The Biggest Series Of 2010 (So Far)

Want to watch playoff baseball in September? This weekend, you get a chance.

Having lost four in a row, the Colorado Rockies put their season on the line against the San Francisco Giants, who hold a 3 1/2 game lead over them in the NL West. Sweep and they’re right back in this thing – anything less and their odds of playing in October mostly vanish.

The Rockies have about a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs right now. They’re in a pretty big hole, but this weekend presents baseball’s version of a way to climb out of it. It won’t be easy – taking three straight from a good baseball team never is, and the Rockies will have to do it without Ubaldo Jimenez. Jhoulys Chacin, Jason Hammel, and Jorge de la Rosa will have to carry the day, and they’re going to have to figure out how to put runs on the board against a red hot pitching staff.

Don’t put money on the Rockies taking all three, but series like this are why we love baseball. You want the last week of the season to mean something? Win three in a row. Earn it.

The things that we remember, the things that we talk about, the things that go down in history are not the ordinary, expected outcomes. No one cares when the probable occurs. It’s the can-you-believe-that-happened experiences that create memories, and the Rockies have a chance to give their fans that kind of memory this weekend. Beat up on the Giants at home, put yourself back in the race, and I guarantee that there will be some kids in Denver who become baseball fans for life.

On the other side of the coin, the Giants have a chance to make this a two horse race. If they win the series, they’ll have one less team to worry about, and could conceivably end up getting enough of a lead where the final weekend series against San Diego might not matter all that much, especially if Atlanta’s struggles continue.

Colorado-San Francisco is the most important baseball series we’ve had this year. One team’s season is on the line, while the other can give themselves a great chance of playing in October with a strong performance on the road. It’s great drama, and it’s the kind of series to get excited about.

Forget Red Sox-Yankees – this is the match-up of the weekend. It should be a lot of fun.