Ubaldo Jiménez Set a Rockies Franchise Record 16 Years Ago Today

Ubaldo Jiménez set a Rockies single-season wins record on Sept. 6, 2010, during one of the best pitching campaigns in franchise history.

Ubaldo Jimenez against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds may have gotten to Ubaldo Jiménez, but the Rockies icon still managed to earn a record-setting win thanks to plenty of support from his offense 16 years ago.

Jiménez battled through six innings and walked away with his 18th victory of the season as Colorado rallied for a 10–5 win, setting a new franchise record in the process.

It was an unusually sloppy night for Jiménez. He allowed seven hits, issued six walks, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch while needing 123 pitches to complete six innings. September seemed to be a rough month for him in general, though. In six starts, he went 2–3 with a 4.34 ERA and 21 walks. That stood in stark contrast to his blazing start to the season, when he seemed nearly untouchable. His ERA sat at 0.79 in April and 0.78 in May.

It might have been a rough end to the season for the Rockies ace, but the team as a whole was still alive and playing meaningful baseball. The same cannot be said for this year’s Rockies, who may as well start figuring out where they want to spend their winter vacations.

Colorado Was Still in the Hunt

Ubaldo Jimenez pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In September, the Rockies were still trying to force their way into the playoffs, with the Dodgers behind them and the Diamondbacks completely out of the picture. The problem was that the Padres remained formidable, finishing with 90 wins, while the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants won 92.

The 2010 season would be the last time for a while that Colorado finished with a winning record. From 2011–16, the Rockies lost at least 87 games every season. There was a brief reprieve in 2017 and 2018, when Colorado reached the postseason in consecutive years. The Rockies lost an 11–8 thriller to Arizona in the 2017 Wild Card Game before beating the Cubs in the same round a year later, although Milwaukee eventually swept them in the NLDS.

Those two postseason runs at least gave Colorado something the 2010 team ultimately missed out on: October baseball. Still, Jiménez gave the franchise a season worth remembering, finishing 19–8 with a 2.88 ERA and 214 strikeouts. Someday, the Rockies will likely produce their first 20-game winner and push Jiménez’s franchise mark aside. When that happens, perhaps that pitcher will also be spearheading Colorado’s next period of playoff baseball after a miserable stretch.