Rockies complete sweep of Arizona

DENVER, Colorado: The Colorado Rockies exploded for six runs in the fourth inning to beat Arizona 6-4 on Monday and advance to their first World Series in franchise history.

Matt Holliday's 452-foot homer capped off the six-run fourth as the Rockies won the 21st of their last 22 games, completing a four-game sweep of Arizona in the National League Championship Series.

"There were runners on base and he left a slider up and I got it over the fence," Holliday said. "This is pretty incredible. This team has great focus."

Colorado clinched the NL title when shortstop Troy Tulowitzki scooped a slow moving grounder out of the dirt and fired to first base to get Arizona batter Eric Byrnes out.

The superb Colorado bullpen survived an eighth-inning stumble by Brian Fuentes - a three-run homer to Chris Snyder - and joined the 1976 Cincinnati Reds as the only clubs in NL history to start the playoffs with seven straight wins.

"I can't believe it. What a crazy game," Rockies infielder Todd Helton said. "I can't say enough about this ball club. This has been a great ride and it is not done yet."

In just its second playoffs in club history, Colorado will play either the Cleveland Indians or Boston Red Sox in the World Series in Game 1 next Wednesday at the American League champion's home park.

The Rockies, who got into the playoffs as a wildcard team, entered the season with a payroll of $54.4 million, one of the lowest in Major League Baseball.

"This has happened so quick," said Tulowitzki, who is in his first full season in the majors. "It seems like yesterday I was fighting for a job in spring training and now here I am going to the World Series."

With its season on the brink, Arizona went with rookie pitcher Micha Owings, who was known more for his hitting than his pitching.

Owings was 8-8 with a 4.30 ERA in 27 starts in the regular season but hadn't pitched since September 27.

Matt Herges picked up the win in relief of Rockies starter Franklin Morales, who gave up five hits and a run in four innings.

Starter Micah Owings, who gave up the big fourth-inning hits to Colorado, took the loss for Arizona.

"It was fun, this has been a great ride," Helton told reporters.

Indians take 2-1 lead

In Cleveland, Ohio, Jake Westbrook delivered a sparkling pitching performance and Kenny Lofton cracked a two-run homer to help the Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Monday and seize control of the American League Championship Series.

Riding the momentum from an 11-inning win in Game 2 in Boston, Cleveland pushed across two runs in the second and fifth innings to propel them to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is on Tuesday, again at Jacobs Field.

Westbrook, who missed six weeks of the season on the disabled list with an abdominal injury, held the Red Sox scoreless through six innings before Jason Varitek connected for a two-run shot in the seventh.

Lofton put the Indians ahead to stay when he tagged Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka for a two-run, second-inning blast, the 40-year-old outfielder becoming the seventh oldest player in Major League history to hit a post-season home run.

"He (Lofton) is a big game player, he likes the big stage," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge told reporters.

"It's important for people to understand just what it takes to be a big game player. For him to go out there and get us going like that, our first game here at home in this series, that really got us kick started."

Agencies

(China Daily 10/17/2007 page19)