Coors Field

Matt Beech is ready for the Phillies, but they're not ready for him. Make no mistake. The Phils love what the 25-year-old lefthander has done in his last three triple-A starts: 3-0 record, 30 strikeouts in 24 innings. But if Beech were to come up now, he'd have to make his season debut in Coors Field, baseball's version of Cape Canaveral. A high-ranking Phillies official said the club would prefer to avoid that scenario. So Beech, who struck out 13 in a complete-game win over the hard-hitting Columbus Clippers on Monday night, will make at least one more start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Roy Halladay is going to do something Tuesday that he's never done before. For the first time in his illustrious career, the Phillies' ace will pitch in the town where he was born when he goes against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. Other than requiring some extra tickets for family and friends, Halladay, who will turn 33 on Friday, said the start in Denver will not be a big deal for a couple of reasons. "I've been gone so long that now it's a normal road trip, which is good - less distractions," Halladay said.

There are easier places to make your first major-league start, that's for sure. But righthander Joel Bennett sounds as if he's ready for the launching pad known as Coors Field. "It seems like everyone is making a big deal out of pitching here," said Bennett, who will start for the Phillies against the Colorado Rockies and lefty Brian Bohanon this afternoon. "But I'm not going to change anything. I've got to do my job and prevent them from doing theirs. " The light air in mile-high Denver allows fly balls to travel farther than usual.

Philadelphia sports fans are turning their attention to the boys of fall, and that's more than understandable given the way the boys of summer played yesterday. The reeling Phillies were swept in a day-night doubleheader by the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Losers of 13 of their last 19 games, the Phils blew an early lead and a late lead as they fell in the first game, 11-6. The Rockies won the nightcap, 4-0, as Brian Bohanon tossed a complete-game four-hitter to trump Phillies righthander Joe Grahe, who pitched seven innings and allowed three runs in his first big-league start in four years.

It's supposed to be easy here, in the ballpark that gravity forgot. The scoreboard is supposed to flicker and blink like the counter on a pinball machine. Routine pop-ups are supposed to turn on the afterburners and take off for the bleachers. Line drives - like the one John Vander Wal hit off Curt Schilling in the first inning - trail sparks on their way to the upper deck. "This is probably the best-hitting ballpark in baseball," Phillies manager Jim Fregosi said. "You'd like to come in, swing the bats, and get everybody into the action.

On an electrifying night, Andres Galarraga provided the biggest spark. Galarraga launched the longest home run in Coors Field history before its largest crowd ever last night, leading the Colorado Rockies over the visiting Seattle Mariners, 9-5. The crowd of 50,269, including complimentary tickets, was the biggest in the ballpark's three seasons, eclipsing the 50,247 fans who saw Los Angeles on July 14. In the much-anticipated showdown...

Before last week's NFL draft, the league expanded the offseason roster by 10 to 90 positions. So teams were on the phones immediately after Saturday's seventh round speaking to players who had gone undrafted. Seven Temple Owls signed rookie free-agent contracts on Sunday, bringing the Owls' total NFL signees for 2012 to 10, tying for the largest class in school history. (Ten former Owls also inked NFL deals a year ago) Linebacker Stephen Johnson (Norristown) signed with New Orleans, and receiver Rod Streater (Burlington)

8:40 tonight, Coors Field, Denver. TV: Channel 17. Radio: WPHT (1210-AM); WUBA (1480-AM) Spanish.   Tonight's pitchers   Phillies RHP Roy Halladay (6-1, 1.45) vs. Rockies RHP Aaron Cook (1-3, 6.03)   Three matchups to watch   Roy Halladay vs. Coors Field: The veteran righthander grew up in suburban Denver but never has pitched in his hometown. He gets the chance tonight while looking for his seventh win of the young season. Halladay vs. Jason Giambi: Giambi has had good career success against his frequent AL East nemesis.

The Phillies lost their closer just hours before they opened a four-game series last night in a ballpark where it would seem nice to have somebody who can throw a baseball 100 m.p.h. But injuries happen, and the Phillies had to make do. They did in a 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Phillies righthander Tim Worrell pitched in place of Billy Wagner, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain, and picked up his second save of the season.

Coors Field, where the Phillies will either extend the National League division series or end their fascinating season, is no longer a homer-hitting paradise. Oh, there are still lots of homers here, but the rate isn't nearly as high as in years past. It has nothing to do with the ballpark - or the high altitude and hitter-friendly thin air. It has everything to do with how the baseballs are stored. It all started in 2002, when Major League Baseball gave the Colorado Rockies permission to store their baseballs in a humidor.

