"The U-ball express rolls on, making history at every stop and almostbut not quite — masking one of baseball's most disappointing offenses. Ubaldo Jimenez followed yet another Rockies loss with a win Thursday. That makes them 13-1 when Jimenez pitches and 21-31 when he doesn't. This is not a comment on the rest of the pitching staff, which has weathered injuries to three starters and a closer and still kept the Rockies in most games. Three starters other than Jimenez — Jeff Francis, Jorge De La Rosa and Jhoulys Chacin — have ERAs of 4.00 or less. No, the Rockies' mediocrity in the standings is a comment on an underachieving lineup that keeps doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result. Even Jim Tracy has stopped making excuses for it. "We missed the ball, that's all I can tell you," a subdued Tracy said Wednesday after the Rocks struck out 13 times in a 2-1 loss at Minnesota, 12 of those whiffs coming against Scott Baker, who had fanned two Kansas City Royals in his previous outing. The Rockies' party line for much of the season has been to credit the opposing pitcher and offer assurances that the offense will come around eventually. But hitting coach Don Baylor acknowledged that Baker's awesomeness was not entirely responsible for Wednesday's helplessness at the plate. "He was throwing 89, 90, 91," Baylor told FSN after the game. "We just didn't do a good job of making contact." Ah, making contact. What a quaint concept. You don't hear much about it anymore. Where have you gone, Rod Carew? How about choking up? When was the last time you heard that expression, not including interviews with Dick Vermeil? Here's the Rocks' quintessential at-bat of the season. It's too bad Carlos Gonzalez was at the plate because he's been their best run producer, leading them in RBIs mostly from the leadoff spot. Still, this particular at-bat typified the Rocks to date. It was the eighth inning Wednesday night in Minnesota. Chacin had been in constant trouble but kept wriggling out, keeping his team in the game. Down 2-0, Seth Smith led off the eighth with a double. Chris Iannetta was hit by a pitch. Clint Barmes bunted them over, putting the tying runs on second and third with one out." http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_15322914
