Colorado Rockies Get Huge Win with Wild West Walk-Off Grand Slam

In a game for the ages, the Rockies and Giants faced off in a huge divisional battle, one that weighed heavily in the wild card standings. Colorado hung in and never said die, battling deep into the 14th inning.

As the game entered the 14th tied 1-1, things were beginning to look bleak for the Rockies, as Adam Eaton, the last Colorado pitcher in the bullpen, gave up three runs and a 4-1 lead to the Giants.

Then, in the bottom of the 14th, things looked bleaker. Dexter Fowler, a speedster, fouled a pitch off his knee and writhed in pain for minutes on home plate.

After a visit from the team trainer and manager Jim Tracy, Fowler elected to stay in the game and walked to first. Chris Iannetta walked next, putting Rockies runners on first and second.

After a pop out by Clint Barmes, Troy Tulowitzki walked, and the bases were loaded. Then Giants reliever Justin Miller walked pitcher Eaton, bringing Fowler home. The score was 4-2.

Out came Miller for San Francisco, and up came Ryan Spilborghs for Colorado. Merkin Valdez, the last remaining pitcher for the Giants, then threw likely the most memorable pitch of his career.

Valdez offered up a meatball that Spilly turned on quickly, and it was a no-doubter home run off the bat. The Rockies won a most amazing game 6-4, one that is huge due to their opponent. While rock n' rolling over and dying would have been easy, Colorado has done what they have all year—scratch, claw, and play fundamental baseball all the way through.

This game was awesome for many reasons, though, not just due to the first-ever walk-off grand slam in Rockies history.

This game went 14 innings, which meant it was the first extra-inning game at Coors this season, and at 4:57, it was second-longest game in Coors Field history.

Awesome was a dribble-grounder bunt laid down by a Giants player, only to have Yorvit Torrealba pick it up and fire to second, where Tulo then lasered it to Todd Helton for a bunt double play. Funny how, at the time, I was basically amazed and thought it was one of the coolest baseball plays I've seen—but it's only the second best of the night now.

Awesome was a smashed line drive, which was almost tipped by Huston Street but then snared by a diving Tulo, who jumped to his feet quickly as he fired the ball to Helton for the out (No. 6 top play on ESPN; No. 1 was the Grand Salami).

Awesome was the celebration that followed, with Tulo jumping on top of the mob that was against the backstop—something he was reprimanded for following the game by the umpires.

The best part of the celebration, though, followed the Rockies players' ragin' romp. It was major league manager Jim Tracy embracing Spilborghs, the fourth outfielder, although a talented one at that, as Tracy laughed and couldn't let go for some moments.

The pure joy displayed by Tracy is definitely something special. Bruce Bochy of the Giants wouldn't have done it if San Francisco would have won, and neither would almost any MLB manager.

Awesome is the result of this madness that was a huge game in the standings as well.

Colorado took the series 3-1 against San Francisco, who needed the wins immensely as they now fall to four games behind the Rockies for the NL wild card. Also, as LA was inactive today, the Rockies are only three games back of the Dodgers for the NL West crown.

They were a crazy-to-think-of 15-and-a-half games back of LA on June 3, so if you think this is 2009's version of the Rocktober team, you are laughably mistaken. This is a great team, with a great pitching staff—as long as Aaron Cook is OK after injuring his shoulder in this series.

I mean it—their pitching has been great this year, including the bullpen, which stars Street, who has saved 32 of 33 games for the Rockies in 2009. Franklin Morales has become a strong setup guy with nasty stuff.

Jason Marquis pitched a great eight innings of one-run baseball tonight, and even though he couldn't earn the win, he still has 14 victories. Ubaldo Jimenez has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball today, and he led the Rockies over the Giants yesterday.

Next up for Colorado, though, is an even bigger series against the Dodgers for three games at home. They look to continue their winning ways, as they are now 7-3 in the last 10 games, and if they can take the series, the Rockies would only be a game out of first in the division.

But it doesn't stop there for Colorado, as they play the Giants again in San Francisco for three games immediately after LA.

But the Rockies shouldn't look toward the next game this time. They should really embrace this win, one of the most historic of their history—at least for tonight.