colorado rockies

Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Garrett Atkins broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a go-ahead RBI single, and Brad Hawpe followed with an ultimately necessary two-run double as the Colorado Rockies forced a one- game playoff for the wild card by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3, at Coors Field.

Colorado's dramatic win, coupled with San Diego's 11-6 loss in Milwaukee Sunday afternoon, means the Rockies will meet the Padres in Denver at 7:37 (et) Monday to decide who earns the fourth and final National League playoff berth. Arizona, Chicago and Philadelphia have already clinched the other three spots.

In Milwaukee, Ryan Braun finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored, and the Milwaukee Brewers came back to top San Diego Padres, 11-6.

San Diego needed only to win one of it's last two games to clinch the NL wild card. The Padres dropped both, however, ensuring the tie for the wild card, with both teams finishing the season at 89-73.

On Monday, San Diego will send ace Jake Peavy to the hill against Colorado's Josh Fogg. Peavy put together an outstanding regular season, going 19-6 with a 2.36 ERA, while Fogg went 10-9 with a 4.79 ERA.

Colorado won the season series over the Padres, 11-7.

Garrett Atkins was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and Troy Tulowitzki hit his first career grand slam as the Colorado Rockies kept their tenuous playoff hopes alive with an 11-1 blowout of the newly anointed National League West champion Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

Matt Holliday was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Todd Helton and Kaz Matsui scored two runs apiece to support starter Mark Redman (2-4), who lasted five innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out six and walking one.

Colorado (88-73) moved to within a game of the wild card-leading San Diego Padres, who lost in Milwaukee, 4-3 in 11 innings. A San Diego win Sunday would eliminate the Rockies entirely, while a Padres loss could make things interesting. The Phillies and Mets, co-leaders in the NL East, are also a game behind San Diego, meaning there could be at least one playoff game to determine a postseason spot.

"We got a heck of team," said Colorado rightfielder Brad Hawpe. "Nobody thought we'd get this far. Proving people wrong, that's all we can do."

Arizona starter Edgar Gonzalez (8-4) was tagged for five earned runs on six hits over three innings, and Jailen Peguero was no better in immediate relief, surrendering five earned runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Chris Young had two hits and an RBI for the Diamondbacks, who clinched a playoff berth Friday night and learned they had won the NL West prior to the game thanks to the San Diego loss. Despite losing Arizona clinched home field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.

"We did it despite having so many 15-year old kids running around the field," said Arizona second baseman Orlando Hudson.

The Diamondbacks (90-71) can finish no worse than tied with the Padres (89-72) and hold the division tiebreaker by winning the season series.

Colorado got out to a four-run first inning lead against Gonzalez. Matsui smoked a leadoff double to right, and after Tulowitzki walked, Holliday drove both runners in with a double to right. Helton then walked, and Atkins singled home Holliday. After a Hawpe walk and a Ryan Spilborghs flyout, Chris Iannetta plated Helton with a ground ball to third.

The Diamondbacks got a run back in the third on consecutive singles by Emilio Bonifacio, Gonzalez and Young, but Colorado answered in the bottom half on an Atkins single and a triple by Hawpe.

The Rockies blew things open with six in the fifth, as Helton doubled to lead off, then came home on Atkins' single. Hawpe and Spilborghs each flied out, but Iannetta walked, and pinch-hitter Seth Smith scored Atkins with an infield single, compounded by a throwing error on second baseman Bonifacio.

After Matsui worked a walk, Tulowitzki greeted newly inserted reliever Dustin Nippert with a grand slam to left, and the lead ballooned to 11-1.

Matt Herges, Jeremy Affeldt, Brian Fuentes and Manny Corpas each pitched a scoreless frame to secure the win for Redman, as only Herges allowed a hit in relief work.