Thread: The Official Colorado Rockies thread--Now with extra awesome!!

Another solid outing for Ubaldo. 8 innings pitched, 5 k's, 1 walk, 2 ER.. Although he did give up a homerun.. the first of the year!

http://www.denverpost.com//ci_15090663

U The Man.

Only Zeus could stop Ubaldo Jimenez from winning a major-league baseball-best seventh game Friday night.

Not even the Greek god of thunder, lightning and rain could hit Jimenez' 100 mph fastball.

Lately Denver has challenged Kauai's Mount Waialeale as the wettest spot on Earth. But, we were teased Friday afternoon by some sunshine — until Zeus found out Ubaldo was pitching, and dropped a gigantic water balloon over the ballpark.

The baseball season has been replaced by the monsoon season — just when the city was getting ready to change the name of the area where Jimenez works and resides from LoDo to UlbalDo.

The Washington Nationals, who scored 14 runs against the Rockies in the previous evening's series opener (called after eight innings), would have preferred a group root canal to facing Jimenez. When Game 2 was postponed, they hoped he would wake up this morning with a runny nose and a high fever — and have to skip a start. On April 22 in D.C., he limited them to five hits and no runs in 7 1/3 innings. And the Nats are not Gnats this season. They're competing for first place with the Phillies.

Jimenez is now scheduled to pitch the first game of today's day-nightmare doubleheader — unless the Rockies bring up Noah and his boat from the minors.

In the first six weeks U has all National League batters staring at goats. In seven appearances he has allowed five measly earned runs and 28 hits. In his past five starts, Jimenez has permitted just three runs and 11 hits.

Oh, and there was the little matter of the Rockies' first no-hitter in Atlanta — the only one ever by a pitcher whose first name begins with U.

It's hard to believe that Roy Halladay came home to Colorado this week as the second- strongest starter in The Show.

Ubaldo El Magnifico es Numero Uno.

UbaldOOOOOOOOO.

When was the last time a serious Cy Young Award candidate lived with his mother?

Jimenez has a 6-1 record (and should have been 7-0 with a little help from his friends against the Dodgers). The other six pitchers the Rockies have used as starters in 2010 are 7-10. Without Jimenez, the Rockies would own fewer victories than any other NL team. Without Jimenez, the injured Rockies would be in a real world of hurt.

With Jimenez, the Rox have been hanging around until their rotation is in motion and their hitters hit again.

The nation has discovered Jimenez, and opposing managers are praising him. Joe Torre was the latest last week, comparing him to the Reds' Mario Soto of the 1970s and 1980s. Jimenez has been called the new Pedro Martinez. How about linking Ubaldo to Walter Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson and the aforementioned Young?

Sure, U needs to do it for another 15 seasons, but who says he can't?

Ubaldo — who led the NL in starts with 34 last season — is on pace for a 27-5 mark this season. That would break the Rockies' record for victories by only 10, and he would become the first 27-game winner in 20 years.

His earned-run average is south of 1.00 — which is Antarctica south of the lowest ERA by a starter in team history, by Ubaldo himself last year (3.47).

Teams are batting .172 against Ubaldo this year. His curve is like a Wiffleball in a wind tunnel. He has a slider that looks like it fell off a plate at White Castle. He has a splitter that breaks bats and hearts and a changeup that would make foes break out the binoculars in the bullpen, and the fastball is a blur a Greek god wouldn't fool with.

Teams should be importing water from Nagua, Dominican Republic, and making their pitchers drink it. The Nats may have the next phenom pitcher in Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 draft pick, on a torrid pace toward the big-league team by June. Too bad the Nationals and the Rockies don't get to play again after this weekend. Jimenez-Strasburg would be a confrontation of note.

In their time, the Rockies have had Mile High hopes for homegrown pitchers John Burke (the club's first No. 1 draft pick), Jeff Francis, Jason Jennings, Aaron Cook, Shawn Chacon, Greg Reynolds, Jamey Wright, Mark Thompson and Doug Million, but injuries and lack of production have slowed, or stopped, the development and the potential stardom of most, and Million died at only 21 in 1997.

Jimenez has the best chance to be a 20-game winner, the All-Star Game starter and the ace of the staff for many years.

