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Jimenez pitches Rockies past Young, Padres

Aug 16, 2007 - 5:53 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing WriterSAN DIEGO (Ticker) - Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez turned in acareer-best effort and the Colorado Rockies managed just enoughoffense to take down the San Diego Padres, 3-0, on Wednesdaynight.Jimenez held Padres All-Star starter Young to a 0-0 draw beforethe Rockies got to the bullpen in the seventh.Jimenez (2-2) struck out a career-high nine batters over sixshutout innings, bouncing back from his shortest outing of theyear - a two-inning effort against the Chicago Cubs in which heallowed nine earned runs."I was getting ahead of the hitters, and my breaking ball wasgood for getting strikeouts," Jimenez said. "That was the mainthing, getting ahead. It's wonderful. We know we needed awin."The 23-year-old righthander had yielded 15 runs - 11 earned - inhis last 6 2/3 innings, but held the Padres to one hit. Hewalked two and retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced."I knew I had to do better, so I can keep playing," Jimenezsaid. "My main thing was the fastball and the breaking ball wasbetter.""(Jimenez) pitched a big-time ballgame for us tonight," Rockiesmanager Clint Hurdle said. "That was well-needed for ourballclub, and it was well-needed for him. He ought to reallypull some confidence from that outing. He was overpowering attimes."LaTroy Hawkins and Jorge Julio contributed scoreless framesbefore Manny Corpas worked around a pair of baserunners in theninth for his 10th save in 13 opportunities.Rookie Ian Stewart drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single inthe seventh, accounting for the only runs Jimenez needed asColorado won for the third time in four games.Garrett Atkins singled to lead off the seventh against ClaMeredith (4-6), who walked the next batter, Brad Hawpe, beforeboth runners advanced on a groundout. Stewart then bounced asingle to center to give Colorado the 2-0 advantage."I was trying to be aggressive," Stewart said. "He threw me achangeup on the second pitch, and I was probablyover-aggressive. I was just able to put the good part of thebat on the ball and hit it right back up the middle and we got acouple of runs in."The Padres put runners on first and second with two outs in thethird, but Mike Cameron's deep drive to left was caught just shyof the wall, ending the only legitimate scoring chance againstJimenez."I hit it pretty good," Cameron said. "The guy's ball was justmoving, man, and you can't hit it cleanly. You can't miss aball here (at Petco Park)."Young extended his scoreless innings streak at PETCO to 27 withsix shutout frames in his second outing since returning from anoblique injury. The 6-10 right-hander struck out the first fourbatters of the game - and six total - in holding Colorado tothree hits.Entering the game with the lowest ERA in the majors, Youngmanaged to lower it further to 1.93, becoming the only starterin baseball below the 2.00 mark. He walked two batters."I think there are still some lingering effects of the obliquestrain," Padres manager Bud Black said. "I do think he'spitchable. He's pitching great. He's utilizing all of hispitches. He pitched a great game, we just didn't score forhim."The Rockies added an insurance run in the ninth when Kaz Matsuisingled off Doug Brocail to plate Jamey Carroll.Having scored 33 runs in its past four games, San Diego wasblanked for the seventh time this season.