Ubaldo Jimenez looks to get back on track when the Rockies host the Giants this afternoon.
The would-be Rockies’ ace enter today’s game with an 0-3 record and a 6.67 ERA. In his last start, he allowed five runs on three hits and walked six in an agonizing 3 2/3 innings.
According to Rockies manager Jim Tracy, you can, for the most part, forget the psycho-babble and the head games. In Tracy’s estimation, Jimenez is suffering from mechanical difficulties.
Tracy’s cure: Simplify things for the man who was a Cy Young candidate a season ago.
“I think the key to this start is not flooding him with too much information, ” Tracy said before this afternoon’s game. “We just want to give him the opportunity to realize mechnical consistency. There are a couple things I’ve seen in regards to his delivery, and if we can iron those out, the guy we are looking for will show up.”
Ubaldo improves
A great performance? Hardly. But at least today was a step in the right direction for Jimenez.
Over seven innings he allowed three runs on eight hits. He struck out seven and made the Giants look foolish with some of his breaking stuff. Best of all, he walked just one. He threw 116 pitches, 72 for strikes.
Jimenez won’t win his first game of the 2011 season because the Rockies were trailing 3-1 when he left the game. Matt Belisle is pitching in the eighth for the Rockies.
Giants lead 3-1 through five
If the Rockies want to capitalize on their feel-good win over Giants ace Tim Lincecum Monday night, they better invent some offense in a hurry.
After cranking out seven runs on 10 hits Monday, Jonathan Sanchez has limited them to just three today. Colorado had the leadoff man on base in the third and fifth and failed to capitalize.
Rockies’ bats napping
Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez had a so-so record vs. the Rockies coming into today (4-4, 4.84 ERA in 12 starts). Through four innings today he’s dominated Colorado hitters, limiting them to just two hits. The only run came on Troy Tulowitzki’s solo homer in the second.
Jimenez, meanwhile, rebounded with a nice fourth inning. He didn’t mess around with the bottom of the Giants’ order, striking out Aaron Rowand looking, getting a ground out by Mark DeRosa and then whiffing pitcher Jonathan Sanchez.
Jimenez loses command
After looking relatively sharp in the first two innings, Jimenez’s mechanical problem reared its ugly head in the third and the Giants scored twice to take a 3-1 lead. He got the first two Giants he faced before giving up back-to-back bloop singles to Mike Fontenot and Buster Posey. Jimenez compounded the problem by falling behind 3-0 to Pat Burrell. On the next pitch, Burrell got a green light and blasted a two-run double to left-center.
In the bottom of the third, the Rockies wasted Chris Iannetta’s leadoff double off the left-field wall. Jimenez struck out trying to advance Iannetta on a buntm Dexter Fowler grounded out to second and Jonathan Herrera lined out softly to second.
Giants hit first, Rockies punch back
San Francisco didn’t pound Jimenez in the second, but they stung him for two hits to grab a 1-0 lead. Aubrey Huff looped an opposite-field double to left that fell for a double, and then scored on a single through the right side by Miguel Tejada.
Colorado qucikly tied the game on a leadoff homer by Troy Tulowitzki. He launched Sanchez’ 0-1 slider into the bleachers in left-center. It was Tulo’s 11th homer, the most in the majors by a shortstop.
First-inning impressions
Jimenez’s first pitch, to Giants center fielder Andres Torres, was a 92 mph fastball. The result: a harmless fly ball to right fielder Ryan Spilborghs. Jimenez then got Mike Fontenot and Buster Posey to ground out. Three up, three down on a grand total of just six pitches. He threw five four-seam fastballs and one splitter. A nice beginning for Jimenez. His top velocity so far: 95 mph.
The Rockies went down meekly in the bottom of the first against lefty Jonathan Sanchez. Dexter Fowler struck out looking, Jonathan Herrera struck out swinging and Carlos Gonzalez — the hero of Monday night’s game — flied out to center. CarGo is now 0-for-15 with six strikeouts in his career vs. Sanchez.
