Does Ubaldo Jimenez ever have a bad day?
Asked about the October snow that visited the Mile High City on Sunday, he said, “I thought it was cool, very pretty.” Asked how his magical right arm feels, he responded, “Very good, very loose.”
Asked if he’s nervous about facing the Red Sox for the first time — in Game 2 of the World Series at Fenway Park, no less, where the Sox hit .297 and scored nearly six runs per game — he flashed his megawatt smile and said: “Nervous? No, I’m not nervous. It will be fun.”
So far, his first sojourn to the majors has been more than fun. Called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs when injuries decimated the Rockies’ starting rotation, Jimenez went 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA. But those numbers don’t begin to describe what fellow starter Jeff Francis describes as his “electric stuff.” Armed with a fastball that has been clocked at 100 mph and a knee-buckling curve, Jimenez has star potential.
Although he doesn’t have a postseason win yet, the 23-year-old Dominican has been excellent in two starts, posting a 1.59 ERA with 11 strikeouts. But he has given up eight walks in those two games. He can’t afford those fits of wildness against the Red Sox.
