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Rockies look to get back into series in Game Three

Oct 27, 2007 - 1:44 PM Boston at Colorado 8:35 pm EDT World Series Red Sox lead, 2-0

DENVER (Ticker) - The Colorado Rockies try to get back into the World Series on Saturday night when they host the Boston Red Sox in Game Three.

After finding themselves on the wrong end of a 13-1 shelling on Wednesday, the Rockies endured a 2-1 setback in Game Two. For a team that is used to scoring runs - they finished the season as the National League's second-highest scoring offense - Colorado has scored just two runs through two games.

The primary reason for such lackluster output is due in large part to a .180 team batting average with with 22 strikeouts in the World Series after leading the NL with a .280 batting average in the regular season.

"Two runs in 18 innings in this ballpark isn't going to get it done," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. "We've been down to one strike before, so we've been here. We have a big challenge ahead of us. We're going home and hope to get something going."

"I think in the playoffs runs are a lot harder to come by," Colorado first baseman Todd Helton said. "You're seeing a guy's best stuff, his best pitch in every situation."

For that reason alone, the Rockies have to be happy to returning home, where they won 51 home games during the regular season, tying the Milwaukee Brewers for the most in the NL and are 3-0 in the postseason. They hit .298 at Coors Field, best in the NL and have won 41 of their last 58 here.

And the fans, who haven't tasted the postseason since 1995, still haven't lost any hope.

"Our hometown crowd is probably looking forward to this as much as anything in a long time," Hurdle said. "I think they'll be very responsive. We can use the support.

"When I came into the city (Friday) morning, everybody was wearing purple Rockies shirts. I remember a time when it wasn't cool to wear a Rockies shirt. People would stop me and ask why I was wearing the shirt and I said, 'I have to, I'm a coach.' So I know what it's like."

The Rockies will need everything their fans can provide as they attempt to overcome the history of a 2-0 series deficit. Of the last 50 teams to fall behind in a series,2-0, 39 - including the last 10 - have gone on to lose the series.

Matt Holliday, who was held hitless in the opener, recorded four of Colorado's five hits on Thursday but was picked off by closer Jonathan Papelbon for the last out in the eighth inning. In an effort to notch their first win in the series, the Rockies will turn to Josh Fogg, who is 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA in eight innings over two games this postseason. He yielded a run and seven hits over six innings in a Game Three NLCS win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

However, Fogg has not pitched well at Coors Field, posting a 6.06 lifetime ERA.

Boston will counter with Daisuke Matsuzaka, who overcame his late-season struggles to propel the Red Sox past the Cleveland Indians in the decisive Game Seven on Sunday.

The Japanese righthander was 15-12 during the regular season but he has a 6.98 ERA in his last nine starts. He never has faced the Rockies.

"Playing catch today and just feeling things out, I felt I might have to work a little harder on my command while I'm here," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. "And the one thing that I want to be particularly careful about is not leaving the breaking ball up."

Matsuzaka will look to continue the example that Red Sox starting pitchers Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett have set.

Schilling spearheaded Boston's effort to keep the dangerous bats of the Rockies in check during Game Two, working 5 1/3 innings before turning it over to reliever Hideki Okajima and Papelbon, whose combined effort over 3 2/3 innings limited Colorado to one hit. "That was just phenomenal to watch," Schilling said. "It's a testament to how dominating the bullpen was. Okajima was perfect tonight, absolutely perfect. ... We had to have it and we got it tonight."

This performance came one day after Josh Beckett's stellar seven-inning, nine-strikeout performance.

Just as every American League team must do when it travels to a NL park, Boston will not be able to use a designated hitter. As a result, regular first baseman Kevin Youkilis will begin the game on the bench while regular designated hitter David Ortiz makes the start at first base.

The move, which was announced on Friday by Red Sox manager Terry Francona, leaves one of Boston's best postseason hitters only available for duty as pinch hitter and defensive replacement.

"I think David is a really good hitter, and I think Mike Lowell is a really good hitter, and I actually think Youk is a really good hitter," Francona said. "But they won't let us play all three of them. So we'll go with this. The hope would be we'd have a lead, we'll put Youk in late. It doesn't always work perfect, but we'll do the best we can."

Youkilis is second on the team with a .396 postseason average (19-for-48) with four doubles, a triple, four homers and 10 RBI in 12 games.

"We're here to try to win a World Series, you can't be upset," Youkilis said. "We're in a great position right now. We're up two games to none. If you're worried about your playing time and this and that, I think you're in the wrong spot."