Jimenez extends shutout innings streak to 13, Ks 10 in win

MIAMI (AP) -- The Colorado Rockies are finding it's becoming easier to win when Ubaldo Jimenez is on the mound.

The right-hander allowed two hits in seven shutout innings to win his fourth straight start and the Rockies beat the Florida Marlins 5-2 on Friday night.

"You just go out there and just watch him pitch, watch him strike out people," Colorado infielder Omar Quintanilla said. "It's pretty fun. We don't get a lot of ground balls, but it's pretty fun watching him."

Jimenez's performance came one night after a dismal showing from Colorado pitchers in a 12-2 loss to the Marlins.

"It's always good for the team when you're having a bad game, just go to the next day and you'll have a good one," Jimenez said.

Jimenez struck out 10 and kept the Marlins hitless until Dan Uggla's leadoff single in the fifth. He walked three and hit a batter.

"He just hit his spots all night," Marlins third baseman Jorge Cantu said. "He got us off guard. He had his game going on."

Manny Corpas pitched a scoreless eighth for Colorado, but Josh Willingham had an RBI single off Taylor Buchholz in the ninth. Buchholz was replaced by Brian Fuentes, who gave up a sacrifice fly to Mike Jacobs between a strikeout and a popup for his 19th save in 23 opportunities.

Jimenez (8-9) has allowed one run in his last three starts. His scoreless innings streak reached 13 innings.

"Wow," Jimenez said. "Good news, eh?"

Chris Iannetta and Brad Hawpe hit two-run singles for the Rockies. Hawpe had three of Colorado's 13 hits.

Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the third on Hawpe's single that scored Matt Holliday and Willy Taveras.

Iannetta hit his two-run single in the fifth, making it 4-0. Quintanilla followed with a single that scored Ian Stewart.

The Rockies' runs all came on two-out hits.

"When you're dodging bullets the whole game, more than likely you're going to get clipped by one," Florida starter Chris Volstad said. "Pitching out of the jams the whole game is not going to get you very far."

Volstad (2-2), the youngest pitcher in Florida's rotation, struck out six in his first career start against the Rockies. The 21-year-old rookie allowed five runs, four earned, and eight hits in five innings.

"It was an experience start," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He will learn something from it and go on to the next one."

Florida loaded the bases in the fifth, but Jimenez struck out Hanley Ramirez to end the threat.

"He had probably as nasty stuff as we've seen all year from the fastball, 97, 96, with some life in it," Gonzalez said. "The slider had some tilt. That was him."

Ramirez made throwing errors in the second and third innings for the Marlins, whose defense ranks among the worst in the majors. But Willingham drew cheers from the crowd of 16,555 in the fourth when he snagged a foul ball while flipping over the wall along the foul line in left.

Game notes
Gonazalez met with Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano and vice president of football operations Bill Parcells at the Dolphins' training facility in Davie on Friday. Sparano, a New York Mets fan, called the Marlins an "outstanding young team." ... Colorado LHP Jeff Francis threw six shutout innings in his third minor league rehab outing Thursday.