Milestone No. 4: Rocktober was a three-week run of near perfection
Apr 8, 2025, 7:18 AM | Updated: 7:18 am
The Fan is turning 30! For three decades, the station has been covering Denver sports, serving as a media outlet of record for the biggest events over the past 30 years.
There have been a lot of them. From championships to MVPs, from historic seasons to improbable victories, The Fan has been there for all of them.
What were the best of the best? During a six week span, Denver Sports will chronicle the moments that stood out the most. It’s a countdown from No. 30 to No. 1, in a series called “Mile High Milestones.”
Enjoy the trip down memory lane!
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When September 15, 2007 came to a close, the Rockies were going nowhere. Colorado had just lost 10-2 to Florida, with Ubaldo Jimenez getting shelled in the loss, and fallen to 76-72 on the season.
That record had the franchise buried in the standings. They sat fourth in the National League West, with Philadelphia also ahead of them in the wild card standings. With just 14 games left in the season, the Rockies weren’t just four games out of a playoff spot; they also had to leapfrog three other teams in the standings.
In other words, things were headed toward another meaningless season in Colorado. The team had only made the postseason once in their history, a sad fact that seemed destined to continue for at least another season.
Almost every other season in Major League Baseball history would’ve seen the Padres, Dodgers or Phillies hold on to earn the final NL playoff spot. But the 2007 season was unlike any the sport had ever seen.
It all started in grand fashion, although no one knew it at the time. The Rockies avenged their loss to the Marlins the previous day with a 13-0 win over Florida at Coors Field. A four-game series with the Dodgers loomed, setting the stage for an amazing late-season run.
Colorado won the opener 3-1, behind 6.1 strong inning from Jeff Francis. That set up one of the most-dramatic moments in franchise history.
In the second game of a doubleheader, a classic Coors Field battle developed. The Rockies were behind 8-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but clawed back into the game with two runs in that frame. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, magic happened.
With two outs, Matt Holliday reached on a single. On a 1-2 pitch, Todd Helton blasted the most-memorable home run of his Hall of Fame career, winning the game with a two-run shot off of Takashi Saito.
The normally reserved first baseman seemed to float around the bases. The stadium went wild. And it was clear that something special was afoot.
Colorado won the third game against Los Angeles by a 6-5 score, thanks for a two-run home run by Brad Hawpe in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jimenez bounced back in the finale, leading the Rockies to a 9-4 win.
A four-game sweep of the Dodgers changed things. Suddenly, the Rockies were back in the race. At 81-72, the were just four games back of the Padres for the wild card spot, with only the Phillies also left to jump in the standings.
Colorado went to San Diego for a pivotal three-game series and won every game. They then went to L.A. and once again swept the Dodgers.
Eleven-straight wins had the Rockies at 87-72, two games behind Arizona and a game back of San Diego in the NL West. They were in the driver’s seat for the wild card berth.
In the season-ending series against the Diamondbacks, Colorado lost the opener, but bounced back with two-consecutive wins at home. The ended the regular season a game behind Arizona for the division title and tied with the Padres for the wild-card berth in the National League.
By winning 13 of their final 14 regular-season games, the Rockies had put themselves in position to make the postseason. An improbable run had created the opportunity for their first playoff berth since 1995.
A play-in game was slated for October 1 at Coors Field, with the winner advancing. It would prove to be one of the best sporting events to ever transpire in the Centennial State.
The Rockies jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Padres bounced back with a five-run outburst in the third inning. Colorado scored in the third, fifth and sixth innings to gain a 6-5 lead, but they surrendered their advantage in the eighth when Brian Giles doubled off of Brian Fuentes to score Geoff Blum from first.
Both teams traded goose eggs until the 13th inning, when San Diego finally broke through. Giles walked off of Jorge Julio, which was followed by the Rockies reliever giving up a two-run home run to Scott Hairston.
It was a deflating moment. The dream had been crushed. The run was over.
The Padres turned to Trevor Hoffman, arguably the greatest closer in baseball history. With an 8-6 lead, the clock seemed to have struck midnight for the boys in purple pinstripes.
But the Rockies weren’t done yet. Kaz Matsui opened the bottom of the 13th with a double. He scored when Troy Tulowitzki followed with another double. Tulo then tied the game when Matt Holliday tripled.
Coors Field was going bonkers. The winning run was at third base with no outs. A trip to the postseason was just 90 feet away.
Hoffman intentionally walked Helton, bringing Jamey Carroll to the plate. The ultimate utility player was on stage for the biggest at-bat in franchise history. And he delivered.
Carroll hit a sacrifice fly to rightfield. Holliday tagged and barely beat the tag at home, digging his chin into the dirt while scoring the game-winning run.
Fans went wild. The party was on at 20th and Blake.
And it was just getting started. Colorado would sweep Philadelphia in the National League Division Series, stretching their winning ways to 17 wins in 18 games. Then, they’d do the same to Arizona in the NLCS, upping their run to 21 victories in 22 games.
One of the most-remarkable stretches in the history of Major League Baseball had led to one of the most-improbable World Series qualifiers the game had ever seen. The Rockies were headed to the Fall Classic, where they’d face the Red Sox.
A nine-day break between games proved to be Colorado’s kryptonite, however. They lost their winning mojo and couldn’t regain it, as they were swept by Boston.
But that loss didn’t diminish the team’s accomplishment. The Rockies run to the pennant was nothing short of spectacular.
In mid-September, their season was all but over. A month later, they were heading to the World Series, thanks to a 21-out-of-22 run that was unlike anything ever before seen in professional sports.
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THE COUNTDOWN
30: Ubaldo Jimenez has a magical season
29: Todd Helton get enshrined in Cooperstown
28: Valeri Nichushkin goes missing in the postseason – twice!
27: The Avalanche win their second Stanley Cup
26: The Nuggets come back from two 3-1 deficits in the bubble
25: The seemingly never-ending Broncos ownership saga
24: Hurricane Josh hits the Mile High City
23: The Rockies trade Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals
22: The Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2009
21: John Elway gets enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
20: The Avalanche hoist third Stanley Cup in franchise history
19: The Avalanche acquire Patrick Roy from the Canadiens
18: The Broncos produce the greatest offensive season in NFL history
17: John Elway joins the Broncos front office to right the ship
16: The Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 1996
15: The Broncos nearly decade-long quarterback carousel
14: The Avs-Red Wings rivalry turns into a bloodbath
13: The Broncos win back-to-back titles during historic season
12: The Broncos suffer one of the worst losses in franchise history
11: The Broncos part ways with head coach Mike Shanahan
10: The Nuggets trade away Carmelo Anthony in a blockbuster deal
9: Nikola Jokic finally wins a much-deserved MVP award
8: Coach Prime arrives in Boulder and resuscitates the Buffaloes
7: The Broncos make a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson
6: The Broncos win Super Bowl 50 thanks to an all-time great defense
5: The Nuggets win the first NBA title in franchise history
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Wanna hear more about this Mile High Milestone? Tune into “The Rundown” at noon or check out the show on YouTube to hear Richie Carni and a special guest take a walk down memory lane.
