Colorado hoping for home cure

BOSTON - Maybe going home will help the Colorado Rockies. At this rate, it can't hurt.

The altitude, the humidor and the spacious outfield.

And maybe no David Ortiz in the lineup without the designated hitter.

The World Series shifts to Coors Field after the Rockies lost 2-1 to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night, putting them in an 0-2 hole heading into Saturday night's Game 3 in Denver.

Colorado has won 11 of its past 12 home games, including a thrilling National League wildcard tiebreaker over the San Diego Padres, a division clincher over the Philadelphia Phillies and a thrilling comeback against the Arizona Diamondbacks for the franchise's first NL pennant.

During the season, the Rockies were 51-31 at home, tops in the NL.

"We've been down to one strike. We've been down to one strike, and we're going home," Manager Clint Hurdle said. "All we have to do is win what, four out of five?"

Of course, they had won 10 consecutive coming into Boston, where their brilliant bullpen went bust, their starting pitchers couldn't find the strike zone and their sluggers turned into singles hitters - when they weren't striking out.

The Rockies led the NL with a .280 batting average during the season, but hit just .267 in the division round and .222 in the championship series. They have managed just two runs in two games in the World Series.

Josh Fogg will face Daisuke Matsuzaka in Game 3 at Coors Field, where the humidor will make its World Series debut.

The Rockies' night was summed up nicely when Matt Holliday was picked off first base by closer Jonathan Papelbon after his fourth single of the night to end the eighth inning.

That meant Papelbon wouldn't have to face Todd Helton representing the go-ahead run.

Holliday had sharp singles all four times up, three of them off Curt Schilling.

And there's the rub for the Rockies: Their slugger who won the NLCS MVP by homering on consecutive nights against Arizona and has a great shot at winning the NL MVP trophy after hitting 36 home runs and collecting 136 RBI has gone from ball basher to singles hitter.

Holliday homered twice in each of the Rockies' first two playoff series, including a threerun shot in the NL pennant clincher.

Sports, Pages 29 on 10/26/2007

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