David Zalubowski / AP

Colorado's Todd Helton, left, and Troy Tulowitzki celebrate after the Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 6-4 to sweep the NLCS and earn their first trip to the World Series on Monday.

Hurdle didn’t have to worry about burning his bullpen because Game 5 wouldn’t have been until Wednesday night. So he sent up rookie Seth Smith, who had only eight career at-bats when he was placed on the playoff roster.

Smith fell behind 0-2 in the count against rookie Micah Owings, then blooped a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line. Like everything else this October for the Rockies, it fell in the perfect place and ended Owings’ streak of 19 scoreless innings.

“In the box score it’ll look like it rattled the wall,” said Smith, whose two-run double put Colorado ahead 2-1.

The Rockies caught another break when Arizona first baseman Conor Jackson couldn’t catch Willy Taveras’ easy grounder. The error set up Kaz Matsui’s run-scoring single — the eighth RBI of the postseason for a player once cast off by the New York Mets.

Holliday sent the sellout crowd of 50,213 into a frenzy when he drove Owings’ slider over the center-field wall to make it 6-1.

Morales allowed one earned run on five hits in four innings. Though he didn’t get the win, the Rockies improved to 8-2 in his 10 major league starts.

Owings, the first pitcher since Whitey Ford in 1953 to have two four-hit games in a season, lived up to his .333 batting average by legging out a single in the first and coming around to score on Jackson’s two-out single in the third.

The Rockies went 2-1 against Boston this season, outscoring the Red Sox 20-5 in a June series at Fenway Park. Colorado last played Cleveland in 2005, getting swept in a three-game set at Jacobs Field.

As the Rockies celebrated on the field and the white NL pennant was raised up the flag pole, their delirious fans rocked the stadium.

“I’ve sat through a lot of miserable Rockies seasons. But this? I’m dreaming,” said Jim Hartman of Denver, a season ticket holder since the team’s inception. “I can’t tell you how many pinch me moments I’ve had in the last month.”

And none of them beat this unbelievable night.

“Can you believe this?” Helton asked. “We’re going to the World Series!”

Notes: Arizona hadn’t lost four straight game since a five-game slide July 4-8. ... The D-backs went 4-for-27 with runners in scoring position in the series. ... The Rockies trailed in just two of the 38 innings. ... Holliday leads all players in the postseason with four home runs. ... Colorado’s starters posted a 1.66 ERA. ... Corpas leads all closers in the playoffs with five saves.

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