Jimenez fans 13, gets 6th win, 5-2 against Padres

[May 04, 2010]  SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Ubaldo Jimenez struck out a career-high 13, became the first six-game winner in the majors this season and hit an RBI single to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 5-2 win over the NL West-leading San Diego Padres on Monday night.

The hard-throwing Jimenez (6-0) held the Padres to one run and four hits in seven innings. He was making his third start since throwing the first no-hitter in franchise history, at Atlanta on April 17. He walked two.

He retired the last nine batters he faced, striking out five of the final six. His ERA rose from a major league-leading 0.79 to 0.87, dropping him into a tie with Livan Hernandez of the Washington Nationals.

His previous strikeout high was 11 at San Diego on May 10, 2008. It was his seventh career 10-strikeout game and his third against the Padres. His six-game winning streak, dating to Oct. 1, matches the club record set by Jorge De La Rosa last year.

Jimenez, Joe Beimel and Rafael Betancourt combined for a six-hitter.

The Padres were coming off three shutouts in four games against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Jimenez got all the backing he needed in the second when Carlos Gonzalez had a leadoff walk, Miguel Olivo a single and both scored on Clint Barmes' one-out double into the left-field corner.

San Diego got its first run in the fourth when Yorvit Torrealba, who left the Rockies as a free agent in the offseason, doubled with two outs to bring in Will Venable. Venable singled with one out and stole second.

Tony Gwynn Jr. walked leading off the Padres' fifth and, after several pickoff attempts by Jimenez, stole second with two outs and took third when the throw from Olivo sailed into center field for an error. Barmes, the second baseman, ended the threat with a nice running catch of a line drive by Chase Headley.

San Diego's Kevin Correia (4-2) had his four-game winning streak snapped. He retired 11 in a row going into the seventh, when he walked Olivo and allowed Ian Stewart's double into the right-field corner. He was pulled for Edward Mujica, who struck out Barmes before allowing Jimenez's single to right-center to bring in Olivo. Gonzalez hit a two-run single off Joe Thatcher in the eighth.

Correia allowed three runs and four hits in six-plus innings, struck out four and walked two.

Pinch-hitter Matt Stairs had an RBI single in the Padres' ninth.

NOTES: Rockies manager Jim Tracy said RHP Taylor Buchholtz will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Modesto on Wednesday. He hasn't thrown a pitch since 2008 due to right elbow surgery. He is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list on June 3. ... LHP Jeff Francis will make rehab starts with Double-A Tulsa on May 6 and 11. He'll be reevaluated after each start. ... RHP Huston Street will throw live batting practice in extended spring training on Tuesday, the first time he's thrown live BP this season.

[Associated Press; By BERNIE WILSON]

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