Down to Their Blast Strike

A defining moment can occur in any game for a team in a tense playoff race.

The Dodgers might have had one Sunday in rallying for a stirring 7-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies: Shawn Green’s two-out, two-strike, two-run home run in the ninth inning at Coors Field.

Green silenced most in a crowd of 27,175 who had stood and cheered in anticipation of closer Shawn Chacon’s getting the final out to give the Rockies a series victory. Green connected on the third pitch in the at-bat and sent the ball over the wall in dead center for his 27th homer.

“It was the biggest hit of the year,” said leadoff batter Cesar Izturis, who had three of the Dodgers’ eight hits. “That’s what it was, and he did it right when we really needed it from him.”

The blast, estimated at 422 feet, ignited a thunderous celebration in the Dodger dugout that echoed throughout a suddenly quiet stadium and stunned the Rockies, who had squandered a five-run lead for the second time in three days.

“He’s hit some big ones and I remember some,” Manager Jim Tracy said of Green. “But when you think about the magnitude that the game takes on this late in the season, I don’t think there could be a bigger one that he’s ever hit.”

Green agreed.

“It’s probably the biggest one I’ve had,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve been in first place at this time of the season, so any time you win a game or do something like that it’s going to be bigger than anything in the past.

“When I hit it I wasn’t sure. But I heard the dugout screaming, so it made me feel a little more comfortable.”

Eric Gagne made sure the moment lasted.

He retired the Rockies in order, striking out two, to earn his 42nd save in 44 opportunities and secure the victory for rookie setup man Yhency Brazoban (2-0), who gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth.

The National League West leaders (86-63) defeated Chacon (1-9) twice and overcame five-run deficits for the first time this season in taking two of three from the fourth-place Rockies (64-85). Cleanup batter Adrian Beltre had the first clutch hit Sunday, a bases-clearing double in the seventh to get the Dodgers within 5-3. With 111 runs batted in, Beltre established a franchise record for third basemen.

Milton Bradley, who Friday hit his first homer since Aug. 18, cut the lead to 5-4 in the eighth with a towering, upper-deck solo shot to right estimated at 479 feet, and pinch-hitter Robin Ventura’s sacrifice fly tied the score.

The Dodgers said Sunday’s comeback was especially significant because the second-place San Francisco Giants kept pace, defeating the San Diego Padres to remain 2 1/2 games behind in the division.

Although it wasn’t easy, the Dodgers maintained the lead they had entering the series at hitter-friendly Coors Field. They reduced their magic number for winning the division to 11 and are off today before the final six games of their last regular-season trip, at San Diego and San Francisco.

Green struggled at times against the Rockies, but he helped the Dodgers leave town in a good frame of mind.

“We really needed to get this one to get our minds positive and going in the right direction,” Beltre said. “We’re going to have tough series in San Diego and San Francisco, and going [to San Diego] with a win is better than going there with two straight losses.

“That’s why Greenie’s hit was the most important hit of the game. Maybe he missed a couple of pitches early in the game, so he was anxious to come through. We really needed him in that last at-bat and he came through.”

Green had struggled in the series since hitting his 26th homer Friday in the fourth inning of an 8-6, 10-inning victory.

The No. 5 batter went hitless in four at-bats and stranded six runners Saturday in an 8-1 loss. On Sunday, Green had gone 0 for 3 and stranded three runners through seven innings.

The Rockies scored four runs in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead and chase rookie pitcher Edwin Jackson, starting in place of injured right-hander Jose Lima. Once again, things looked bad for the Dodgers.

“It was unbelievable,” Bradley said. “For some reason, they’re just awesome here. We always seem to sit around and decide to play when the seventh inning comes.”

Colorado’s bullpen faltered again, but so did Brazoban. He walked the leadoff batter in the eighth, and the Rockies took a 6-5 lead on Jorge Piedra’s run-scoring single.

Chacon entered to start the ninth and struck out Jayson Werth. After Steve Finley walked, Beltre struck out with Green on deck.

Green swung hard and missed the first pitch and fouled off the second. Chacon appeared to have Green set up for anything but a waist-high pitch down the middle of the plate, which is what Green got.

“He obviously made a mistake,” Green said. “Watching the replay, he was trying to throw a high fastball and either set up a breaking ball or set up something else. He left it over the plate. I think the wind helped.”

Green helped the Dodgers.

“The last couple of days have been real frustrating for him,” batting instructor Tim Wallach said. “For him to step up and do that could be a real big lift for him the last two weeks. For him and us.”

*

MAGIC NUMBER

Dodgers’ magic number

for clinching NL West title: 11

Note: The magic number is derived by adding one to the number of remaining Dodger games and subtracting the number of games ahead in the loss column from the next team.