(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-10-24 10:26

BOSTON - Colorado's visit to Fenway Park earlier this season will help the National League champions when they take on Boston in the World Series starting on Wednesday, Rockies veteran Todd Helton told reporters.

Helton said the fact that Colorado won two of three games against the Red Sox by a cumulative score of 20-5 was not important, but having experienced the flavor of Fenway Park with its rabid Red Sox fans would help the young Rockies.

"That was four months ago. This is totally different," first baseman Helton said about the outcome of that interleague series in June when they beat Boston starter Curt Schilling 12-2, then triumphed 7-1 over ace Josh Beckett.

"Playing in the World Series, everything goes out the window. But it was good just getting the experience of playing in Fenway. We realize what the atmosphere's going to be like.

"The playoffs is a different style of baseball. Runs are hard to come by. You see guys are giving you their best pitch in every situation. Defense and pitching is pretty much the key to these games," said Helton, a career .332 hitter.

Pitching and defense have been surprising strengths this season for a Colorado club usually associated with the long ball from sluggers such as Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe and the steady Helton.

Bolstered by some young hard throwers, the Rockies have pitched to a team earned run average of 2.08 in the playoffs.

Defensively, they have sparkled all season, setting a major league mark for fielding percentage after committing just 68 errors over 163 games.

Helton said shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who hit 24 homers and drove in 99 runs, was a difference maker in the field.

"Defence is built up the middle," Helton told reporters gathered around his locker. "We have Troy. Obviously he's a gold glove defender. He catches everything and makes a lot of plays most shortstops can't make because of his arm strength."

The Rockies are riding a 10-game winning streak and have notched 21 victories in their last 22 games heading into the Fall Classic. Colorado, however, have been idle for eight days waiting for the Red Sox to advance past the Cleveland Indians.

"We will not apologize for winning quickly," said Colorado manager Clint Hurdle, whose team swept Philadelphia and Arizona in the playoffs and have been practising and playing simulated games since. "That's the way it happened."

Four inches of snow sent the Rockies indoors to practise on Sunday as the Red Sox clinched the American League title.

"We are very much looking forward to playing a big league ball game tomorrow night," Hurdle said.