No matter what fate awaits the Rockies this season, one thing is certain: Ubaldo Jimenez’s future is hotter than his 98 mph fastball.
The 23-year-old rookie from the Dominican Republic gave the Rockies exactly what they needed in a 5-1 victory over Washington tonight. Mixing his fastball with a snappy curve and a cutting slider, Jimenez threw seven stellar innings, giving the Rockies’ overworked bullpen a much-needed respite.
The victory, which took a mere 2 hours, 29 minutes, was Colorado’s second in a row and clinched the three-game series with the Nationals. The Rockies, however, remain 4 1/2 games behind San Diego in the wild-card hunt. The Padres rallied to beat Philadelphia 4-3 tonight.
The Rockies’ offense, perhaps sparked by Friday night’s ninth-inning rally that provided a crucial 6-5 victory, came through with big hits.
Rookie Troy Tulowitzki hit a solo homer in the first, his 18th of the season. In the fourth, Brad Hawpe hit a two-run homer, scoring Garrett Atkins. Hawpe’s opposite-field homer was fair by inches, bouncing high off the foul pole in left field. It was Hawpe’s career-high 23rd homer of season, tying him with Matt Holliday for the team lead.
Colorado added two more runs in the fifth, cashing in on Holliday’s RBI-single (his 100th RBI of the season) and three walks off starter Tim Redding, including a bases-loaded walk to Atkins that scored Tulowitzki.
But Jimenez was the story. He allowed a mere three hits, walked two and gave up a single run. The Nationals scored in the first inning when Felipe Lopez led off with a single, stole third and scored on Nook Logan’s infield grounder. Jimenez also ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth, giving up a leadoff single to Dmitri Young and a walk to Austin Kearns before striking out Willy Mo Pena, inducing Ronnie Belliard to pop out to shallow left and getting Brian Schneider to ground out to first.
Jimenez retired the last 12 batters he faced before giving way to reliever LaTroy Hawkins for the eighth inning. Hawkins set the Nationals down in order in the eighth. Jorge Julio closed the door in the ninth, allowing just one hit.
Jimenez’s performance was no fluke. It came on the heels of last week’s game against the Pirates in which allowed one run on five hits in seven innings. The Rockies eventually lost 4-2 in 11 innings, but Jimenez’s took a giant step forward. And he took another one Saturday night.
