As it stands right now, the Colorado Rockies are 4.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card race. The Rockies have been a bit of a surprise team this season, after an unimpressive '08 campaign and the loss of Matt Holliday during the offseason. They've thrived after the firing of Clint Hurdle, as Jim Tracy has pushed the right buttons, rarely ever taking a misstep.
Considering the way they've played in recent months, is a 4.5 game cushion plenty for the Rockies? Can the Giants, Marlins, and Braves kiss their playoff hopes goodbye?
Well, I've never quite been a believer in the Giants. Sure they have Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain at the top of their rotation, but it's difficult to gather momentum with an offense as impotent as theirs. They'd be tough in a short series because of their starting pitching, but I doubt they'll get to that point.
I thought the Braves would put up more of a fight than they have, but Chipper Jones is clearly spiraling toward the end of his spectacular career. Like the Giants, the Braves don't score enough to rattle off consecutive victories at the right juncture in time.
The Marlins are hungry -- I feel like we've all been saying that for years -- but I don't trust their starting pitching outside of stud Josh Johnson. All things considered, it looks like relatively smooth sailing for the Rockies the rest of the way out.
