One-hundred games into the season, the Rockies remain a 50-50 proposition.
They lost 5-3 to the Padres Tuesday night, falling back to .500. With 62 games to go, they have a 50-50 record.
Colorado rallied to tie the game 3-3 in the seventh, but its bullpen collapsed, spoiling a promising seven-inning performance by 23-year-old starter Ubaldo Jimenez.
Ramon Ramirez relieved Jimenez in the eighth and promptly gave up a double to Michael Barrett and an infield single to Milton Bradley. In came lefty Jeremey Affeldt to face left-handed hitting Adrian Gonzalez. But that by-the-book strategy failed when Gonzalez laced a double over center fielder Willy Taveras’ head, scoring Barrett for the game-winner. The Padres picked up an insurance run on Khalil Green’s sacrifice fly off Jorge Julio.
Although the Padres won the game, they lost their best pitcher. Chris Young, a leading candidate for the National League Cy Young award, left the game in the middle of the third inning with a left oblique strain. He’s officially listed as day-to-day.
Young departed just prior to the Rockies’ at-bat. He came out to the mound to warm up, but after consulting with manager Bud Black, Young left the game. He threw 28 pitches in two hitless innings. He entered the game with a 9-3 record and a baseball-best 1.85 ERA.
Through the first six innings the Rockies managed just two hits, but they tied the game 3-3 in the seventh. Singles by Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe, an RBI-single by Yorvit Torrealba, and a pinch-hit, two-run double by Ryan Spliborghs did the trick.
Throw out an ugly first inning and Jimenez pitched a gem. In seven innings he allowed just four hits, struck out five, walked two and hit a batter. But the opening frame showed why the 23-year-old fireballer remains a project. After getting two quick outs, he walked Milton Bradley, gave up a single to Adrian Gonzalez and then shook his head in frustration after Mike Cameron launched a three-run homer to center.