The National League pitcher for April could be the pitcher of several more months — if the Rox offense gives him backing, as it didn't in his last game in Los Angeles (two hits, one run), and it doesn't rain for 40 days and 40 nights.

Ubaldo's mother Romona calls him "Pequenito," which means "little man"' in Spanish.

Zeus and showers might have shut Jimenez down for one night but can't shut him off from his next shutout.

Ubaldo has become a Big Man in baseball.

Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

DENVER -- It had been a week of waiting out the weather for the Rockies, but when Ubaldo Jimenez finally took the mound against Washington's Livan Hernandez, a day after their rematch was rained out, he made it worth the while.

Jimenez was dominant, earning his seventh win, tied for a share of the Major League lead, and pulling his team within a game of .500 in a masterful, 6-2 victory to open a split doubleheader Saturday.

Though he matched a season high by yielding two runs, causing his ERA to "soar" to 1.12, Jimenez was confident and in command throughout his eight innings on the hill, scattering seven hits and walking one, while striking out five.

"He is really establishing himself into becoming a very dominant pitcher," manager Jim Tracy said. "He has all the makings of, not only the ace of a staff, but one of the premier pitchers in baseball. That's what he's working towards."

Jimenez and Hernandez opened the game ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the Majors in ERA, and each delivered on the highly anticipated rematch from April 22, when Jimenez bested Hernandez in a 2-0 Rockies win. Neither starting pitcher ever allowed a legitimate rally to mount, yielding their runs one at a time.

The Nats struck first, when Nyjer Morgan dropped a leadoff single over Ian Stewart's reach and into left field to open the game. Morgan advanced to second on Adam Kennedy's ground ball and scored on a two-out single by Ryan Zimmerman.

Colorado's Jason Giambi homered with nobody on to tie the game, 1-1, in the second. Miguel Olivo added a solo blast in the fourth, to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead, a margin evened by Adam Dunn's towering homer in the sixth.

"I've faced him for a long time," said Giambi, who turned on Hernandez's slow curve and sent it to the Rockies' bullpen in right. "The thing that makes him great is he's smart. He never gives in. I kind of figured he was going to throw me a 1-1 breaking ball there. I just told myself to stay back, and, luckily, he threw it high enough where I could get the bat head to it."

Jimenez (7-1) settled down quickly, retiring 12 of the next 14 batters he faced before Dunn hammered a 90-mph split-finger fastball, launching his game-tying tater into the third deck down the right-field line. It was the first homer Jimenez has yielded this season, having held batters at bay for 54 innings, and it was the 29th home run ever hit into the upper deck at Coors Field.

"He's a huge guy," Jimenez said. "Every time he finds a ball, he's going to crush it. That was a bomb."

Though both pitchers had a calm confidence as they worked counts against opposing hitters, the contrast between the two was most evident on the radar gun, where Jimenez flirted with overpowering triple digits on his fastball. Hernandez, on the other hand, taunted Colorado with offspeed pitches -- 40 mph slower than Jimenez's offerings but every bit as effective.

"He's a really special guy," Jimenez said of Hernandez. "Just to be out there and have the courage to compete with what he has. He really knows how to pitch."

Though his approach on the hill may be nothing like Hernandez's, the power-pitching Jimenez continues to soak in knowledge and add to his skill set each time he takes the ball. He'd been in the midst of a 25 1/3 innings scoreless streak when he last faced the Nats and, despite proving vulnerable in the first frame, he kept control of the game while his offense kept the pressure on his opponent.

"Today's outing didn't look like the outing before," Hernandez said of Colorado's ace. "He is still unbelievable. I think he is the best pitcher in the game. He is looking for the Cy Young this year, so don't be surprised."

Jimenez's confidence has been contagious around the Colorado clubhouse, and his teammates have responded by giving him the offense he needs to keep adding on to his win total.

The Rockies reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth, sparked by Brad Hawpe's third double of the day. After Hawpe was caught between second and third on a fielder's choice to the pitcher, off the bat of Troy Tulowitzki, Stewart plated Tulowitzki with a two-out single to left that proved to be the game's decisive run.

