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Rockies Jimenez no hits the Braves

Odds & News | Webmaster ( Fri 23rd, April 2010 )

The fascination with Ubaldo Jimenez has always been indisputable. His attractive smile, long limbs, unrivaled hints of brightness.

He grew up in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, and had visions of pitching in the big leagues. As he sat at his locker at Turner Field, Saturday night, a bottle of Charles Lafitte sparkling wine at his feet, the 26 year old Jimenez had formally made it.

Despite of how the rest of his career works out, he'll always be kept in mind as the first Rockies' pitcher to pitch a no hitter. In a striking performance, Jimenez defeated the Atlanta Braves in a 4-0 win that left a crowd of 32,602 in deferential silence.

Jimenez threw the "no-no" in an unusual style. He walked the leadoff hitter in the 3rd, 4th and 5th innings. When he reached 83 pitches, he had thrown 42 balls and 41 strikes.

Yet the Braves never felt relaxed, doubtful of performing a starring character in an ignominy.

"After my 1st at bat, I knew it would be one of these nights," Brian McCann, Braves all-star catcher, said. "His stuff was excellent. We couldn't put the barrel of the bat on nothing."

The scheme of a no hitter first struck Jimenez in the 5th, at the same time the box score started unspooling a supernatural fact. Jimenez walked the Braves' draftee Jason Heyward to leadoff the inning. He was the final Braves hitter to get on base.

After pitching coach, Bob Apodaca, proposed to Jimenez to pitch from the stretch, the pitcher made the radical change midgame, pitching completely from the stretch starting in the 6th inning.

Over the last 3 innings, he threw just 27 pitches. The last line spoke to his strength and stamina. He threw 128 pitches and ended with 7 strikeouts and 6 walks. The average speed of his fastballs was 97 mph. He threw 100 three times. His last pitch speed was 97 mph, a wicked running sinker that got McCann to ground out to 2nd baseman Clint Barmes for the last out as 1st baseman Todd Helton received Jimenez with a big hug.

"I was feeling nervous at the time," Barmes said. "It is excellent to be in one of these."

Holding back tears, Jimenez called his father Ubaldo Sr. in the Dominican and his mother Ramona in Denver. He didn't say much about their conversation.

The closest thing in Rockies' history to a no hitter, was when Jason Jennings threw 6 2/3 no hit innings against the Pirates in 2002. That was slightly mirror and smoke. This was fear and heat.

"He was totally overwhelming," Don Baylor, the hitting coach said. "It reminded me of a Nolan Ryan performance."

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