DENVER • The romance between the Colorado Rockies and their fan base has reached a more stable, substantial place.

You could see this Sunday night at frosty Coors Field, where a packed house cheered for the Rockies to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, as Phillies reliever Ryan Madson warmed up, the entire crowd rose in a show of support for the Rockies. Even on a frozen night, Colorado supporters were full of life.

Most of the crowd was waving white towels. Sure, the waving was a blatant imitation of Phillies’ fans, but it was still impressive.

Two seasons ago, when the Rockies played Philadelphia in the division series, thousands of Phillies fans invaded Coors. In 2007, Phillies supporters comprised about 20 percent of the crowd.

On Sunday night, I roamed the stands and saw an almost unending sea of Rockies fans. They had grabbed virtually all the tickets, preventing another Phillies invasion.

And the mood is different this time around.

In 2007, the atmosphere at Rockies games resembled a carnival. After ignoring the team for years, thousands of the Rockies’ new friends jumped in to join the party.

It was fun. It also was shallow.

Even in early September of 2007, there were oceans of empty seats at Coors. I remember talking with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who had heard the stories of massive crowds at Coors.

“They said that if we won, people will come,” he said.

This season is different than 2007. The Rockies gained momentum, and fans’ attention, after Jim Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle.

For much of this decade, Coors Field has been a sad destination. Fans quit supporting one of the worst teams in baseball.

This season, the Rockies drew nearly 2.7 million fans, their highest attendance in seven seasons.

Rockies-mania is gone. From 1993 to 1999, the Colorado Rockies averaged a staggering 3.7 million fans per game, and an empty seat was a rarity.

The Rockies drew nearly 4.5 million to Mile High Stadium in 1993 and crammed 3.8 million into the brand-new Coors Field in 1996.

That era is over. The days are gone when it was tough to get a ticket — any ticket — for a mid-summer game in downtown Denver.

But the Rockies’ golden age appears to have begun. During the Rockies infancy, fans wanted to see the new show in town.

Today, they cheer a quality team.

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