bad choice

Torrealba's homer came in the bottom of the sixth and broke up a 1-1 tie.

Todd Helton walked to open the inning and with one out, Brad Hawpe singled to right.

An out later, up came Torrealba, in came a rare slider, and down went Hernandez's night as the catcher sent the ball into the left field stands to put Colorado up by three.

Hernandez probably deserved better.

Colorado had opened the scoring with two down in the first inning when post-season MVP candidate Matt Holliday put a two-out line drive into the left field seats.

Hernandez settles in

The veteran right hander settled in from there, however, scattering four more hits over the next four innings and only having to pitch out of trouble once when he had two on and one out in the third. That challenge he ended by striking out Holliday.

Arizona should have already chased Rockies' starter Fogg by the time they tied the game in the fourth. Colorado needed double plays in each of the opening three innings to clear the Diamondbacks off the busy bases.

The best of those double dips was the first one. With two on in the opening frame, Eric Byrnes lined back to Fogg, who pivoted and fired to second baseman Kaz Matsui to catch Chris Young trying to scramble back.

Still, given the way the series had gone so far, the Diamondbacks were happy enough to have Mark Reynolds drop one into the left field stands with two out in the fourth to bring Arizona even.

The Diamondbacks had easily swept the Chicago Cubs in their opening round series, but the magic seemed to be missing this time.