Streaking Rockies win Game 1 of NLCS

Brad Hawpe went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Jeff Francis tossed 6 2/3 solid innings, as the Colorado Rockies continued their red-hot play with a 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Chase Field.

Francis (2-0) got the win, surrendering just one run on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk for the Rockies, who have won seven straight and 18 of their last 19 games dating back to the regular season. The left-hander has allowed just three runs on 11 hits in 12 2/3 innings over two starts so far this postseason, Colorado's first since losing in the NLDS in 1995.

Kaz Matsui drove in a run, his major league-leading seventh RBI of the playoffs, and scored once for wild-card entry Colorado, which hasn't lost since September 28, going a perfect 4-0 this postseason.

Todd Helton, playing in the postseason for the first time in his career, went 1-for-4 with a run scored for the Rockies, who will look to continue their improbable run in Game 2 of this best-of-seven series on Friday.

Eric Byrnes had two hits and drove in a run for the NL West-champion Diamondbacks, who are making their first NLCS appearance since winning the World Series in 2001.

Arizona starter Brandon Webb (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking two, over six innings. The right- hander, who settled down after a shaky start, was the only pitcher to defeat the Rockies during their current streak, a win that clinched a playoff spot for the Diamondbacks.

Stephen Drew scored a run for the Diamondbacks, but his flyout with the bases loaded during an eventful seventh inning ended what could've been a big inning for the home squad.

Down 5-1 in the seventh, the Diamondbacks put together their best scoring threat since early in the game, while the fans showed their displeasure of a controversial runner's interference call.

After Justin Upton was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs, Augie Ojeda hit a grounder to Atkins at third and his throw to second got Upton. The rookie slid hard and came up into the second baseman Matsui, who as a result couldn't make the relay throw to first.

Second base umpire Larry Vanover immediately called Upton for interference, which moved the lead runner back to second, sparked an argument from Arizona manager Bob Melvin and an embarrassing moment for Diamondbacks fans, who began to pepper the field with water bottles and various other debris.

"He's battling out there, trying to take someone out," said Melvin of Upton's slide. "He's trying to get us an extra out. He's trying to break up a double play."

Colorado manager Clint Hurdle pulled his players from the field for safety reasons and after a brief delay play resumed with pinch-hitter Jeff Cirillo forcing Francis from the game with a bunt single that put runners on the corners.

Reliever Matt Herges walked Young to load the bases, but Jeremy Affeldt came on to get Drew to fly out to right to end the inning.

"We had some situations where we could've done some damage and didn't," said Melvin. "We didn't get it done and they did... We had a situation with a base hit we could've knocked a couple in. They were just more opportunistic when it really counted."

Brian Fuentes then worked the eighth and Manny Corpas tossed the ninth to secure the win for the Rockies. The game ended when pinch-hitter Miguel Montero was tagged out while oversliding second base following an attempted double to left.

Colorado won despite not having one extra-base hit among its eight hits.

"It's one game in a best-of-seven series and there isn't anything we can do about it," Melvin added. "We just got to go out there and try to even it up (Friday)."

After Arizona started the scoring in the first inning when Drew came around from first to score on Byrnes' double to the corner in left, the Rockies began to mount their potent offense.

Colorado tied the game in the second, but wasted a golden opportunity to do some serious damage. Helton and Garrett Atkins led off the inning with singles. Hawpe then worked a walk off Webb, loading the bases with no outs. However, Troy Tulowitzki grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, scoring Helton to tie the game, but Webb followed that by striking out Yorvit Torrealba to end the inning.

The Rockies, though, didn't waste a bases-loaded chance in the third. With one out, Matsui singled home Willy Taveras to put Colorado in front. Then, after loading the bases with two outs, Hawpe singled home Matsui and Matt Holliday for a 4-1 advantage.

Holliday earlier reached on an infield single that hugged the third base line, actually bouncing foul before spinning back into play and hitting the third base bag.

Webb finally struck out Tulowitzki to end the frame.

Francis, meanwhile, was cruising. After the rocky first inning, he allowed just one hit until Webb started a scoring threat with a two-out single in the fifth. Chris Young followed with a walk, but Francis escaped any damage by striking out Drew to end the inning.

Francis then worked around an infield single in the sixth, getting Conor Jackson to hit into a double play and retiring Mark Reynolds on a grounder to short.

"It's a big win, Game 1 on the road," said Francis. "The big boost was having a three-run lead early."