A .500 record never felt so good.
By defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 this afternoon at Coors Field, the streaking Rockies improved to 33-33, squaring their record for the first time since Tax Day.
But their balancing act went even deeper than that. Manager Jim Tracy evened his career record to 577-577. Starter Ubaldo Jimenez continued his climb toward ace-hood with a solid 6.2 innings. He improved to 6-6 this season and 22-22 for his career.
The game ended with a sigh of relief. The Rays’ B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford opened the ninth with back-to-back singles off closer Huston Street. Then advanced on a double steal.
Street dug deep, striking out Evan Longoria with a slider and Carlos Pena with a masterful changeup. But Ben Zobrist laced a two-out single to center, scoring Upton and Crawford.
Enter Gabe Gross. He drilled Street’s four-seam fastball into the second deck in right field — foul by a section. Street escaped when Gross lined out to Clint Barmes at second. It was Street’s 15th save in 16 opportunities.
The game was billed as a showdown between two ultra-talented 25-year-old right-handers: Rays’ Matt Garza vs. Jimenez.
Jimenez won out, striking out seven and scattering six hits. The only run he surrendered was in the second on a triple by Jason Bartlett, followed by a single by Dioner Navarro.
Garza was untouchable through the first two innings, striking out four. In the third, he was nicked by a one-out bloop single by Jimenez. Garza struck out Seth Smith for out No. 2, but hung a 2-2 breaking ball to Barmes. Garaza paid for the mistake, Barmes crushing a two-run homer to left, his seventh homer of the season.
Garza next tried to throw a high fastball past Todd Helton. Helton belted deep into the right-field seats, giving the Rockies a 3-0 lead. It was Helton’s eighth homer.
Carlos Gonzalez’s solo homer to left, his first in a Rockies uniform, extended the Rockies’ lead to 4-1 in the fourth.
The Rockies are 15-5 since Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle on May 29. Barmes, in particular, has thrived. He went 2-for-4 today, boosting his average to .296. His 27 hits in June lead the National League.
The Rockies, winners of four straight series, open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. Tracy managed the Pirates in 2006-07, but failed to lift them out of the doldrums. He went 135-189 in the Steel City and was fired after the 2007 season ended.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
