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Jimenez, Giambi help Rockies down Yankees

Jun 25, 2011 - 4:48 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Ubaldo Jimenez fanned seven batters over seven strong innings and ex-Yankee Jason Giambi went 3-for-4 with a homer, leading Colorado to a 4-2 victory over New York to open a three-game series.

Jimenez (3-7) yielded four hits, walked four and gave up a pair of runs to win back-to-back starts for the first time this season.

"I was able to throw my breaking ball for a strike," Jimenez said. "You could see every time they got up to the plate they were swinging right away, they were looking for the fastball. I was able to throw the slider, the curve, the splitter, change-up, everything for a strike. That helped me a lot. It was like I was pitching backwards."

Troy Tulowitzki also went deep off A.J. Burnett, helping the Rockies to their seventh triumph in nine games.

Burnett (7-6) surrendered seven hits and four runs over 6 1/3 innings. He also walked five and fanned just as many, but lost for the third time in his last four starts.

Alex Rodriguez knocked in both runs for the Yankees, who lost for just the third time in their last 10 games.

Nick Swisher singled to right off closer Huston Street with one out in the ninth. Jorge Posada then flied out to left and Russell Martin was retired on a lazy fly to center to end the game, giving Street his major league-leading 23rd save of the year.

Burnett tied a major-league record and set a Yankee mark by fanning four batters in the sixth inning. That was made possible when Chris Nelson fanned, but reached first on a wild pitch. Burnett then struck out Todd Helton to end the inning, but the Yankees were down by two at the point and didn't get a runner past first over the final four innings.

"I was pretty inconsistent all night," Burnett admitted.

Rodriguez smashed a double down the left-field line to score Curtis Granderson in the opening inning, but Giambi jumped on a 2-0 pitch and homered to right- center with one out in the second to tie the game.

"He looks really good, looks like he's in great shape," Rodriguez said of Giambi. "I'm happy to see him do good, just not against us."

It was the first career homer for Giambi at the current Yankee Stadium after hitting 95 at the original one. Seven of his eight homers this season have come on the road.

"There's an incredible energy playing in this stadium," Giambi said.

Helton singled to right with the bases full the next inning to plate Chris Iannetta before Rodriguez tied the game in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly.

Burnett struggled with his command in the fourth, walking Giambi and allowing a double to Seth Smith. He induced an RBI groundout off the bat of Ty Wigginton, a ball that was barehanded by Rodriguez before the out at first. Nelson grounded into a force play, leaving the bases loaded, but not before Colorado claimed the 3-2 lead.

Tulowitzki then homered to right with one out in the fifth, his 14th round- tripper of the season.

Game Notes

Burnett accomplished the four-strikeout inning for the second time in his career, also doing so July 5, 2002 when he pitched for Florida against the New York Mets. He's the second pitcher in baseball history to accomplish the feat on more than one occasion, joining Chuck Finley, who did it three times...Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano went 0-for-4 and saw his 11-game hitting streak snapped...The Rockies have now won four straight against the Yankees...Tulowitzki is hitting .429 (6-for-14) in four career games vs. the Yankees.