Wednesday October 7, 2009 - 2:37pm ET
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
65° F - Sunny, Very Windy
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
65° F - Sunny, Very Windy
Ubaldo Jimenez, RHP (15-12, 3.47) v. Cliff Lee, LHP (14-13, 3.22)
Game one of the National League Division Series between the Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies will feature a pitching matchup of Ubaldo Jimenez and Cliff Lee. The game to be played in South Philly, will get started in the early afternoon and officially kick off the 2009 postseason. Shadows will not play a role but precipitation might, as the forecast is for clouds and rain. This season, the Phillies took two of three from the Rockies in Philadelphia and Colorado. With the Philadelphia crowd in full throat, the Phillies hope to have a distinct advantage in this game.
Starting Pitcher: Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies
Ubaldo Jimenez emerged as the ace of the Rockies staff this season. The right-hander won 15 games and dominated opponents, nearly striking out 200 hitters. The 25-year old features a fastball that reaches the mid-90s and slider, and will occasionally mix in a curveball and changeup. With his fastball being a sinker and the hard slider he throws, Jimenez induces a ground ball rate of 52.5%. Combined with his great strikeout numbers, Jimenez is a difficult pitcher to hit.
This season he did not face the Phillies at all, but in 45 career plate appearances, current Phillies hitters are a combined .368 off him, with two homers and five strikeouts. Ryan Howard (.400, 1 HR) and Pedro Feliz (.750, 1 HR) have especially good numbers against Jimenez. Down the stretch this season, the righty might have worn down a bit, going 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA in his final four starts. Despite this, Jimenez was very sharp in three prior postseason appearances, posting a 2.25 ERA in 16.0 innings. Jimenez will need to command all of his pitches in order to continue this success.
Starting Pitcher: Cliff Lee, Phillies
Cliff Lee was a mid-season acquisition for the Phillies, coming over from the Cleveland Indians. The reigning 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner is a hard-throwing lefty with a lot of solid pitches. The 31-year old can strike a lot of hitters out, but typically pitches more to contact and lets the defense work, which helps keep his pitch counts down. Lee features a 2-seam and 4-seam fastball, a changeup, a curveball, and a slider. All of these pitches are above average and help Lee keep runners off base consistently.
Lee faced the Rockies once this season, dominating them through seven innings in a 3-1 Phillies win. Since then, Lee has struggled, posting a 6.13 ERA in his final seven starts. Current Rockies are hitting a combined .233 in 48 career plate appearances. However, Rockies reserve Jason Giambi has good numbers against Lee in his career (.300, 1 HR). This game will mark Cliff Lee's postseason debut and the pressure will fall squarely on his shoulders to shut down the Rockies once again, but he could be just the pitcher to get the job done.
Starting Lineup: Colorado Rockies
Statistics versus Cliff Lee
1. Dexter Fowler, CF (2/4, 0 HR, 1 K)
2. Carlos Gonzalez, LF (0/0 BA, 0 HR, 0 K)
3. Todd Helton, 1B (0/2, 0 HR, 0 K)
4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS (1/3, 0 HR, 1 K)
5. Garrett Atkins, 3B (0/3, 0 HR, 1 K)
6. Yorvit Torrealba, C (0/0, 0 HR, 0 K)
7. Brad Hawpe, RF (0/0, 0 HR, 0 K)
8. Clint Barmes, 2B (0/3, 0 HR, 1 K)
Starting Lineup: Philadelphia Phillies
Statistics versus Ubaldo Jimenez
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS (2/6, 0 HR, 0 K)
2. Shane Victorino, CF (3/5, 0 HR, 0 K)
3. Chase Utley, 2B (2/5, 0 HR, 1 K)
4. Ryan Howard, 1B (2/5, 1 HR, 1 K)
5. Jayson Werth, RF (0/0, 0 HR, 0 K)
6. Raul Ibanez, LF (0/0, 0 HR, 0 K)
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B (3/4, 1 HR, 1 K)
8. Carlos Ruiz, C (0/3, 0 HR, 1 K)
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