D-Backs take on Rockies for NL crown

If last week's NLDS proved anything, it's that the NL West was by far the best division in the Senior Circuit. The Arizona Diamondbacks dominated the Chicago Cubs, while the Colorado Rockies blew past the Philadelphia Phillies. After matching sweeps, the divisional rivals square off to determine who will represent the National League in the 2007 World Series. Here is a closer look at how these two squads match up going into tomorrow night's Game 1.

Schedule
(All times Pacific), x-if necessary.

Game 1, Thursday, at Arizona (5:37 p.m.)

Game 2, Friday, at Arizona (7:18 p.m.)

Game 3, Sunday, at Colorado (5:30 p.m.)

Game 4, Monday, at Colorado (7:00 p.m.)

x-Game 5, Wednesday, at Colorado (5:30 p.m.)

x-Game 6, Friday, at Arizona (5:30 p.m.)

x-Game 7, Saturday, at Arizona (TBD). (All games on TBS.)

What to watch for

Brilliant Bullpens. Following a trend set during the regular season, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen pitched well in the first round. Arizona used four relievers: Valverde, Lyon, Cruz and Pena. They tossed 8 1-3 shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out eight. Meanwhile, the Rockies had a 2.33 overall team ERA in the first round and limited Philadelphia’s high-powered offense to a .172 batting average. Corpas saved all three games.

Safe At Home. Arizona and Colorado went 50-31 at home during the regular season, just behind Milwaukee (51-30) for the best mark in the league. The Diamondbacks won twice at Chase Field in the first round of the playoffs; the Rockies won their lone game at Coors Field in the division series.

Young Hearts. Many of Arizona’s inexperienced players delivered in the first round. Now, they’ll be tested again. Upton, barely 20 years old, started the season at Class-A Lancaster—but he could be tough to keep out of the lineup. He went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and an RBI against Chicago. He also had three walks and no strikeouts, a key improvement for him.

Key matchups
Colorado won six of the final eight meetings with the Diamondbacks and took the season series for only the third time in 10 years.

Arizona, however, has the only win against the Rockies during their current 17-1 run, a 4-2 triumph that clinched a playoff spot on the final weekend of the season.

Colorado went 5-4 at home against the Diamondbacks and 5-4 in Arizona.

Helton batted .375 (24-for-64) against the D-Backs. Hawpe hit three homers and had 18 RBIs.

Webb made six starts against the Rockies this season, including opening day in Denver. He went 1-3 with a 5.77 ERA. His best outing was his last—a victory over Francis at Coors Field on Sept. 28, when he yielded two runs and eight hits in seven innings.

Diamondbacks lineup
CF Chris Young (.237, 32 HR, 68 RBIs, 27 SB)

SS Stephen Drew (.238, 12, 60)

LF Eric Byrnes (.286, 21, 83, 103 runs, 50 SB)

1B Conor Jackson (.284, 15, 60)

or Tony Clark (.249, 17, 51)

3B Mark Reynolds (.279, 17, 62)

C Chris Snyder (.252, 13, 47)

RF Jeff Salazar (.277, 1, 10)

or Justin Upton (.221, 2, 11)

2B Augie Ojeda (.274, 1, 12)

Starting pitchers
RH Brandon Webb (18-10, 3.01 ERA, 194 strikeouts)

LH Doug Davis (13-12, 4.25)

RH Livan Hernandez (11-11, 4.93)

RH Micah Owings (8-8, 4.30)

Relievers
RH Jose Valverde (1-4, 2.66, 47/53 saves)

RH Brandon Lyon (6-4, 2.68)

RH Tony Pena (5-4, 3.27)

RH Juan Cruz (6-1, 3.10)

LH Doug Slaten (3-2, 2.72)

RH Edgar Gonzalez (8-4, 5.03)

Profile
Arizona is perhaps the most unlikely of the playoff teams with a starting lineup that includes rookies at shortstop (Drew), center field (Young), right field (Salazar or Upton) and third base (Reynolds). In addition, 1B Jackson is in only his second season.

The stats reveal a weak-hitting club, but the Diamondbacks got timely ones from a variety of players, leading to their motto of “Anybody, Anytime.” They won 32 one-run games.

The Diamondbacks kept winning despite season-ending injuries to RHP Randy Johnson, 3B Chad Tracy and All-Star 2B Orlando Hudson.

Young was all-or-nothing during a three-game sweep of the Cubs. He went 3-for-11 with two homers and eight strikeouts.

Jackson and Clark, who split duties at first base, went a combined 1-for-14 against the Cubs, with only a double by Jackson. Clark was 0-for-6. Drew went 7-for-14 against the Cubs with a double, a triple and two homers. He drove in four of Arizona’s 16 runs.

Rockies lineup
2B Kaz Matsui (.288, 4 HR, 37 RBIs, 32 SB)

SS Troy Tulowitzki (.291, 24, 99, 104 runs)

LF Matt Holliday (.340, 36, 137, 50 doubles)

1B Todd Helton (.320, 17, 91, .434 OBP)

3B Garrett Atkins (.301, 25, 111)

RF Brad Hawpe (.291, 29, 116)

CF Ryan Spilborghs (.299, 11, 51)

C Yorvit Torrealba (.255, 8, 47)

Starting pitchers
LH Jeff Francis (17-9, 4.22 ERA)

RH Ubaldo Jimenez (4-4, 4.28)

LH Franklin Morales (3-2, 3.43)

RH Josh Fogg (10-9, 4.94)

or RH Aaron Cook (8-7, 4.12)

Relievers
RH Manny Corpas (4-2, 2.08, 19/20 saves)

LH Brian Fuentes (3-5, 3.08, 20/26 saves)

RH Matt Herges (5-1, 2.96)

RH LaTroy Hawkins (2-5, 3.42)

LH Jeremy Affeldt (4-3, 3.51)

RH Taylor Buchholz (6-5, 4.23)

RH Jorge Julio (0-5, 5.23)

Profile
Colorado stumbled to a 17-25 start and spent most of the season looking up at the Diamondbacks, Padres and Dodgers in the NL West before going on a late surge that earned the young Rockies a surprising playoff berth.

They won 14 of their final 15 regular-season games, all against division opponents—including a 9-8 victory over San Diego in a wild-card tiebreaker at Coors Field.

Once in the postseason, manager Clint Hurdle’s team pitched extremely well in the sweep over Philadelphia.

Helton was the subject of trade discussions in the offseason but Boston wouldn’t part with pitching prospects Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen, so Rockies owner Charlie Monfort pulled the plug on a deal that would have sent the franchise’s most accomplished player packing. Helton is in the playoffs for the first time in his 11-year career.

Holliday led the league in several important offensive categories. He’s just the fifth player since 1949 to lead the league in batting average and RBIs.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press