Rockies Register

CHICAGO — Maybe it was the travel to Chicago to make-up a postponed game that resulted in a Colorado Rockies loss to the Cubs.  Or maybe the offense many thought the Cubs had prior to Opening Day finally showed up.

Nonetheless Chicago’s offensive threats, Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena each went deep twice as they accounted for five of the Cubs seven-runs in Monday’s afternoon make-up game for the April 27^th scheduled game.

Even before most of the Cubs fans had arrived to the park, Carlos Gonzalez sent a huge Cub sigh as the typical thought entered many heads that this game would be exactly like past ones as Gonzalez homerun opened the game favorably to the Rockies.

But it seems as if Ramirez and Pena may have had a little rivalry going between each other during the game as both players seemed to be trying to one-up the other.

Starlin Castro tripled and Ramirez followed with a two-run shot into left-center field to take the lead from the Rockies in the first.

In the fourth, Pena showed he could also go deep, sending a solo homerun to center for a 3-1 lead.  With two-outs, Geovany Soto doubled to begin to load the bases for the Cubs and add another run on a wild pitch from Colorado starter, Jhoulys Chacin.

Chacin lasted through the fifth being pulled for surrendering six-runs on nine-hits.  The additional two-runs occurring on another homerun from Pena, this time a two-run blast to left-field with Ramirez on base.

In the sixth, it felt as if the Rockies would blow the game open and score some much needed runs as the Cubs defense made two costly errors on the same play that resulted in a run.  Jonathan Herrera stood at first and advanced to third after Cubs starter, Matt Garza, threw a wild pitch and Soto’s throwing error resulted in Herrera taking an additional base.  Herrera would then score on Todd Helton’s one-out RBI-single.

It was now Ramirez’s turn to match Pena, and he did, sending his second homerun of the day to center to further increase the Cubs lead to 7-2.

Gonzalez homered again too for his second of the day, but a solo shot was not enough in this game as the Cubs took the game, 7-3.

DENVER — Despite Ubaldo Jimenez departing Saturday’s game against the Detroit Tigers early, the Colorado Rockies bullpen was able limit the damage as Jimenez earned his first win at home as Colorado moved back to the .500 mark.

Jimenez, the Rockies former ace of last year, pitched through five-innings before leaving in the sixth due to a cramp in his right calf.  However, during those five-inning, Jimenez allowed three-runs on  eight-hits which is much too high for a pitcher that was feared so greatly just a season ago.

On the other side, the Tigers sent Phil Coke to the mound who also lasted only five-innings, but gave up four-runs in his effort.  Justin Verlander will take the mound in Sunday’s finale to prevent a Rockies sweep.

In the second-inning, the Rockies took advantage of back-to-back walks issued by Coke that loaded the bases.  Instead of Jimenez being an easy out, he lifted a pitch into center-field for two-RBI’s.  Carlos Gonzalez followed with a single to right to give Colorado a 3-0 lead.

Detroit was able to get a run in the fourth off a Jhonny Peralta double, but, in the home half of the fifth-inning, Ty Wigginton also doubled to reclaim Colorado’s three-run lead at 4-1.

With three straight singles in the sixth, the Tigers had the bases loaded with nobody out and infielder, Ryan Raburn up at the plate.  Raburn came up huge as all three base runners rounded third, but, Peralta was thrown out at the plate which prevented the Tigers from tying the game at 4-all.

Clinging to a one-run lead, Chris Nelson decided that was not enough against this Tigers offense, as he sent a solo homerun into the bleachers that relieved a little stress off Ubaldo who earned his first home victory of 2011 with a 5-4 victory.

The Tigers did score a run in the ninth, but Miguel Cabrera could not keep the inning alive as he flied out for the Tigers last out and prayer.

DENVER — After a dominating performance two starts ago in his first win of the season in which Ubaldo Jimenez pitched nine shutout innings, in Sunday’s finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jimenez got banged around for eleven-hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Colorado Rockies scored all eight of their runs on the long ball, but, in the end it would not be enough as the Dodgers won 10-8 to split the four-game series.

Things looked bright early for the Rockies as Carlos Gonzalez led-off with a double that would eventually cross home on a three-run homerun from Seth Smith as Colorado made their statement in the first, leading 3-0.

In the seventh, the Rockies sent two more blasts in the stands to close within two-runs, now trailing 9-7.  Both Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki went deep for two-run shots.

However, the Rockies were not the only one’s sending souvenirs to the paying customers in the bleachers.  Los Angeles scored five big runs in the third, four of which came off James Loney’s grand slam that grabbed Los Angeles the lead.  Rod Barajas increased the lead further with an RBI-single that brought Juan Uribe home for a 5-3 Dodgers lead.

In the top of the fifth, Los Angeles now led 7-3 after two solo homeruns from Matt Kemp and Barajas.  The Dodgers even held a momentary 9-3 lead after the top of seventh.  But that lead quickly vanished by a four-fold as the Rockies rallied for two homeruns.

Los Angeles added an insurance run in the eighth after Loney doubled and scored on Uribe’s RBI-single.

Colorado had their best chance since the first inning to rally for a tie or victory in the ninth, but could not get the base runners on.  Both Gonzalez and Ryan Spilborghs were retired for outs before Todd Helton sent the Rockies fourth homerun out of the park.  Seth Smith, who was the Rockies tying threat struck out after Tulowitzki singled.

Both starters, Jimenez and De La Rosa, had short outings.  De La Rosa only pitched through the fifth despite his only mistake being the first-inning three-run shot.  Jimenez though is a little more difficult to figure out.  For a starter that dominated hitters a season ago, Jimenez has shown he is  a little more than human as he has been completely hittable in 2011.

SAN FRANCISCO — Juan Nicasio of the Colorado Rockies was not able to match Ubaldo Jimenez’s start from the previous start to give Colorado back-to-back wins since May 16-17.

As for San Francisco Giants starter, Matt Cain earned his first win mid-May going a strong seven-hits allowing one-run on four-hits and striking out seven.  Nicasio only went six-innings as he surrendered all three Giants runs and all nine-hits.  Brian Wilson continues to be one of the top closers in baseball this season earning his 16^th-save.  Since the start of the 2008 season, Wilson has compiled a league high 143-save.

For the offense, it all took place in the fourth-inning.  Carlos Gonzalez walked to lead it off and was able to advance to third base on a double by Troy Tulowitzki.  Gonzalez proceeded to score following a Todd Helton groundout to second.

In the bottom half of the inning trailing by one-run and two-outs, San Francisco was able to rally to take control of the lead for the remainder of the night.  Cody Ross’s double to left drove in two base-runners.  Brandon Crawford also doubled to deep right to score Ross for the Giants 3-1 lead.