Before last week's NFL draft, the league expanded the offseason roster by 10 to 90 positions. So teams were on the phones immediately after Saturday's seventh round speaking to players who had gone undrafted. Seven Temple Owls signed rookie free-agent contracts on Sunday, bringing the Owls' total NFL signees for 2012 to 10, tying for the largest class in school history. (Ten former Owls also inked NFL deals a year ago) Linebacker Stephen Johnson (Norristown) signed with New Orleans, and receiver Rod Streater (Burlington)

DENVER - Roy Halladay's work day at Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon will not be etched in the memories of Phillies fans alongside the perfect game in Florida or the postseason no-hitter against Cincinnati. And yet you got the impression the Phillies ace felt a real sense of satisfaction about leaving the town where he grew up with an 8-6 victory that allowed his team to complete a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. "You know, a lot of times here it's going to be that way," Halladay said after he navigated his way through seven turbulent innings and picked up his league-leading 14th win of the season.

DENVER - Ubaldo Jimenez brushed aside Atlanta's powerful bats along with all that trade talk, and Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez homered as the Rockies routed the Braves, 12-3, Tuesday night. It was the first win for Colorado in six tries against the Braves this month, and for once Atlanta rookie Freddie Freeman didn't do any damage at the plate. Freeman entered the game 10 for 19 against the Rockies after clubbing five homers and knocking in 10 runs against them. He was hitless in three at-bats against Jimenez, striking out twice.

DENVER - Tim Lincecum, the two-time Cy Young Award winner who led San Francisco to the World Series title six months ago, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Coors Field and the Giants routed the Colorado Rockies, 8-1, Monday night. Spotted an early eight-run cushion thanks to homers by Pat Burrell, Nate Schierholtz, and Freddy Sanchez, Lincecum cruised through Colorado's lineup, dominating baseball's best team over the season's first 21/2 weeks until Carlos Gonzalez broke up his no-hit bid with a clean single in the seventh.

Troy Tulowitzki turned in a defensive gem one inning, then flashed his prodigious power the next. Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs, Carlos Gonzalez also had three RBI and visiting Colorado took advantage of a struggling New York Mets bullpen in a 7-6 victory last night. "Every day these guys do something that you're just like, wow!" first baseman Ty Wigginton said. "They're definitely special and the Rockies have a lot of reasons to be excited about them. " A Gold Glove winner last year, Tulowitzki made a terrific jump throw from shortstop to preserve a seventh-inning tie. Moments later, his eighth-inning homer gave the Rockies a three-run lead.

Outside the Braves-Phillies race, the stretch drive intrigue in the National League is concentrated in the West where the surging Rockies, faltering Padres and Giants will slug it out for the division title and, possibly, a wild-card spot. That's of more than passing interest locally because if the Phillies finish with the best record in the league, they would likely end up playing a team from the NL West in the Division Series. The Giants have just finished a disappointing 3-3 homestand but managed to slip into first place Sunday when San Diego lost again.

Three-game series starting Friday    The Reds have a comfortable lead in the NL Central as the season heads into its final three weeks, and they have a chance to pad that lead against the worst team in their division and the entire league. Even with their own suspect starting pitching, the Reds should be able to handle the three Pittsburgh stiffs that will go against them this weekend. The combined ERA of the Pirates' Paul Maholm, Charlie Morton, and Brian Burres is 6.30.

DENVER - Shortly after the credits rolled, leaving the audience staring in stunned contemplation at the 4-hour epic they had just witnessed, Ben Francisco dressed quietly at his locker in preparation for the late-night flight back to Philadelphia. On a night when the stars took center stage, where the Chase Utleys and Ryan Howards and Jayson Werths of the world stole the show with their prodigious seventh-inning home runs, it was easy to forget the little pinch-hit at-bat that occurred with runners at the corners and one out in a tie ballgame.

7:10, Coors Field, Denver. TV: Comcast SportsNet. Radio: WPHT (1210-AM); WUBA (1480-AM) Spanish.   Tonight's pitchers   Phillies RHP Joe Blanton (5-6, 5.32) vs. Rockies RHP Jhoulys Chacin (6-9, 3.98)   Who's hot   Chase Utley: The second baseman is 5-for-9 with three doubles and two RBI in his last two games.   Who's not   The NL West: Phillies have started this road trip by winning five of six over the Dodgers and Padres and will look to make it six of seven tonight.

Just as many anticipated they would, the 2010 Phillies have made history. By touching off a baseball-cheating scandal this week, they've accomplished something no Phillies team has managed for the last 110 years. Thanks to bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer's hamfisted effort with a pair of binoculars in the Coors Field bullpen, the 1900 Phillies finally have some company in franchise infamy. Give the 1900 Phils more credit, however, than this less-than-subtle generation of Phillies spies.