Ubaldo Jimenez continues to mature.
The rookie right-hander bounced back Thursday from a rough outing against Florida on Saturday (five runs in three innings) to handcuff the Dodgers with six solid innings in the Rockies’ 9-4 win.
The key, said catcher Chris Iannetta, was Jimenez’s ability, and willingness, to throw a variety of pitches.
“He can throw all four – fastball, curve, change, slider – and he mixed them up really well today,” Iannetta said.
Jimenez (4-4) cruised along until the seventh inning when he gave up three runs, including a two-run homer to Andre Ethier.
“I was getting my fastball down today, and that felt good,” he said. “I still had good speed (in the seventh), but I wanted to throw inside and I left the fastball over the plate.”
Even with the Rockies’ playoff hopes hanging on every game, the rookie said he wasn’t nervous.
“There was no pressure, but I knew I had to do a good job today,” he said.
MVP numbers
The Rockies are pushing hard for Matt Holliday to be named National League MVP. To that effect, their media relations department hunted down this statistic: Holliday has a chance to become just the sixth player in big-league history to post a .340 batting average with at least 35 home runs, 130 RBIs, 200 hits and 50 doubles in the same season. The others: the Yankees’ Lou Gehrig in 1927, the Phillies’ Chuck Klein in 1930 and 1932, the Reds’ Frank Robinson in 1962 and the Rockies’ Todd Helton in 2000. Holliday currently is hitting .339, with 36 homers, 131 RBIs, 205 hits and 48 doubles.
Kaz is back
Second baseman Kazuo Matsui, who returned to action as a pinch runner Wednesday night, was back in the starting lineup Thursday and the leadoff spot. In his first start since straining his hamstring Sept. 8, Matsui was 3-for-3 with a walk. He was replaced by Jamey Carroll in the seventh.
“We didn’t want to push it,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “He should be good to go (today).”
Footnotes
As part of interleague play, the Rockies are tentatively scheduled to host the Chicago White Sox and travel to Detroit for a weekend series next season. … While lefty Mark Redman gets the start Saturday in San Diego, Hurdle said right-hander Elmer Dessens is now available for bullpen duty. Dessens last pitched Sept. 7, when he suffered a hamstring injury. … The Padres’ Milton Bradley took batting practice Wednesday and is expected to play this weekend. … Infielder Clint Barmes returned to the club Thursday after missing three days to be with his wife, Summer, who gave birth to their first child. Wyatt James Barmes was born at 9:39 a.m. Tuesday. He arrived five weeks early, but Barmes said his 5-pound, 9-ounce son and Summer are doing fine.