"He was working me away all day, throwing changeups and sinkers away," Stewart said of his duel with Hernandez. "The first couple times, he got me out. That time, I was able to stay through the ball and drive it the other way."

With multi-hit games from Hawpe, Stewart, and Barmes, the Rockies' offense showed a spark that had been in danger of being doused during a week when the weather threatened to keep the Rockies from rolling at home.

"This is a huge game for us," Giambi said. "Especially with all the rainouts, we haven't been able to get any rhythm. Lately, it seems like once we get going, we have a rainout, or we don't play well. It's nice that we finally played a good baseball game today."

After Hernandez left after six innings of three-run ball, the Rockies added three big insurance runs in the eighth against Brian Bruney, opening the inning with a pair of walks from Hawpe and Tulowitzki. They capped it with a run-scoring single from Stewart and a two-run single up the middle from Clint Barmes.

"That's something where, when we started rolling, we got very good at it," Tracy said. "The add-on hit and the two-run single that Barmes got to really [opened] the game up."

Manuel Corpas finished the game with a 1-2-3 ninth, enjoying the padded lead provided in the frame before. But it was Jimenez's ability to maintain the necessary margin for victory that took center stage.

"He didn't have much room for error," Tracy said. "He has gained the understanding of pitch efficiency, to where it's just a given that he's going to pitch at least eight."

Way to go Rox...

Swept those commie-b@stard Nationals!

Starting pitcher today - JEFF FRANCIS

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_15098240

The Colorado Rockies' bullpen became the center of activity today because of injury and ineffectiveness.

Closer Houston Street slightly injured his right groin Saturday night during a rehabilitation assignment and will return to Denver for an evaluation.

Struggling Matt Daley was option to Triple-A Colorado Springs to make room for starter Jeff Francis.

Street was upset to hear incorrect reports that he had reinjured his right shoulder. He told The Denver Post today it was a leg injury.

"I'm hoping to play catch Monday," Street said. "I felt it on the sixth pitch and walked off the mound. When I pitch next will be their (the Rockies) determination. It's so frustrating because I felt awesome last night. I had all the power back in my pitches."

Daley has struggled over the past week but still it was a bit surprising that he was demoted.

Ok so Francis and Hammel back in the rotation. I assume that sends G. Smith to the pen to be a long man, while Chacin stays in the rotation.

Francis and Hammel are two pitchers that can be very solid 4 and 5 guys. Not sure if I see Jeff being that top end guy again since his game is based so much on control on pitch selection. Hammel has enough movement on his pitches that he can do things like he did last night.

Question mark is when is Cook going to find that grove, need his steady outings again. I like the way things are shaping up. Offense still has yet to have that explosion game but Cargo and Smith hit some bombs!

The thing I like these days is how much depth the Rockies have across all positions. Being able to stay afloat. Good feeling winning two games in one day.

But those Padres and Giants at the moment don't look liek they want to come back to the pack.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/rockies/...with-pitchers/

I know this will come as a shock, but it’s supposed to be cold and rainy in Chicago Monday.

So it’s official then. Mother Nature is stalking the Rockies.

Assuming they play at Wrigley Field in the next two days, the Rockies will need a starting pitcher Wednesday in Houston. So who’ll get the call?

“Still working on that,’’ said Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

It will be Greg Smith or Esmil Rogers, depending on matchups, but Tracy is taking things one day at a time, what with all the injuries, illness and rainouts the Rockies have had to deal with.

With Sunday came yet another roster move that Tracy didn’t want to make. The Rockies sent Matt Daley to Triple A Colorado Springs because Friday’s rainout vs. the Washington Nationals pushed Ubaldo Jimenez back to Saturday, creating a need for a spot starter on Wednesday.

Fatigue was a factor in the move, according to Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd. Daley had made 19 appearances in the Rockies’ first 36 games, putting him on pace for 86. That’s a direct fallout from the inconsistency in the rotation, which has put the bullpen in harm’s way.

“We’ve had to ride some of these guys harder than we wanted to,’’ said O’Dowd.

