After Jimenez’s shaky departure, Alfonzo, Rogers pick up Rockies

The Colorado Rockies overcame an understandably difficult start for Ubaldo Jimenez and beat the San Diego Padres 10-6 as Eliezer Alfonzo hit a grand slam, the Rockies first of the season, and Esmil Rogers, relieving Jimenez, stepped in and allowed one hit and one run in five innings.

Each of the Rockies starting eight position players scored at least one run, and the Rockies won their third straight game. It’s their first three-game winning streak since they won four straight from June 14-18, the first two against the Padres and the latter two against the Detroit Tigers. The Rockies are 4-4 on their current trip, which they can end with a winning record by breaking their string of 13 consecutive Sunday losses.

Jimenez took the mound under awkward circumstances, the trade that sent him to the Cleveland Indians not quite complete. Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer with two out in the first, but Jimenez gave up the lead and then some. He allowed four walks and two two-run doubles while throwing 45 pitches, 21 strikes.

After the first inning, Jimenez exchanged hugs in the dugout with his now former teammates, and Rogers took over. He needed just 61 pitches, 38 strikes, to work five innings. He faced 17 batters and gave up one walk and Jesus Guzman’s leadoff double in the fifth.

Chris Nelson, who went 3-for-5, hit the first of his two doubles with two out in the fourth, and Ian Stewart followed with a double to cut the Padres 4-3 lead. Alfonzo hit his grand slam in the sixth, teeing off on the first pitch from Luke Gregerson, who relieved starter Aaron Harang. He intentionally walked Stewart, the final batter he faced, to load the bases for Alfonzo.

Alfonzo picked up his career-high fifth RBI when he walked on four pitches with the bases loaded in the seventh, the second run of the inning. Nelson drove in the first with a single after right-hander Ernesto Frieri intentionally walked Seth Smith, a left-handed hitter, with two out and a runner on second to ge to the right-handed hitting Nelson.

The Rockies tacked on a run in the eighth when Dexter Fowler tripled with one out and scored on Troy Tulowitzki’s double with two out.

Other highlights:
_ Jimenez and four relievers combined to strike out 13 hitters, one short of the season high 14 set against the Padres on June 14 at Coors Field.
_ Rafael Betancourt struck out the side but gave up an unearned run in the eighth when second baseman Nelson made an error. Betancourt has not allowed an earned run in 7 2/3 innings in his past nine games, a span in which he has 14 strikeouts with one walk.
_ Rex Brothers struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth, giving him 30 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. In his past nine games, Brothers has allowed four hits and one run in 8 2/3 innings with no walks and 14 strikeouts.

The trade was finished after the first, and After the first, Jimenez was pulled from the game, the trade with the Cleveland Indians