Ubaldo Jimenez and Rockies Trump Padres
Colorado Rockies’ ace Ubaldo Jimenez picked up his 14th victory in an unexpectedly high-scoring game against the San Diego Padres. In general, few would have assumed that a Jimenez game at San Diego’s PETCO Park would be a 16 run, 21 hit affair.
For Jimenez and the Rockies, what matters most is the victory, and Jimenez was more than satisfied with the result. The 14-1 pitcher had a no-hitter through five innings and then withstood a four-run Padres assault in the sixth. The Rockies’ offence supported their star player with four home runs in the Rockies’ 10-6 victory. These ten runs are the most the Padres have given up at home the entire season.
Jimenez’s victory puts him alongside some greats in Major League Baseball statistics. According to MLB.com, Jimenez is “the first pitcher to go 14-1 in 15 starts since the Braves' John Smoltz in 1996 - and the first pitcher to win 14 of his first 16 starts since Pedro Martinez went 14-2 in '99.”
Jimenez’s achievement comes much earlier in his career than it did for either Martinez or Smoltz. Jimenez is just in his fourth season in the MLB, while Martinez and Smotz were in their seventh and eighth seasons respectively when they achieved their feats.
Jimenez’s victory gives him statistical accolades, but also sets an important tone for the Colorado Rockies. Colorado is now only five games behind the Padres in the National League West, and six of the Rockies’ final 13 games going into the All-Star break are against the Padres.
Although Jimenez struck out 11 batters in six innings and kept his ERA at a diminutive 1.83, it was the Rockies’ batting that saved the Dominican pitcher from any trouble.
The Rockies got off to an early lead as the Padres Kevin Correia gave up two double-run home runs to Carlos Gonzalez and Miguel Olivo, respectively. Olivo‘s offensive production also included a two-run double in the third innings. Ryan Spilborghs also hit a two-run homer off of Correia’s reliever, Sean Gallagher. With this cushion, Jimenez went into the sixth innings with an 8-0 lead and a no-hitter.
In the sixth innings, the Padres attempted to surge back and put up quite a fight against Jimenez. Jimenez walked Tony Gwynn Jr. and David Eckstein singled, giving the Padres their first hit. Chase Headley then hit an RBI single. Scott Hairston followed this up with a three-run shot which cut the Rockies lead to 8-4.
The Padres continued their comeback in the seventh against relievers Joe Beimel and Matt Belisle. Adrian Gonzalez hit an RBI single off of Beimel. Hairston then doubled in a run against Matt Belisle, and the Pads were within two.
Luckily for Jimenez, the Rockies ended all chances of a Padres victory with a dominant final innings. Left fielder Seth Smith homered to deep right at the top of the innings and then Jonathan Herrera continued his ten game hitting streak with an RBI single. The Padres couldn’t do anything in the bottom of the innings.
A 10-6 game in a pitchers’ park like PETCO, especially with Jimenez starting, came as a shock to most of the players.
"When the game started tonight, I wasn't anticipating the final score to be 10-6," said Rockies manager Jim Tracy. "But a lot of credit to our offense. We took some great at-bats tonight. You hit four home runs in this ballpark, and two of them to right field, you've done some hitting."
Jimenez continues to be unstoppable, and with his latest victory is actually on pace for a 30-win season, a feat last achieved by Denny McLain in 1968.
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