After Scott Hairston’s two-run homer put the Padres ahead in the top of the 13th, Colorado came back against baseball’s career saves leader.
The Rockies won the longest one-game tiebreaker in major league history, and advanced to play Philadelphia in the first round.
Kaz Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki hit back-to-back doubles off Hoffman, making it 8-7, and Holliday tripled off the wall in right to tie it.
After Todd Helton was intentionally walked, Carroll lined out to right fielder Brian Giles.
Giles’ throw home bounced in front of catcher Michael Barrett, who couldn’t hold on as Holliday swiped the plate, then lay face-down after cutting his chin with his headfirst slide. Umpire Tim McClelland made a delayed safe call, and replays were inconclusive on whether Holliday touched the plate with his left hand or was blocked by Barrett’s left foot.
“I don’t know. He hit me pretty good,” Holliday said. “I got stepped on and banged my chin. I’m all right.”
Hoffman (4-5) blew his seventh save chance in 49 tries. On Saturday, he was one strike away from clinching a playoff spot when Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a tying triple for Milwaukee, which went on to win 4-3 in 11 innings.
The Rockies won the longest game at Coors Field this season behind Holliday, the MVP candidate who won the NL batting title with a .340 average. He also drove in two runs to take the league RBI crown with 137, one more than Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard.
Ramon Ortiz (1-0) got the win. He was the Rockies’ 10th pitcher, taking over after Jorge Julio gave up Hairston’s homer.
San Diego had threatened in the 10th off Matt Herges, who walked Terrmel Sledge. Mike Cameron, his injured right thumb heavily bandaged, pinch ran and took second on Barrett’s two-out single to left. But Giles grounded out to end the threat.
In the bottom half, Doug Brocail sent the Rockies down in order.
In the 11th, third baseman Carroll booted Hairston’s grounder but made up for it with a spectacular double play to end the inning.
Helton drew a two-out walk in the bottom half and Carroll followed with a single to right. The Padres brought in rookie lefty Joe Thatcher, who struck out Brad Hawpe to end the threat.
San Diego again stranded a runner at second base in the 12th when NL Rookie of the Year favorite Tulowitzki made another spectacular play on a slow roller to shortstop for the final out.
Thatcher retired the Rockies in order in the bottom of the inning.
The Rockies had a 6-5 lead in the eighth when MVP candidate Holliday misplayed Giles’ flyball into an RBI double off Brian Fuentes that scored Geoff Blum from second base.
In the bottom half of the inning, Holliday stranded the go-ahead run at second when he whiffed against Heath Bell, who relieved ineffective Padres ace Jake Peavy.
Manny Corpas went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, and Bell sent the game into extra innings by retiring the side in the bottom half, stranding the potential winning run at first base by striking out pinch-hitter Joe Koshansky on three pitches.
The big hit for Colorado came from September callup Seth Smith, who tripled in the sixth and scored on Kaz Matsui’s shallow sacrifice fly to give Colorado a 6-5 lead.
Colorado took an early 3-0 lead only to watch Adrian Gonzalez erase it with his first career grand slam in the third inning, which Peavy ignited a five-run rally with a single.
The Rockies came back to tie on Helton’s 17th homer in the bottom half and batting champ Holliday’s RBI single in the fifth off Peavy, who looked little like the Cy Young Award candidate he’s been this season.
Peavy allowed six runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings. He failed in his bid for his 20th win - Boston’s Josh Beckett was the only pitcher this year to achieve the feat.
Rockies starter Josh Fogg allowed five runs and eight hits in four-plus innings.
