Seth Smith

Those seeking both similarities and differences in the two teams that will meet in the 2009 National League division series, which begins today at Citizens Bank Park, don't need to look any further than left field. This off-season, for different reasons, the Phillies and Rockies both unloaded longtime, power-hitting leftfielders. But the teams filled the vacancies created by the departures of Pat Burrell and Matt Holliday in very different ways. Ruben Amaro Jr. signed Raul Ibanez to be the Phils' everyday leftfielder.

Sure, Jason Giambi is the most recognizable name - and face - coming off the Colorado bench, but the Rockies had established their bench identity well before the former Yankees/Athletics slugger headed their way just over a month ago. "His presence has helped, but as far as coming in and helping the bench guys, we already had strong bench guys," said Colorado reserve outfielder Ryan Spilborghs. "I think a lot of guys on this team have been doing this bench role for a bit so we have an understanding.

The Florida Marlins have staged 33 come-from-behind victories this season. The one Colorado put together yesterday would have made them proud - if the Marlins weren't the ones on the losing end. The Rockies rallied from two runs down before pinch-hitter Seth Smith drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the ninth inning, helping Colorado beat the Marlins, 3-2, for a split of the four-game series. Florida reliever Joe Nelson walked Chris Iannetta to lead off the ninth.

DENVER - When Charlie Manuel came with the hook, there was no protesting this time from Roy Halladay. He had finished 61/3 innings, his shortest outing as a Phillie, and needed 121 pitches to do it. For the first 120 pitches of Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies, Halladay had found a way to survive his homecoming to Colorado without his best stuff. But he was gassed. "There are different games," Halladay said. "Today was a grind. Pitching out of jams, I had to work. " When he left the game, unable to complete seven innings for the first time in 2010, it was tied, 3-3. In the 10th, Rockies catcher Miguel Olivo ended it with a solo home run off a hanging curveball from Chad Durbin.

Seth Smith homered twice and the Colorado Rockies beat the visiting Florida Marlins, 8-4, after attending an emotional Coors Field memorial service for team president Keli McGregor. The entire team, along with members of the organization, joined family and friends in the stands for the tribute to McGregor, 48, who passed away unexpectedly last week. He was found unconscious in a Salt Lake City hotel room on Tuesday and later pronounced dead. Police have said there were no signs of foul play and the medical examiner's office has assumed the investigation of his death.

Vicente Padilla gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a shot in the arm and the Colorado Rockies a punch to the gut. The righthander, jettisoned by Texas earlier this month after angering the Rangers by throwing at opposing hitters, returned to the National League yesterday and pitched the visting Dodgers to a 3-2 win over the Rockies. "I can do a lot for this team," said Padilla, who allowed two runs and six hits in five solid innings. Rafael Furcal, in the game for his defense, delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning and Matt Kemp hit his career-high 19th homer as the Dodgers put the brakes on the surging Rockies by taking two of three at Coors Field in Denver.

Giving new meaning to "around the horn" Ah, vuvuzelas, those long plastic horns with the mournful buzz that have become the signature sound of this year's World Cup soccer tournament - you either love 'em or you hate 'em (OK, OK, you hate 'em). Ask the players, coaches, and umpires at the Tampa Bay-Florida game in Miami Saturday night, and they will pretty much line up in the latter category. The Marlins' 9-8, 11-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday will be remembered for the relentless racket created by 15,000 horns distributed to fans in the team's World Cup-themed giveaway, as well as the possibility that the noise caused confusion between Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez and plate umpire Lance Barksdale - who got their signals crossed on what became a costly botched lineup change in the ninth.

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.

Greg Smith won for the first time in 19 months, riding a six-run third inning by the Colorado Rockies to an 11-3 rout of John Maine and the visiting New York Mets last night. Smith (1-1) struck out eight over seven innings, allowing two runs and six hits. He replaced fellow lefty Jeff Francis (strained left shoulder) in the Rockies' rotation at the end of spring training. Smith also collected his first career RBI when he stroked a run-scoring double into the leftfield alley in the third and plated another run with a fielder's choice groundout in the seventh.

