Rockies' run reaches perfect 10

Rockies' run reaches perfect 10
Red-hot Colorado cuts down Seattle with late rally

By Cheng Sio / MLB.com

06/14/09 2:07 AM ET

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DENVER -- The Rockies beat the Mariners 5-3 on Saturday at Coors Field in front of 31,101, upping their winning streak to 10 consecutive games.

The unbeaten run is the club's longest since recording a franchise-record 11-game winning streak during the 2007 World Series run.

"They basically played the last two innings with a mindset that you're sitting there looking at them saying they are refusing to lose," manager Jim Tracy said.

The Rockies could have imploded in the top of the eighth inning when Mariners second baseman Jose Lopez blasted a two-run home run off reliever Manuel Corpas to tie the game, 3-3. But they didn't.

In the bottom of the eighth, Troy Tulowitzki brought the Rockies back to life. He chopped a grounder but reliever Mark Lowe's throw sailed into right field, advancing Tulowitzki to second. Carlos Gonzalez then laid down a sacrifice bunt to Lowe, who threw wildly to third base, pulled third baseman Adrian Beltre off the bag and his attempt to tag out Tulowitzki was late. Chris Iannetta drove in Tulowitzki with a sacrifice fly to right. The Rockies pushed their lead to 5-3 after two walks followed by a sac fly by Clint Barmes.

In another tense moment in the ninth, closer Huston Street served up two singles to the first three batters. But pitching in his fifth game in six nights, Street summoned what was left in his tank to strike out Beltre and Endy Chavez to end the game.

"I think the success, doing it once and knowing that we can do it, whereas earlier this season, we didn't do it at all," Tulowitzki said about the change in the team's attitude. "We were just getting beat. You win one, you two, you gain more confidence each and every win. Now we're up to 10 and our confidence is real high."

Despite giving up the lead, Corpas (1-3) picked up his first win of 2009 with an inning pitched. Lowe's (0-4) errant throws in his inning of work earned him the loss. Street pitched a scoreless ninth for his 13th save. Rockies starting right-hander Jason Marquis received a no-decision as he went seven innings and allowed only an earned run on seven hits.

The Rockies got off to a solid start thanks to Marquis' play. On the mound in the second, Marquis fielded a nubber hit by Franklin Gutierrez and made a perfect off-balance throw to nail Lopez at home plate.

"People don't expect to win 10 in a row, but that's the type of results you should expect when you're playing the game the right way," Marquis said.

Cheng Sio is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.