San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Ubaldo Jimenez showed why he is the best pitcher in the majors, fanning nine batters on his way to his second complete- game shutout of the season, as the Colorado Rockies handled the San Francisco Giants, 4-0, in the opener of a three-game series at AT&T Park.
Ubaldo Jimenez And Tim Lincecum Square Off In Matchup Of Past Cy Young Versus Probable Future Cy Young
Jimenez (10-1) gave up just four hits and walked two batters to record his first shutout since tossing a no-hitter against the Braves on April 17. The young righty picked up his league-best 10th win of the year and lowered his MLB-best ERA to 0.78. He has not allowed a run in a career-best 26 innings and is riding a personal four-start winning streak.
Clint Barmes drove in two runs for the Rockies, who started a six-game road trip on Monday. Todd Helton had an RBI for the victors.
Tim Lincecum (5-2) was supposed to give Jimenez a good battle on the hill, but the two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner lasted just 5 2/3 frames. He allowed four runs -- three earned -- on six hits to suffer his second straight loss. In fact, Lincecum has allowed 14 earned runs over his last three starts.
Colorado scored the only two runs they would need in the second. With runners on second and third and two outs, Barmes cleared the bases with a base hit up the middle.
The Rockies left the bases loaded in the fourth, but scored a run in the fifth. Seth Smith hit a one-out single and crossed the plate on Helton's double to left-center field for a 3-0 lead.
An error in the sixth allowed Colorado to plate another run. Ian Stewart led off with an infield single and moved to third on consecutive groundouts. Carlos Gonzalez then walked to chase Lincecum from the game. Dan Runzler took over on the hill and his throwing error on a pickoff attempt allowed the run to score.
The Giants didn't get a runner past second base until the ninth. Pablo Sandoval hit a two-out double to left and Aubrey Huff followed with a walk. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Jimenez, though, calmly got Juan Uribe to fly out for the final out.
San Francisco won two of three meetings against Colorado from April 30-May 2 this season at AT&T Park and has won seven of the last 10 games between the division foes...Lincecum made his 100th career start...It was the fourth complete game of Jimenez's career...The Giants placed infielder Ryan Rohlinger on the 15-day disabled list and recalled infielder Matt Downs from Triple-A Fresno...The Rockies optioned center fielder Dexter Fowler to Triple-A Colorado Springs and purchased the contract of infielder Jonathan Herrera...Jimenez improved to 4-4 lifetime against the Giants, who fell to 5-2 on a nine-game homestand...San Francisco went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranded five.
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