Coming into the 2010 season, the names of the pitchers most bandied about around Major League Baseball included Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and back-to-back National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. Very little talk was coming out of the Mile High City outside of predictions for a winning year that would most likely end in a postseason appearance. The question ended up taking the form of what or who would take them there. Opening day answered that question and ended it with an exclamation point. For while the offense came through at the right time, it was the lights-out pitching of Ubaldo Jimenez that ruled the day. Less than two weeks later, the Colorado ace would no-hit the then-struggling Atlanta Braves, going all nine, striking out seven and walking six. There was no looking back from then on as Jimenez racked up a twelve and one record with a 1.19 earned run average after thirteen starts. If this franchise player can remain healthy and continue to receive the run support that has dictated his season thus far, not only will the Colorado Rockies reach the postseason, but Ubaldo Jimenez will be in line for a Cy Young Award of his own at the end of the 2010 season.
The Pitching Performance of the Season
Here is a quick look at the road Ubaldo Jimenez has taken. Keep in mind that the halfway mark of the season is still a few weeks off.
April 5: A 6 inning start on opening day, striking out 6 Milwaukee Brewers on the way to a 5-3 win.
April 11: Holding the San Diego Padres to 2 runs and striking out 7 in a 4-2 win.
April 17: A complete game no hitter of a gem against Atlanta, 4-0.
April 22: Shutting out the Washington Nationals and winning the game 2-0.
April 27: Lots of run support in a 12-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
May 3: A second start and a second win over the Padres, 5-2. Add in 13 strikeouts and call it a quality start.
May 9: His only loss thus far in the season, giving up only 2 runs in 7 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 0-2.
May 15: Eight strong innings against Washington for yet another win, 6-2.
May 20: Facing Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros, same result, a 4-0 shutout pitching 7 innings.
May 26: Still undefeated against Arizona cruising to a 7-3 victory.
May 31: 2009 NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants could not stop the Colorado juggernaut from throwing a complete game 4 hitter, striking out 9 in a 4-0 win.
June 6: Arizona gets tapped again, 3-2, Jimenez strikes out 8 Diamondbacks through 7 innings.
June 11: Even American League teams are not immune to Jimenez's dominance as the Toronto Blue Jays lose 5-3.
The Second Half
Whether it's the National League or the American League, the west, the central or the east, the result of going head-to-head with Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez is a 'W' in the win column for the Coors Field favorites. With quality start after quality start, averaging at least six innings or more a game and relieving the bullpen of overwork, the Rockies have set their sights on overtaking the Los Angeles Dodgers and claiming their spot at the head of the pack in the NL West. If the pitching rotation steps up and follows the lead of Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado will do just that and run head first into the October playoffs.
Jon Bourgeois - Greetings Reader. My name is Jon and I’ve lived, worked and received a fairly gratifying education here in California’s ...
