9 innings, 7 strikeouts, 128 pitches, 0 hits
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
On a night when the Rockies were recovering from two of the most dreadful performances this team has seen in a while, Ubaldo Jimenez simply didn’t believe this team was in trouble – even if it meant he had to carry them on his back. And carry them he did Saturday night in Atlanta, striking out 7 on his way to tossing the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies franchise history.
Ubaldo was on his game all night, hitting 100 on the radar multiple times, and still throwing his fastball at a steamy 97 mph in the bottom of the 9th. And while Ubaldo and his 128 pitches was the story of the night, the hidden story might be the complete effort the Rockies put forth after some lackluster showings. Defensively, Dexter Fowler saved the no-no in the 7th with 2 spectacular running catches in center field. Besides the defense, the Rockies offense finally came through, with Carlos Gonzales showing his value to the lineup with a 2 RBI double, and Ubaldo even added an RBI just to put the exclamation point on his statement.
It also bears mentioning, as Jim Tracy did in his postgame interview, that Miguel Olivo did a stellar job of calling the game and keeping Ubaldo on track.
It’s been common knowledge around the clubhouse that Ubaldo is the heir apparent to the “ace” throne on the staff, and that status was made official by making him the number one and opening starter this season. Jim Tracy’s confidence has been rewarded, as Ubaldo has cemented his place not just in the Rockies rotation, or in Rockies history, but also in the pantheon of elite pitchers in major league baseball right now. Very few are throwing with the longevity and consistency, not to mention the heat, that Ubaldo is throwing right now.
Not much is prettier during the regular season, than to stare at the scoreboard and see the opposing line nothing but a row of goose eggs. The Braves are a good hitting team, and for Ubaldo to notch the gem against such a team is even further credit to his prowess. This could be the game that the team woke up for the season – the bats came alive, the defense was solid, and now the Rockies stand to take the series tomorrow with Cook on the mound (could that be any more different of a hitting experience?), then they get a four game set against the woeful Washington Nationals.
Congratulations to Ubaldo Jimenez – you’ll be remembered in Colorado for a long time for this. Our fans have long memories, and you’ve given us one to hang onto for a while.
