See Tulo jump. Watch CarGo run. Marvel at Ubaldo’s curveball. That’s what got Rockies fans jazzed during a 6-2 win over the Cubs on Friday night before a crowd of 46,118 at Coors Field.
Manager Jim Tracy has repeatedly preached that pitching and defense win baseball games in August and September. And while Rockies’ bats produced 13 hits, it was baseball basics — with a touch of glitter — that stole the show.
“Those guys were unbelievable tonight,” said starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who pitched 6 2/3 innings, limiting the Cubs to one earned run on four hits. “When you can pitch knowing the guys behind you are going to catch almost everything, it makes me relax.”
The game was the first in a four-game series replete with playoff implications. The Rockies’ win moved them into a tie with San Francisco in the National League wild-card race after the Giants lost to the Reds, 10-5.
The Cubs slipped a game behind the Cardinals in the National League Central.
Carlos Gonzalez (a.k.a. CarGo) came to Jimenez’s rescue in the third. With two on and two out, he sprinted to the left-field wall and snared Derrek Lee’s smash at the 390-foot mark. It was a game-changing play.
“I thought that ball was leaving the ballpark, then I saw Carlos making the play,” Jimenez said.
Added Tracy: “Our pitching staff knows that if they keep the ball in play and they keep it in the ballpark, our guys are going to catch it. That’s a very reassuring feeling for our staff.”
In the sixth, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki made like LeBron James, climbing the ladder to rob pinch-hitter Sam Fuld of a line-drive base hit that was headed for the gap.
“It’s all about timing,” said Tulowitzki, who, appropriately enough, donned a cap with an Air Jordan logo on it after the game.
Scheduled Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano was a late scratch because of lower-back spasms. The Rockies tormented replacement pitcher Sean Marshall the way middle school kids torment a substitute teacher.
The Rockies scored three runs in the first, forcing Marshall to throw 41 pitches. Gonzalez doubled and scored on Todd Helton’s single. Helton moved to third on Tulowitzki’s double, and they both scored on Brad Hawpe’s single to right.
Chris Iannetta — who hit just 5-for-22 on the recent road trip and struck out three times in Philadelphia on Thursday — broke out of his funk with a two-run, opposite-field homer in the fourth, extending the Rockies’ lead to 5-1.
The Rockies added a bonus run in the sixth on Gonzalez’s triple and another run-scoring single by Helton.
Jimenez was far from perfect — he walked five — but he struck out six and utilized his curveball extensively from the fourth inning on.
“I don’t think they were expecting that pitch,” he said. “It feels good to be able to use other pitches when they are looking for my fastball.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
Rockies Recap
Rockies make Marshall work
Rockies batters got their money’s worth against Cubs substitute starter Sean Marshall. He threw 41 pitches in the first inning and 21 in the second before he got the hook. In the second inning, for instance, Dexter Fowler hit a triple on an eight-pitch at-bat that included three foul balls. Marshall got the starting call when Carlos Zambrano was scratched with back spasms.
Hit man.
Before this season, Rockies fireballing right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez was nearly an automatic out with a bat in his hand. Extensive work during spring training changed that. Jimenez punched a single to right in the sixth, his 10th hit this season, the most among Rockies pitchers. He had three hits last season.
Streaking.
Todd Helton’s run-scoring single in the first inning extended his hitting streak to 12 games, tying him with Brad Hawpe for the longest streak by a Rockie this season. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Looking Ahead
TODAY: Cubs vs. Rockies, 6:10 p.m., FSN
Rockies all-star right-hander Jason Marquis (12-7, 3.49 ERA) says the blister on his right middle finger is “a non-issue.” That’s good news as he faces the team that traded him to the Mile High City during the offseason. Marquis beat the Cubs on April 15 for his second win of the season, throwing seven strong innings, giving up one run on five hits in a 5-2 win. Marquis had best be careful with first baseman Derrek Lee. Lee has beat him like a piñata: 16-for-33 (.485), four homers, two doubles and 10 RBIs. Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster (5-5, 4.09) starts his third game since coming off the disabled list (broken toe). He’ll be cut loose tonight, with no pitch counts in place. Dempster has struggled at Coors Field, going 0-2 with a 15.23 ERA in seven games. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Upcoming Pitching Matchups
Sunday: Cubs’ Randy Wells (8-4, 2.73 ERA) vs. Rockies’ Jason Hammel (6-6, 4.62), 1:10 p.m., FSN
Monday: Cubs’ Tom Gorzelanny (4-1, 3.38) vs. Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (9-8, 5.00), 6:40 p.m., FSN
Tuesday: Pirates’ Ross Ohlendorf (9-8, 4.29) vs. Rockies’ Aaron Cook (10-4, 3.93), 6:40 p.m., FSN
Wednesday: Pirates’ Kevin Hart (3-1, 2.94) vs. Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (8-9, 3.76), 6:40 p.m., FSN
