"A glance at the stats from the first two games of the NL Division Series between the Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies will show that Jason Giambi had only one at-bat, and he struck out, on four pitches with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning of Game 2 on Thursday afternoon.

Don't be misled.

The Rockies held on for a 5-4 victory against the Phillies in that game, evening the best-of-five series that now heads to Colorado for the next two games, and Giambi's impact was significant.

Hours before a pitch was thrown, when the frustrations of a Game 1 loss was still fresh in the mind of rookie center fielder Dexter Fowler, who had gone 0-for-4 and flied out to right on the first pitch of the game as well as the first pitch of the ninth, Giambi spoke.

"I told him, `You have never played in the post-season before (Wednesday), but now you have, so go out there (in Game 2) and play like you did all year. Dexter was pressing, swinging at first pitches, wanted to go something. You got to understand he's a young kid.

"I know. I've been there. And I learned that the big thing is you have to relax, and do what you are capable of doing.''

Fowler listened.

"He made me feel comfortable,'' said Fowler. "He told me, `You're up there for a reason so go out, relax, have fun and play.''

The Rockies benefitted.

Moved from the leadoff spot to No. 2 in the lineup for Game 2, Fowler's first time up, after Carlos Gonzalez led off the game with a single and stole second when he beat a Cole Hamels' pickoff attempt, Fowler put down a sacrifice bunt, moving Gonzalez to third and setting up the Rockies first run.

And then, after striking out looking in the third, he yanked a 1-2 pitch from Hamels to left field for a sacrifice fly in the fifth that gave the Rockies a 4-0 lead, and on a 1-2 pitch from lefty Scott Eyre, he drove a pitch away to right field for a sacrifice fly that not only put the Rockies up 5-3 but was the only run they scored out of bases-loaded, no-out situations in both the seventh and eighth innings.

"What we saw (Thursday) says a lot about Dexter,'' said Rockies manager Jim Tracy. "(Game 1) he looked like a 23-year-old who has never seen a pitch at Triple-A and certainly hadn't seen 47,000 white towels being thrown in a circle (by the fans). "(Game 2) he played with the poise of a veteran. I credit Jason Giambi.''"