Colorado Rockies 2, Nats 0
With Ryan Zimmerman out of the lineup with his balky hamstring and Josh Willingham getting a day off the Nats were already shorthanded. Having to face Colorado Rockies’ ace Ubaldo Jimenez – coming into the game after a no-hitter against the Braves last weekend – made things even more challenging. Willie Harris, after all, was batting in the No. 3 spot. That’s not ideal.
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No surprise then that the Rockies earned a 2-0 win. Jimenez gave up five hits in 7 2/3 innings and walked just two. Nats manager Jim Riggleman was impressed that Jimenez seemed willing to use his breaking pitches in any situation. That makes it hard on batters who gear up to hit his mid-90s and above fastball. Nats pitcher Livan Hernandez – who had a brilliant game of his own – said Jimenez has developed a sinker that he can throw inside to left-handed batters. He even tossed around the term “Cy Young” if Jimenez keeps up like this. He’s 4-0 with a .95 ERA. Nyjer Morgan wasn’t willing to go that far yet. But he, too, was impressed with Jimenez, saying “He’s electric.”
Hernandez was pretty good himself with 94 pitches over eight innings. His catcher, Ivan Rodriguez, called it “a masterpiece out there today.” Hernandez gave up just four hits and walked two. Unfortunately, the Rockies did a nice job on two of those batted balls. Miguel Olivo’s solo home run in the second was a mistake, for sure. But both Hernandez and Rodriguez credited Ian Stewart for his seventh-inning homer. He golfed a down-and-away pitch over the wall in right-center field.
“Somebody’s got to win a game like that,” Hernandez said. “And he pitched better than me.”
Olivo, Colorado’s catcher, threw out Morgan trying to steal in the bottom of the sixth. That was a key play conisdering Morgan had drawn a leadoff walk and Cristian Guzman was at the plate with no one out and the lead just 1-0. It was the second time this series that Olivo threw out Morgan and the two had a good-natured staredown as Morgan loped off the field – Olivo cracking a smile the whole time. Morgan is now 4-for-7 in stolen-base attempts in 2010.
