Thar She Blows!

Maybe next year instead of entering games to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells", Trevor Hoffman might take to the mound to the strains of Adam Sandler's "The Goat". The all-time saves leader continued to be one of the biggest big game losers, blowing a 2-run lead in the 13th inning last night (early this morning on the east coast), as the Colorado Rockies captured the NL Wild Card in a 1 game playoff.

The Pad's Scott Hairston had given his team the lead in the top of the 13th with a 2-run shot off of Jorge Julio. But as the inning ended, I said aloud, "Don't worry, Hoffman's coming in". The closer, who had blown a 9th inning save on Saturday in a game the Brewers would eventually win, had absolutely nothing last night.

Kaz Matsui lead off the bottom of the 13th with a bullet in the gap in right-center for a double. Rookie phenom Troy Tulowitzki hit a fly to the gap in left-center for a run scoring double. That brought up Matt Holliday, whose 8th inning misplay allowed the Padres to tie the score. Holliday hit a laser off the right field wall, just out of the reach of a leaping Brian Giles. Holliday cruised into 3rd with a game tying triple. The hit sealed up the batting and RBI titles for the Rock's left fielder.

The Pads intentionally walked Todd Helton, but instead of loading the bases, they chose to pitch to Jamey Carroll. With the outfield playing shallow, Carroll hit a line drive to Giles in right. Holliday tagged and raced home as Giles throw arrived. The ball short hopped Michael Barrett, who couldn't handle it, but blocked the plate from a head-first sliding Holliday. And that's where things got really interesting.

Home plate ump Tim Mcclelland made no signal. That translate to no tag and no touch of home by the runner. Barrett scrambled for the baseball and as he went to tag a prone Holliday, who had been shaken up on the play, Mcclelland suddenly signaled safe as if he had been thinking about it.

The Rockies raced on to the field to celebrate and there was no argument. But replays showed that Holliday never hit home plate. His hand was kicked away by Barrett's foot. Holliday also got a face full of infield, cutting his lip and leaving him a bit dazed. Pad's manager Bud Black felt that Holliday did get in. Perhaps he just realized the Rockies win, their 14th in 15 games, was inevitable.