Rockies try something new

Dodgers fans might fret that their team has won one playoff game since 1988, but at least the Dodgers got to the playoffs last year.

The Colorado Rockies got there in 1995, won one game, and that’s their entire playoff history. They haven’t finished within 10 games of first place in the National League West since 1997.

And now for something completely different -- a new recipe on offense, and a chance to win too. The NL West is entirely winnable this year, apparently for every team but the San Francisco Giants, so the Rockies look around and say, “Why not us?”

Said Colorado Manager Clint Hurdle: “Our goals and expectations are to win the division.”

In 1995, the Rockies had the Blake Street Bombers, with Larry Walker, Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla and Andres Galarraga pounding opponents into submission. They are a bit more diversified these days, as fans at the Dodgers’ home opener surely noticed Monday.

The Rockies won, 6-3, with Jeff Francis and three relievers teaming on a seven-hitter. Their starting rotation has an earned-run average of 2.64 through seven games.

“You’ve got to pitch and play defense to win a championship,” Hurdle said. “We’ve shown what offensive baseball will do. It will send four or five guys to the All-Star game every year.”

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In that light, the two most valuable additions to the Colorado lineup are Willy Taveras and Kazuo Matsui, who combined to hit four home runs in 772 at-bats last season.

Taveras, acquired from the Houston Astros last winter, leads off and ranges all over center field. Matsui, acquired from the New York Mets in June and re-signed as a free agent, bats second and plays second base.

“It’s the fastest two hitters at the top of the lineup since I’ve been here,” said Hurdle, a Colorado coach or manager since 1997.

In the fifth inning, Matsui reached base on an error, stole second base and continued to third on another error, then scored on a sacrifice fly. In the ninth, Taveras reached base on an infield single, took second on a balk and third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on another sacrifice fly. Two runs, one hit.

“You can see the way they change the game,” third baseman Garrett Atkins said.

“We felt that sting playing against it,” Hurdle said, “especially when we played the Mets. The Dodgers showed it against us last year, with [Rafael] Furcal and [Kenny] Lofton.”

The middle of the Rockies’ order has grown up around Todd Helton, with Atkins, Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe emerging as worthy heirs of the Blake Street Bombers. Holliday hit 34 home runs last season, Atkins 29 and Hawpe 22.

But, after all these years in the pennant race wilderness, Holliday realizes the Rockies can’t slug their way to October. With Taveras and Matsui atop the lineup, the guys in the middle of the order can drive in a run without driving the ball out of the park, or so the Rockies hope.

“This is probably the best chance we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Holliday, in his fourth season. “I think we have a good enough team. It all comes down to pitching and timely hitting.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com