Colorado Beats Arizona in Game 1 of NLCS

The Colorado Rockies extended their current amazing run with a 5-1 win over Arizona in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series yesterday on Jeff Francis’ 6 2/3 solid innings.

The Rockies went 14-1 to erase a 4.5 game deficit in the wild-card race.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, established in 1998, grabbed the World Series in 2001 when Kim Byung-hyun (Florida) was on their roster, but for Colorado, which joined the Major Leagues in 1993, it is its first Championship Series appearance.

Arizona, which is ranked in second place in team wins with 18 wins and 10 losses, as well as earned run average (3.01), had high hopes on former Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb. However, he gave up four runs in the first three innings.

Arizona had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a single by Drew and a double by Eric Byrnes. But Colorado fought back right away.

Todd Helton lined a triple to start the second and Garrett Atkins doubled. Hawpe drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in Colorado`s three-run third inning. That brought up Troy Tulowitzki, who was 11-for-23 with the bases loaded this season. But he bounced into a double play, allowing a run to score.

In the third, however, Willy Taveras singled, stole second and scored Colorado`s go-ahead run on Kazuo Matsui`s single. The score was already 4-1 for Colorado in the sixth inning, which made it difficult for Arizona to catch up. Batters got on base in every inning but the third, but Arizona failed to score any more runs. In the seventh inning, with no outs, Arizona had a great chance with men on first and second base, but Justin Upton, running from first base, slid over second base and then rolled his right shoulder into Matsui`s left leg, knocking the infielder to the ground. He was called out for interference.

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