NEW YORK - CC Sabathia tossed eight stingy innings to win for the seventh time in his last eight starts, Alex Rodriguez drove in three runs and the New York Yankees, finally beat the Colorado Rockies, 8-3, on Saturday. A dozen pitchers began the day with nine wins, but Sabathia (10-4) won the race to double digits. The big lefthander allowed one run while striking out nine, improving to 19-7 all-time in interleague play. That win total makes him baseball's active leader. He threw just 103 pitches, but manager Joe Girardi decided against letting him finish the game.

DENVER - Jhoulys Chacin is starting to make a name for himself, even if few can properly pronounce it. For the record, it's yo-LEES cha-SEEN. And even more for the record, he's quietly amassed an 8-4 mark with a 2.81 ERA - numbers worthy of all-star consideration. Chacin scattered three hits over six sharp innings, and Seth Smith hit a tiebreaking single as part of a five-run sixth, lifting the Colorado Rockies to a 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. The 23-year-old righty made only one mistake all afternoon, giving up a solo homer to Rob Johnson.

DENVER - Carlos Beltran hit a career-high three homers and drove in six runs to help the New York Mets beat scuffling Ubaldo Jimenez and the Colorado Rockies, 9-5, on Thursday in a game delayed more than two hours by rain. Beltran homered from both sides of the plate and reached all parts of the ballpark with his three two-run homers: straightaway center in the first, deep left in the seventh, and into the right-field seats in the ninth. The switch-hitting outfielder became the eighth Mets player to hit three in a game and first since Jose Reyes on Aug. 15, 2006, vs. the Phillies.

MIAMI - Florida's Anibal Sanchez took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up a broken-bat leadoff single to Colorado's Dexter Fowler, and the Marlins beat the Rockies, 4-1, on Friday night. Sanchez (1-1) struck out nine and allowed one unearned run in the bid for his second career no-hitter. He walked three, including Fowler, to lead off the game. A two-out fielding error by first baseman Gaby Sanchez allowed Fowler to score. On Sanchez's 116th pitch of the night, Fowler singled to right and ended the no-hitter.

NEW YORK - Hot-hitting Troy Tulowitzki belted his major league-leading seventh homer during the second game of a doubleheader, and the Colorado Rockies pounded the New York Mets, 9-4, on Thursday to wrap up a four-game series sweep. Tulowitzki also homered in the opener before the Rockies' bullpen held on in a wild ninth inning for a 6-5 victory. The sweet-swinging shortstop terrorized New York pitching all series, going deep each game and finishing 10 for 16 with eight RBIs. The Rockies (10-2)

NEW YORK - Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs, Carlos Gonzalez also had three RBIs, and the Colorado Rockies took advantage of a struggling New York Mets bullpen in a 7-6 victory Monday night. Tulowitzki made a terrific jump throw from shortstop to preserve a seventh-inning tie, and Seth Smith reached base four times, including on a triple and a double. The Rockies improved to 7-2 (the two losses came in extra innings), to match the best nine-game start in franchise history.

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.

WHO KNOWS what might have happened if Jason Giambi hadn't given the Phillies an extra run in the second inning, or if Brad Lidge hadn't wiggled his way out of another heart-palpitating jam. The Phillies say they'll take a 5-4 victory over Colorado and a five-game winning streak in whatever fashion they present themselves. They were the recipients of both yesterday afternoon, when, for the second straight day, they overcame an early deficit and endured a ninth-inning tight-rope walk to continue their longest stretch of success in months.

It ain't over ... The thousands of Rockies fans who headed for the exits at Denver's Coors Field on Tuesday night with their team trailing, 9-3, in the ninth inning may never leave a game early again. What they missed was a stunning comeback over St. Louis that ended with Seth Smith's two-out, three-run home run off closer Ryan Franklin for a 12-9 Colorado win. According to Stats LLC, no other team in the modern era has ever scored nine runs in the bottom of the ninth to win a game.