Daley was sharp in the first month of the season, but had struggled in recent days. He allowed one earned run in his first 15 appearances, a span of 13 1/3 innings. In his last four appearances, he was knocked around for six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Given Daley’s recent issues, combined with the need for Wednesday’s spot start and the uncertainty in the rotation, what with Jason Hammel and Jeff Francis just returning to action, O’Dowd and Tracy felt they needed two long men in the bullpen to protect the other relievers from being overworked.

“Unfortunately, you can’t sit here and just say business as usual,’’ said Tracy. “You’re constantly juggling balls. You’ve got to figure out ways to weather the storm until you get all the pieces back into the proper places where they need to be. That’s what we’re getting closer and closer to doing, but we’re not there yet.’’

Another issue in the bullpen involves Rafael Betancourt, who is struggling to regain his form after being slammed by a flu bug. He struck out the side at San Diego on May 5, but has made only one appearance since then _ Thursday night vs. Washington, when he pitched 1/3 of an inning as heavy rains pelted Coors Field.

Betancourt is ready to pitch, but Tracy wants to ease him back into the setup role in the eighth inning ahead of Manuel Corpas. Until Betancourt is ready for full-time duty in the eighth, he could pitch other innings, further extending the setup-by-committee that Tracy has used in Betancourt’s absence. Case in point: Saturday night, when Joe Beimel and Belisle each worked in the eighth.

“We’re trying to get him back squared away and locked in to where he was last year,’’ said Tracy. “Because Rafael Betancourt is one heck of an eighth-inning pitcher. You have to find the right situation for him to go out there and iron some things out. I don’t think it’s fair to the player to just throw him into a game in the eighth inning when all he’s thrown since he went down sick is to a couple of hitters on a field where there was about four inches of water standing on it.’’

So much for the pitching issues. There’s also the matter of Dexter Fowler sitting both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader and also being out of the lineup today. Fowler, a natural right-handed hitter who became a switch-hitter when he turned professional, is hitting .342 (13-for-38) right-handed and .185 (15-for-81) left-handed.

But Tracy’s reason for benching Fowler Sunday in favor of Ryan Spilborghs had more to do with other numbers: Spilborghs is a career .636 hitter (7-for-11) vs. Nationals starter Scott Olsen.

“I’m cool,’’ said Fowler, when asked about sitting again today. “I’m blessed to be here. I’m just going to go out there when I get my opportunities to play. That’s it.’’

If we can get over the freaking injuries this team has a real shot.

With the development of Chacin, had a bad game the other day but that was during the horrid weather if i remember so i won't hold that totaly against him, we have a very nice rotation.

I am kinda likeing this right now when everyone is back:

Jimenez
De la Rosa
Chacin
Francis
Cook

Can switch Chacin and Cooks spot but I really think except that one game Chacin is turning into a star.

Currently thier are 12 pitchers, if we stay that way and again get over the injuries I wouldn't mind the bullpen with this:

Greg Smith L Or Jason Hammel R. I would lean towards Smith for left hand.
Joe Beimel L
Randy Flores L
Matt Belisle R
Rafael Betancourt R
Manuel Corpas R
Huston Street R

Taylor Buchholz can be in there somewhere as well....but been injured awhile, have to see him again first.

Got some sun at the Rockies game today... Good to see Francis on the hill. I was worried when the first two hitters got on but he settled down nicely. First time I ever sat in the Rockpile. Also, is it me or did Manny Corpas put on about 40 pounds?

...must be May.

Rox pitching (overall) is starting to come around...

This team has also won a bunch of 1-run games the past week/two...

Agree, Buff, need to get (and stay!) healthy...

Keep it up, Rox!

Originally Posted by Buff

Got some sun at the Rockies game today... Good to see Francis on the hill. I was worried when the first two hitters got on but he settled down nicely. First time I ever sat in the Rockpile. Also, is it me or did Manny Corpas put on about 40 pounds?

Great game to see. On the post game, Jeff said he is always nervous before he pitches, but today, he was really nervous. I am sure that is what happened to him early on, as he did a great job after that.

Hadn't thought much about if Corpas has put on weight or not, but he definitely is pitching better.

Good to see Francis back (and Hammel too).

Now, if Street can get healthy, this team can make a run.

What a great weekend for the Rox!

run walked in all tied up!