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Top Five Colorado Rockies Moments Since 2000

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There are numerous options for the Colorado Rockies five greatest moments since 2000. The magical run to the World Series in 2007. Ubaldo Jimenez throwing the first no-hitter in team history. A bloodied Nolan Arenado rounding the bases after a walk-off grand slam against the San Francisco Giants on Father’s Day. The list goes on and on, but this article will attempt to narrow it down.

Top Five Colorado Rockies Moments Since 2000

Magical 2007 Run To World Series

The 2007 team still stands alone as the only team in franchise history to reach the World Series. No one could have predicted that heading into September. The Rockies sat at 69-66, good for fourth in the National League West. The Rockies began the month 7-6 and lost 10-2 to the Florida Marlins at Coors Field on September 15. At 76-72, the postseason did not seem likely. But the Rockies were about to begin one of the greatest stretches in franchise and Major League Baseball history.

They went an unbelievable 17-1 down the stretch, outscoring opponents 172-119 in September.  The amazing run earned them a play-in game against the San Diego Padres in Colorado. The Padres came into Denver with Jake Peavy on the bump and current Rockies manager Bud Black leading them. The game was a thriller from the start. Colorado jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings. But San Diego fired back with a five-run third, led by a grand slam by Adrian Gonzalez.

Fitting End To An Incredible Regular Season

The Rockies responded with three runs over the next few innings and entered the top of the 8th with a 6-5 lead. Brian Giles tied the game with a two-out RBI double to left off Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes. The game would remain tied until a two-run homer by Scott Hairston in the 13th gave the Padres an 8-6 lead.

But the 2007 Rockies had come too far to let that be the end. They had an electrifying three-run rally, headlined by a Matt Holliday triple off of Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman. Holliday scored the game-winning run on a Jamey Carroll sac-fly to right in a close play at the plate. It is still debated if Holliday touched the plate by Padres fans, but Rockies fans are sure he did.

 

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This was the perfect Hollywood ending to the magical regular season, punching the Rockies ticket to the postseason. The Rockies stayed hot and blazed by the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-0 and 4-0, respectively. Colorado fell short in the World Series, getting swept 4-0 by the Boston Red Sox, but 2007 was an unforgettable season for Rockies fans. The Rockies magical run to their only World Series appearance undoubtedly is first in the five greatest moments for the Colorado Rockies since 2000.

Ubaldo Jimenez No-Hitter Against The Atlanta Braves

Coors Field, in the altitude with its expansive outfield, has always been a place where pitchers go to die. But some pitchers have still managed to perform very well for the Rockies in their career. Ubaldo Jimenez is one of those players. He had an incredible 2010 season, going 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA and 214 Ks to 92 BBs in 33 games. But his third start of the season in Atlanta on April 17 was the peak moment.

In a 4-0 win, Jimenez shut down the Braves for nine innings, working around six walks to achieve the first no-hitter in Rockies history. While the Rockies still have not achieved a no-hitter at Coors Field, a Rockies pitcher throwing a no-hitter was a special moment for a franchise that always hears about how bad its pitching is.

 

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Nolan Arenado Walk-Off Grand Slam & Cycle On Father’s Day

During his time with the Rockies, Arenado seemed to make a highlight play in every game. He made the Rockies must-watch TV, and arguably his greatest moment in Denver came on June 18, 2017. The fans in attendance that day were being treated to a Coors Field Classic. Arenado was having a particularly good day. He entered the at-bat 3-4 on the day with a single, double, and triple already tallied.

With the Rockies trailing 5-4 with one out, Arenado hit a three-run bomb to deep left field off of Mark Melancon. Arenado with a scratch on his face, sprinted around the bases as Coors Field erupted. He spoiled Rockies fans with all the highlight plays he made consistently. But the walk-off Grand Slam to give Arenado his first career cycle ranks as number one and one of the five greatest moments in Rockies history since 2000.

 

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Extra-Innings Wild-Card Win in Wrigley

The 2018 season is the last time the Rockies have made the postseason. They had a strong core that included Arenado at third base, shortstop Trevor Story, center fielder Charlie Blackmon, and second baseman DJ Lemahieu. The starting rotation was anchored by German Marquez and Kyle Freeland. Freeland finished fourth in the NL Cy Young race, posting a 2.85 ERA while going 17-7 with 173 Ks to 70 BBs in 33 games played.

The 91-72 Rockies forced the perennial winner, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a game 163 in Los Angeles to decide the division. They were shut down by Walker Buehler and lost 5-2 in a deflating loss. They now had to make a quick turnaround against the Chicago Cubs in another winner-take-all game. In a game that lasted 13 innings, the Rockies won 2-1 on a frigid night in Chicago. Freeland was stellar, lasting 6.2 innings, allowing zero runs with six Ks to one BB. Five Rockies relievers combined to allow the only Cubs run.

Tony Wolters!!!

In a game that seemed like it would never end, the Rockies finally scratched across the winning run. Catcher Tony Wolters had not recorded a hit since September 10 and was coming up as a pinch-hitter with runners on first and second and two outs. In a 1-2 count, Wolters hit a single to center field off of Kyle Hendricks to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead. Scott Oberg shut down the Cubs in the bottom of the 13th to clinch the Rockies’ first postseason win since 2007.

Although the Rockies got swept 3-0 by the Milwaukee Brewers in the division series, the win over the Cubs was a great moment. It gave Rockies fans their first postseason win in 11 years. Wolters went from a glove-first catcher who was hidden on a talented roster to a Rockies legend. It was a classic postseason game in baseball that featured an extremely unlikely hero and is one of the five greatest moments in Rockies history since 2000.

 

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Troy Tulowitzki Unassisted Triple-Play

Early on in that magical 2007 season, SS Troy Tulowitzki had one of the best defensive moments of his career. With a career WAR of 44.5, Tulo has no shortage of incredible plays to showcase. But an unassisted triple-play against the Braves in his sophomore season may rank first. No doubt he had more impressive feats athletically. But he is one of only 15 players in MLB history to record a triple-play. With runners on first and second, Tulo caught a liner, stepped on second, and tagged out Edgar Renteria. In a matter of moments, a potential big inning by Atlanta was vanquished at the hands of Tulowitzki.

 

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There have been many great moments for the Colorado Rockies since 2000. Other moments potentially worthy of the top five include the 2009 Wild Card game victory, Ryan McMahon walking off the Dodgers in September 2018, Marquez and Freeland’s near no-hitters at Coors, or Arenado’s amazing tarp catch on the road in San Francisco. It is impossible to accurately narrow it down, but the moments listed above serve well as the five greatest moments since 2000 in Colorado Rockies history.

Main Photo Credits: Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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