Our simulation starts in the bottom of the 13th inning with the Rockies and Padres tied 8-8.  There are two outs and Todd Helton is on first base.  Trevor Hoffman is pitching to Brad Hawpe.

Bottom of the 13th

• Hawpe grounded out to 2B

Top of the 14th

Franklyn Morales is in to pitch for Ramon Ortiz.  The reasoning is that Morales is on 3 days rest, but threw only 64 pitches on the 27th.  The Rockies pen is quite destitute otherwise.

• Geoff Blum flew out to Sullivan in CF
• Jason Lane grounded out to SS
• Michael Barrett struck out

Bottom of the 14th

The Padres employ a double switch.  Justin Hampson comes in to pitch for the Padres, replacing Geoff Blum in the 7th spot.  Marcus Giles takes over at 2B, batting 3rd.  The other options were Justin Germano or Kevin Cameron, and Hampson was much more reliable in 2007.  Also, bringing Hampson in limits the Rockies, who have a pinch hitter leading off the 14th.  Ian Stewart would likely PH if a righty was on the mound, but instead Colorado chooses Clint Barmes (over Chris Iannetta).

• Clint Barmes grounds out to Giles at 2B.
• Yorvit Torrealba pops out to CF
• Cory Sullivan strikes out

A pinch hitter was considered for Sullivan but the Rockies had no remaining outfielders on the bench.

Top of the 15th

The Rockies have to make a tough call on who to comes in to pitch.  The choices are Elmer Dessens , lefty Josh Newman and two guys with command issues, Denny Bautista and Juan Morillo.  I went with lefty Josh Newman to face the Padres leadoff batter Brian Giles. 

• Giles singled to RF on a 2-2 pitch

 The Rockies go to the bullpen, bringing in Dessens who has favorable ground ball tendencies.  The other option would have been Morillo (Dessens had no success in 2007), but a rookie with command issues is not the guy you want on the mound when the leadoff runner is on base in the 15th inning of a tie game. 

• Scott Hairston struck out
• Marcus Giles grounded out on a slow roller to SS, moving brother Brian to 2B
• Dessens is pitching around Adrian Gonzalez, but he rips a 3-1 pitch down the RF line scoring Giles and giving the Padres a 9-8 lead.  Gonzalez hustles into 2B with a double.  Gonzalez remains just a triple shy of being the first Padre to ever hit for the cycle.
• Khalil Greene grounds out to SS to end the inning.

Bottom of the 15th

Justin Hampson remains on the mound for the Padres and will face the 1-2-3 of the Rockies order.

• Kaz Matsui grounds out to SS
• Tulowitzki lines out to Giles in RF
• Holliday lofts one to CF which Lane grabs, clinching a playoff spot for the Padres

Final Score, Padres 9 Rockies 8

WP – Hampson 3-3
LP – Dessens 2-3


Next up, the Padres choose their playoff roster, and we'll cover the pitching matchups vs. the Phillies.