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Rockies down Padres in Jimenez's final start

Jul 31, 2011 - 6:04 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Eliezer Alfonzo blasted his first career grand slam in the sixth inning and Ubaldo Jimenez pitched his final game for Colorado in a 10-6 victory over San Diego in the middle tilt of a three-game series at Petco Park.

Jimenez made his final start of the season for the Rockies as he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. It was an inauspicious start as he gave up four runs in just one inning of work.

Jimenez threw 45 pitches in his last inning with the Rockies, the only team he has played for in his five-plus MLB seasons. He threw 24 of them for balls. With Esmil Rogers warming up, Jimenez was pulled from the game. There was speculation Jimenez wouldn't even start the contest.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy said he call Jimenez into the office to talk to him prior to the game because there was something that scrolled across the television screen saying he was being traded to the Indians.

"This was before he went to warm up," Tracy said. "I had no confirmation of that. Time allowed, obviously he would not have started the game. But I did not get that call. There was a lot of red tape that had to be cut through, looked at, medical records checked, all kinds of different things that were going on."

When everything was cleared up, the Indians shipped right-handed pitchers Alex White and Joe Gardner, infielder Matt McBride and a player to be named later to the Rockies. Reports are that the player to be named is left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, who isn't eligible to be traded until mid-August, a year after he signed with Cleveland.

"When all the different things were unfolding from batting practice up until the time that the national anthem was played, there was an awful lot going on," Tracy admitted. "That's an awful lot for one individual to have to absorb."

Alfonzo finished with a career-high five RBI, while Troy Tulowitzki blasted a two-run homer and Chris Nelson picked up three hits, including two doubles for the Rockies, who have won three straight games.

Rogers (4-1) came out for the bottom of the second inning and went five frames, giving up one run on one hit to earn the win.

Alberto Gonzalez finished with a double and three RBI, while Ryan Ludwick smacked a two-run double for the Padres, who have lost four of their last five contests.

Aaron Harang (9-3) gave up six runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked a pair, but suffered his first loss since May 2 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Todd Helton led off the Rockies sixth with a single and Nelson followed three batters later with a ground-rule double to center to give Colorado runners on second and third with two down. Ian Stewart was intentionally walked to load the bases. Luke Gregerson was summoned from the Padres bullpen to face Alfonzo, who cracked a ball deep to left field for his first career grand slam to give the Rockies a 7-4 advantage.

San Diego got a run back in the bottom of the sixth. Jesus Guzman led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on Chris Denorfia's fly-out and scored on an RBI groundout by Gonzalez.

Colorado picked up two more runs in the seventh - on Nelson's RBI base hit and a bases-loaded walk from Logan Forsythe to Alfonzo.

The Rockies added another run in the eighth on an RBI double by Tulowitzki, and Guzman had a run-scoring single in the eighth.

Earlier, the Rockies opened the scoring in their first at-bat when Tulowitzki blasted a hanging curveball into the second deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building beyond left field for a 2-0 lead and his 20th home run of the season.

San Diego took the lead in the bottom of the first, plating four runs. Cameron Maybin led off with a walk and stole second and went to third on a throwing error from Alfonzo. Chase Headley walked with one out and Ludwick followed by ripping a double down the left field line to plate the first two runs of the inning against Jimenez. After a walk to Guzman, Gonzalez smacked another two-run double, this with two outs, to give the Padres a 4-2 advantage.

The Rockies pulled to within one in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Nelson and Stewart.

Game Notes

Harang has an 11.70 ERA in two starts against the Rockies this season and a 2.97 ERA in 16 starts against everyone else...With Headley's 10th stolen base of the year in the eighth, the Padres now have six players with 10-or-more steals...Colorado leads the season series with San Diego by a 7-4 count...The Padres are 23-45 in night games this season.