Tucson – It was an eventful Tuesday afternoon for Rockies pitchers. Brian Lawrence made a bold statement, rookie Jason Hirsh was officially named the fourth starter and 23-year-old Ubaldo Jimenez showed why he’s climbing the charts.
Don’t be surprised if, down the line, Lawrence and Jimenez shake up the rotation.
“We could be in a position that whatever five (starters) we break with in spring training might not be the five we have in the middle of the season,” said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle.
From the beginning of camp, Hirsh appeared locked into the fourth starter role. But Law- rence, who missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, is emerging as a viable candidate for the rotation, sooner rather than later. After giving up a leadoff homer to Alfonso Soriano in a rocky first inning of the Rockies’ 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs, Lawrence settled in and pitched four scoreless innings. His final line: five innings and two earned runs allowed on seven hits. Hurdle lauded Lawrence’s ability to work his spots and called him “crafty.”
“Obviously I had to go out and get my work in, but also it was a chance to let people know where I’m at physically,” a beaming Lawrence said. “I went out there for the fifth and it actually felt good. I was a little tired at the beginning, but I’m very pleased.”
Jimenez, tabbed to start the season at Triple-A, tossed four scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walking three and striking out three.
“He’s closing ground and he’s doing well. His confidence is growing,” Hurdle said. “How could it not after a performance like this today?”
In a minor-league game, Hirsh did not post great numbers – six runs allowed in six innings on 103 pitches – but he was pleased because he rediscovered his slider.
“I made very good progress today,” he said. “My slider’s been flat, it hasn’t been cutting at all or it was just spinning up there. But today I really did find it.”
Footnotes
Rockies second baseman Kaz Matsui, returning from an injured foot, played five innings in a minor-league game and went 3-for-5. He said his foot feels about 80 percent. … Willy Taveras had two hits against the Cubs and is hitting .400. He also stole a base and is now 8-for-9 on steal attempts.
