Rockies are once again starting to roll

Pesky Colorado would not go away last year, even when the math screamed "no!"

Don't look now, but the Rockies are trying to beat the odds again.

Colorado was only six games back of the first-place Diamondbacks in the NL West entering play Wednesday, after gaining three games in the last 12 days.

"This is fun," center fielder Willy Taveras told the Denver Post after the Rockies gained another game Tuesday.

"We're not out of it."

Colorado is 23-14 since the All-Star break, the best record in the division and two games better than the D-Backs. It is a stretch that has the Rockies remembering - and perhaps gaining sustenance from - their stunning September in 2007.

Colorado set a major league record by winning 14 of its last 15 regular-season games just to make the playoffs, then swept Philadelphia and the D-Backs to reach the World Series, where it was swept by Boston.

They were 6 1/2 games out of the division lead when their streak began Sept. 16.

"Someone asked me about our situation last weekend and I told him we were going to need to win a lot of series," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle told the Rocky Mountain News. "But in the clubhouse we approach it one game at a time. It's a cliché but it makes sense in our situation."

The Colorado papers have bought into it.

"Rockies Back in NL West Race," read the Rocky Mountain News' headline Wednesday morning.

"Tough-to-kill Rockies Keeping Hopes Alive," read the Post.

The D-Backs have led the NL West or been tied for the lead since April 6 and have already won the season series against Colorado, 10-2, but manager Bob Melvin understands the race is nowhere close to over.

"I've always been a guy where, unless there is an asterisk beside someone's name, they aren't out of it," Melvin said. "I don't overlook anyone in our division. We're getting into September and no one is out of anything."

Brandon Webb was the only pitcher to beat the Rockies in the final 16 days of the 2007 regular season when he clinched the D-Backs' NL West title in Coors Field on Sept. 28.

The Rockies had to win the final two games of the regular season against the D-Backs and San Diego had to lose its final two games to force a one-game wild card playoff, which Colorado won in the 12th inning.

And as in 2007, the teams will finish the regular season against each other in a three-game series Sept. 26-28 at Chase Field. The teams also meet the previous weekend in Colorado, part of the D-Backs' final road trip that includes four games in St. Louis.

"A couple of weeks ago I stopped looking at the standings," Garrett Atkins told the Post. "We are just focusing on each game we have to play, and that seems to be working better. ."

Time to make a run

The Rockies have six games remaining vs. the Diamondbacks and three vs. the L.A. Dodgers. However, the Rockies have struggled against both NL West rivals so far this season.

Opponent Games Dates Location W-L vs. Opp.

Arizona 3 Sept. 19-21 Coors Field 2-10

Arizona 3 Sept. 26-28 Chase Field 2-10

Los Angeles 3 Sept. 12-14 Coors Field 7-8

NL West records

Since Aug. 15 (through Tuesday)

Team W L

Colorado 9 2

San Farncisco 8 4

Arizona 6 5

Los Angeles 3 8

San Diego 3 8

Since the All-Star break (through Tuesday)

Team W L

Colorado 23 14

Arizona 21 16

Los Angeles 19 18

San Francisco 18 19

San Diego 13 23