If you’ve actually tuned into tonight’s game on TBS after Game One made a bit of sad history becoming the lowest ever rated championship series game in MLB history, then you have had a chance to catch the kind of playoff ball that wins at this time of year.

The Yankees and Mets should take note. Don’t believe me? The underrated NY Daily News columnist Lisa Olson had a superb piece about why these much better managed lower payrolls are fighting for a chance at the World Series against either Boston or Cleveland.

In her Friday column entitled Yanks, Mets can learn plenty from NL playoff teams, Olson drives home the point about how the Diamondbacks and Rockies have been well put together with a strong emphasis on the draft and not the crazy kind of salaries and marquee players the two New York bitter Fall disappointments morphed into.

To highlight one part of it as Colorado setup man Brian Fuentes strands the tying runner at first by K-ing two and getting a grounder to potential NL ROY Troy Tulowitzki, here was one of our favorite paragraphs:

Each team was built through old-fashioned baseball values, aka good scouting, strong draft picks, patient player development and ownership that doesn’t freak through mediocre seasons. Each club features 14 homegrown players on its playoff roster. Arizona’s payroll is $52 million; Colorado’s is $54.4 million. Neither side has the money or the inclination to enroll in the A-Rod sweepstakes. Sensing a pattern yet?

For those fascinated over large payrolls like Olson’s pathetic colleague Mike Lupica who never understood the phrase “common sense,” that’s a grand total of $106.4 million between both senior circuit competitors looking to win the pennant.

If you’re a hardcore baseball fan who appreciates pitching and solid fundamental defense and hustle like that’s been on display in tonight’s game, then it’s easier to get what wins these series.

The diving catch by Colorado center fielder Wily Taveras who was activated for this series just might have helped his team get both games in the Desert with the next three designated for Coors Field. With Eric Byrnes on first with two outs, former Met and Yank (twisted irony here???) Tony Clark lined a bullet destined for the right field gap which would’ve scored the speedy Byrnes and tied it. Instead, Taveras went full body across to make a beautiful sliding catch to end the seventh.

A big time play. Aside from that, you want pitching? How about the three K’s in two scoreless Arizona setup man Tony Pena had to keep his team within a run? With Juan Cruz and Brandon Lyon also throwing perfect scoreless innings with a K each, that’s four scoreless in relief of starter Doug Davis who allowed two runs (ER) including Todd Helton’s go-ahead sac fly but showed guts working the first five.

The bullpen allowed the D-Backs to tie the game. It was a bizarre play as ex-Met Kaz Matsui tried to start a quick double play with the speedy Byrnes running down the first base line. Instead, his quick backhand flip pulled Tulowitzki off second and allowed rookie  Chris Young to score from third. Stephen Drew whose single to right center put runners on the corners didn’t realize he was safe and was tagged out off second.

It was a blown save for Manny Corpas- his first of the postseason. The young closer cameback to get Clark on a grounder to short to force extras with it tied at two.

Back to another excerpt in Olson’s article from 11-year veteran Colorado first baseman Helton who earlier tonight showed off the leather with a diving stop and flip to reliever Matt Herges for an out in the sixth.

A player who’s had a brilliant career in Denver who’s in his first postseason made a strong point about what it means to him:

“You learn to never take anything for granted,” Helton said. “I watch teams like the Mets, with all their talent and youth, and hope that they realize these chances don’t come along that often. I’ve been playing for like a zillion years and this is my first time in the playoffs. If you don’t treat every game like it’s special, like it could be your last game, you might not reach this point.“

He couldn’t be more right. To think that only a couple of years ago, the Yanks and Mets had a shot to acquire the slugger who’s a very good fielder as well. Think that would’ve solved one of each flawed NY clubs’ problems?

Ironically, the Red Sox who are the only big market club still afloat who spent heavily last offseason also nearly had a deal worked out for Helton last winter. Now, they could just be seeing each other in another week.

Amazing how things work out sometimes.

The game is in extras. It should go a long way to determining how this series could go as Arizona closer Jose Valverde just blew away Colorado NL MVP candidate Matt Holliday for the second out of the 10th. The fireballer is throwing gas. He’s fanned two. There’s a reason he led the majors with 47 saves. Just one reason the Diamondbacks are here.

We’ll see ya’ll later. Enjoy the conclusion of tonight’s game. If you missed it because you were busy sulking like the Lupicas of the world, too bad. You’ve missed the kind of baseball those Yankee teams which won four of five world championships once played.

That’s what wins in October as Valverde does his best Mariano Rivera impersonation and gets Helton looking to K the side.

Enjoy what’s left of the baseball playoffs. It will be a lesson to many depressed New Yorkers.