Two of the newer franchises in Major League Baseball will compete for the National League championship after the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks completed 3-0 division series sweeps over opponents with more storied histories on Saturday.
The Rockies edged Philadelphia 2-1 on pinch-hitter Jeff Baker's tiebreaking single in the eighth.
Colorado's 17th win in 18 games was fueled by Ubaldo Jimenez, the hard-throwing 23-year-old starting pitcher who allowed just one run over six-and-one-third innings, and a bevy of relievers who silenced the Phillies' bats for the third straight game.
The wild-card Rockies get four days off before opening the NL Championship Series on Thursday in Arizona, the first time two teams from the NL West division have met in the league decider.
The series between Colorado and Philadelphia was supposed to be a slugfest between the NL's two highest-scoring teams in two of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball. But the Rockies put on a pitching performance that rivaled any over the past few years, shutting down Philadelphia's sluggers time and time again.
With two outs in the eighth, Colorado's Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe hit back-to-back singles off J.C. Romero to put runners on first and third base. After a conference on the mound, Romero stayed in, but Baker sliced a hit between Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and second baseman Chase Utley for what proved the winner.
Manny Corpas, who has blown just one save in 22 chances since taking over as closer, pitched the ninth to close out Colorado's first playoff series win in the franchise's 15-year history. It was his third save in the series.
Jimenez's only mistake was a hanging curveball that Shane Victorino sent into the right-field seats in the seventh to tie it 1-1. It was the first hit he allowed since the first inning.
Jimenez pitched well against Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia's 44-year-old lefty, who allowed just one run in six innings and wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the second.
The scoring was opened in the fifth inning when Colorado's Kaz Matsui hit a two-out triple that skipped past diving left fielder Pat Burrell, scoring Yorvit Torrealba from first.
Diamondbacks 5, Cubs 1
In Chicago, Chris Young homered on the game's first pitch to set Arizona on its way to a sweep of the hapless Cubs, for whom next year will mark a century without winning the big one.
It will be a surprise appearance for the Diamondbacks, whose roster contains just four players with post-season experience.
"Who would have thought that at the beginning of spring training or the season? I'm sure there were a lot of people thinking maybe .500 baseball," Arizona's Eric Byrnes said during a champagne celebration. "We have guys who are ready to win. We've already exceeded expectations so far and we're going to continue to do so."
Showing no jitters before Chicago's Wrigley Field crowd, the Diamondbacks hit three homers and turned four double plays to back another strong performance from starting pitcher Livan Hernandez and three relievers.
Even a return home couldn't get Chicago's bats out of a series-long slumber. The Cubs managed only six runs in the series. Chicago went 2-for-23 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-9 on Saturday.
Young drove Chicago starter Rich Hill's first pitch into the left-field bleachers and Arizona was off and running.
Byrnes homered in the sixth off reliever Carlos Marmol and drove in a run when he beat a relay to first on a potential double-play grounder in the fourth. Stephen Drew hit his second homer of the series, a solo shot off Kerry Wood in the ninth.
Hernandez, the 1997 World Series MVP for Florida, gave Arizona a lift, allowing only one run in six innings and overcoming five walks.
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