Padres Editorial: San Diego Padres Biggest Rivals

Mandatory Credit: rockieszingers.com

#2 Colorado Rockies

This one boils down to a dramatic one game playoff game for the 2007 National League West and one Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies. The Padres and Rockies had battled all season long but quite frankly the Padres looked to be in a great spot to 3-peat as National League West Champions.

The Rockies caught fire in a crazy way come September though, and just could not lose. After winning the one game playoff, technically game 163 of the regular season, they had won 14 of their last 15 games and would stay that hot all the way to the World Series before deflating and losing to the Boston Red Sox who would win their 2nd World Series in 4 years after not winning one since 1918. The play at the clip below was just the beginning of the heartbreak here though for the Padres, as it stands as the closest the Padres have been to the post-season.

A few days before this game, Trevor Hoffman had blown a chance to clinch the division when Tony Gwynn Jr (of all people!) tripled to help the Brewers beat the Padres in extra innings. Now, in this final game of the season, the teams were tied at 6-6 through 9 innings. How did we get there? Let’s take a look below.

The Rockies went up 3-0 early until Adrian Gonzalez belted his first career grand slam in the 5th after pitcher Jake Peavy got things started with a base hit. The Padres were up 5-3 at this point but the Rockies battled back to tie the game. In the top of the 13th Scott Hairston Jr. hit a two-run homer to give the Padres a two run lead with future Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman still in the bullpen. Padres fans waited with baited breath awaiting what seemed like the inevitable but also knowing that Hoffman had struggled this season. He had already blown six saves that season but was Trevor Hoffman. This of course though was also Coors Field, where no lead is ever safe.

So to the bottom half they went, with Hoffman coming in. He immediately allowed back-to-back doubles to start things off before a game-tying triple to Holliday. Not a good start. After an intentional walk to hot-hitting Todd Helton, up came light-hitting Jamey Carroll. He hit the sac fly to right and Brian Giles made a lollipop but on-target throw to catcher Michael Barrett. Despite the delayed call, he was called safe and the Rockies won the game.

Replays to all Padres fans sure make it look like he was out and blocked, but this was before instant replay and we will never know. In all reality though, clearly Hoffman was throwing softballs to home plate at this point and whose to say the next hitter wouldn’t have singled in Helton? Either way, a rivalry was born that night. The Padres currently are down in the all-time series 171-188.