Jake Peavy has one more day for his twentieth win - if he does not get it, the Padres go home.

The big media story today obviously is the collapse of the Mets. The Mets certainly did collapse, but one also needs to give credit to the Phillies. After all, without their continued winning, they would not be in the race, collapse or no collapse. Further, even without a collapse, they would have played their way into a three-way tie for the Wild Card, so they would still be alive for today. Rather than bury the Mets, more praise should be heaped upon the Phillies for the job that they have done.

The MVP of the team, and possibly the league, is Jimmy Rollins. With Chase Utley losing time to injury and Ryan Howard having a down year, Rollins showed that he was the leader of the team, hitting .296 with 30 home runs, 94 RBI, 139 runs scored, and 41 stolen bases. Before anyone questions my “down year” comments with Howard, yes, I understand that he had 47 home runs and 136 RBI, but he also hit just .268 and struck out an absurd 199 times. This was Rollins’ team on the field and off, as he was pillared in New York for having the audacity to say his team was the team to beat. The reaction from Mets fans was moronic (it is his job to say that; did the Mets fans really expect him to say they were better?), but Rollins was able to back it up in the end. After all, his team is still playing, and the one from Queens is not.

This was not the only meltdown – the Padres needed just one win in their final two games and they could not, allowing the Rockies the window of opportunity they needed to force a tie. Again, though, props also needed to be given to the Rockies, who did nothing but win and win and win to make it in the end. Winning thirteen of their last fourteen games, the Rockies are easily the hottest team in baseball. If there is anything to be said for momentum, no one has it like they do.

Tonight, all the Rockies need to do to go on to Philadelphia is beat Jake Peavy, arguably one of the best starting pitchers in the game. With today’s game still counting as a regular season game, Peavy has one more chance to become a 20 game winner, and he has lost just six times while posting an ERA of only 2.36. Over 217 innings, Peavy has struck out 234 and walked only 64 – that is simply overpowering control. After losing four straight at the end of June and beginning of July, Peavy has won ten of his last eleven decisions. Is there a better starter in the National League right now? Probably not. Peavy has faced the Rockies twice this season, holding them to eight hits, four walks, and two earned runs in fourteen innings, and he struck out 11. He did not factor into either decision, though, and both starts came in pitcher-friendly Petco Park, not Coors Field, where he will be tonight.

For the Rockies, it is Josh Fogg, who is 10-9 with a 4.79 ERA. Fogg has pitched much better in the second half, with a record of 6-3 with a 4.12 ERA, and he has won three straight. However, he has struggled significantly at home, with a record of 5-4 with a 5.83 ERA in 12 starts, and he is 3-1 with a 5.81 ERA in six home starts since the break. Fogg has faced the Padres twice at home this year, the first an absolute whooping but the second much stronger, as he held the Padres to seven hits, three walks, and one earned run in five innings on September 9, picking up the win.

MVP candidate Matt Holliday gets one more day to add to his stats, and he has enjoyed facing the Padres in Colorado this year. In nine games against the Padres at Coors, Holliday hit .412 with three home runs, seven RBI, and ten runs in 34 at-bats. For the Padres, their offensive leader, Adrian Gonzalez, has also enjoyed the Padres/Rockies matchups in Coors. In nine games in Colorado, Gonzalez hit .308 with two homers, twelve RBI, and five runs scored in 39 at-bats.

So, who has the advantage here? The Rockies have the home field and the momentum, but momentum can be overrated, and they are only facing the most dominating pitcher in the game. Peavy has struggled in the past at Coors Field, but a career ERA in six starts there of 3.96 is not bad at all for that pitchers’ house of horrors. Vegas might be giving the nod to the Padres due to Peavy, but we are going with the Rockies here, as they have been too hot for too long to back off now.

Tomorrow, we will be back to break down this game and preview the first day of action, and be sure to come back every day this October for more Playoff Grumblings!

Questions and comments may be sent to markhaverty@sportsgrumblings.com