SB Nation St. Louis - Cardinals Take On Ubaldo Jimenez, Ubaldo Jimenez's Low ERAhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49009/stl-fave.png2010-07-08T14:11:13-05:00http://stlouis.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13233042010-07-08T14:11:13-05:002010-07-08T14:11:13-05:00Cardinals Take On Ubaldo Jimenez, Ubaldo Jimenez's Low ERA
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">(Sports Network) - The good news for a <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/STL" class="sbn-auto-link">St. Louis Cardinals</a> team that's been handed back-to-back stinging defeats to the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/COL" class="sbn-auto-link">Colorado Rockies</a> is that it will have <span>Chris Carpenter</span> on the mound for the finale of this three-game series. The bad news is the struggling club will have to deal with Rockies ace <span>Ubaldo Jimenez</span> when it returns to Coors Field this afternoon.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">This trip to Denver has been a nightmare so far for the Cardinals, with the defending National League Central champions having squandered big leads in both losses in this set. After Colorado struck for nine ninth-inning runs to rally for an improbable 12-9 victory on Tuesday, the Rockies erased an early five-run deficit last night and came through with an 8-7 decision on <span>Chris Iannetta</span>'s solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">With the contest knotted at 7-7, Iannetta greeted rookie reliever Evan McLane by crushing a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left to start Colorado's half of the ninth. It was the Rockies' third consecutive win in their final at-bat, a stretch that began with a 15-inning triumph over San Francisco on Sunday.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Rockies trailed 5-0 after 4 1/2 innings of Wednesday's tilt but got back in it with a three-run fifth. Down 8-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, Colorado drew even on <span>Dexter Fowler</span>'s three-run homer off <span>Jason Motte</span> with one out in the frame.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"[If] we're down early, we're going to start chipping away. That's been our mind set all year," said Rockies shortstop <span>Clint Barmes</span>.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Ian Stewart</span> contributed to the comeback by knocking in three runs on a pair of singles, while <span>Brad Eldred</span> went 3-for-4 and scored three times for Colorado. <span>Jonathan Herrera</span> and <span>Carlos Gonzalez</span> also collected three hits each on the evening.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Eldred had been recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs prior to the game to take the roster spot of <span>Todd Helton</span>, placed on the disabled list due to a stiff back.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Former Rockies star <span>Matt Holliday</span> finished 4-for-5 with a pair of solo homers and four runs scored for the reeling Cardinals, who have now dropped five of their last seven tilts and fell three games back of first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central with last night's setback. <span>Jon Jay</span> had three hits and also drove in a pair of runs in a losing cause.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">St. Louis starter <span>Jaime Garcia</span> allowed four runs (two earned) over the first 5 1/3 innings and was in line for the win, but the bullpen surrendered four runs in the eighth and ninth frames in a second straight poor showing.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"It's a tough loss," said Cards manager Tony La Russa. "We did a lot of good things, but we just couldn't shut them down in the end."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">St. Louis has now lost in 10 of its last 11 meetings with the Rockies and is 1-6 at Coors Field over that stretch.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The task doesn't figure to get any easier for the Cardinals today. Jimenez enters the finale with a sensational 14-1 record and 2.27 earned run average over his 17 starts of 2010, although the All-Star righty hasn't been on top of his game as of late.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Jimenez has allowed 17 runs in 17 2/3 innings over his past three starts after posting an unbelievable 1.15 ERA through his first 14 outings. In his most recent mound trip, the hard-throwing standout was tagged for seven runs in a six-inning no-decision against San Francisco last Saturday.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The native Dominican is 5-0 in seven home starts this year, but has given up a total of 13 runs over the course of his last two Coors Field efforts. Lifetime against the Cardinals, Jimenez is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA in four appearances.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Carpenter also earned a spot on this year's NL All-Star squad after amassing a 9-2 record to go along with a 3.16 ERA in 18 assignments. The 2005 NL Cy Young Award recipient has also been terrific when pitching at Coors Field in the past, having yielded just one run over 14 1/3 innings in two previous starts there, and boasts a 3-0 mark with an 0.75 ERA in five lifetime encounters with Colorado.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Like Jimenez, Carpenter does come into tonight's clash off a subpar showing, as the veteran righty was rocked for eight runs (seven earned) and nine hits before exiting after three innings of a home loss to Milwaukee last Saturday. He had recorded five consecutive winning decisions prior to that outcome.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Rockies have won three straight and seven of their last nine tests and have moved into a tie for second place in the NL West, three games behind division-leading San Diego.</p>
https://stlouis.sbnation.com/2010/7/8/2317641/cardinals-take-on-ubaldo-jimenez-ubaldo-jimenezs-low-eraDan Moore