PHILADELPHIA • The Colorado Rockies were alarmingly befuddled, struggling to hit, field and pitch in the wind tunnel also known as Citizens Bank Park.

No doubt, the Rockies are staring at a grim scenario, but there’s also no doubt this team knows how to climb out of a grave.

The Rockies are down 1-0 in the National League division series after Wednesday’s 5-1 pounding by the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

So why was Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez smiling as he stood in front of his locker a few minutes after this humiliation?

“They are in a comfortable situation,” Gonzalez said, nodding in the direction of the Phillies clubhouse. “We are uncomfortable.”

And the Rockies are dangerous when uncomfortable. Earlier this year, Colorado was bumbling around with 28 losses in 46 games. Nobody would have been comfortable residing that close to baseball’s dungeon.

“Nobody believed in this team,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone said we were done.”

Everyone was wrong. The Rockies roared to a 74-42 record under the calm direction of manager Jim Tracy.

Now, the Rockies face another bleak landscape. The Phillies are mighty, blessed with a wealth of big bats and a champ’s confidence. They marched into first place in the NL East on May 30 and stayed there.

Toppling the champs will require something completely different from Wednesday’s effort.

It was a rough start for the Rockies. For one thing, the wind blew with such astonishing force that I kept waiting for the Wicked Witch of the West and Dorothy to land on the pitcher’s mound.

The wind tormented the Rockies, especially in the sixth inning. Gonzalez misjudged Ryan Howard’s fly ball and crashed into the wall. Center fielder Dexter Fowler tried, and failed, to gauge the wind on a triple by Jayson Werth.

But the wind wasn’t the only problem. The Rockies never had a chance against starter Cliff Lee.

Todd Helton described Lee’s stuff as “dirty,” which means his fastball blazed and his junk pitches moved wildly before arriving in the strike zone.

The Rockies looked all-around awful. Lee made franchise history when he became the first Phillies pitcher to steal a base in the postseason. It was a baffling lapse of concentration by the Rockies.

Today, it doesn’t get any easier. The Rockies face left-hander Cole Hamels, MVP of last season’s World Series.The Rockies again face the towel-waving, garbage-talking Phillies fans. These are some of the best supporters in sports, period, and they are devising fresh ways to send vile messages to the Rockies even as we speak.

Yet the Rockies clubhouse was remarkably upbeat. They don’t mind adversity. They almost seem to welcome it.Fowler shrugged.

“Aah,” he said, “we just got to bounce back. … You go through trials and tribulations and you just have to wipe them away.”

Helton, the team’s anchor, spoke with a steady voice.

“There’s definitely no panic,” he said, looking around the calm room.

The Rockies enjoyed silencing all doubters. We saw them rise from the dead this summer, and it was a blast to watch.

And if it was a great time for us, imagine how much fun it was for the Rockies. Their ride from baseball’s basement to the playoffs blessed the players with a deep belief.

“Anything,” Gonzalez said, “can change.”

His words have been proven true all season.

Photo by

Rockies manager Jim Tracy, left, differed with the call of second base umpire Jerry Meals on a pickoff play Wednesday. Photo by AP PHOTO