Rockies close on Dodgers; Tigers slipping vs. Twins
LOS ANGELES — Ubaldo Jimenez struck out 10 and the streaking Colorado Rockies forced the NL West race down to the final two games, beating the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 Friday night.
With both teams already assured playoff spots, the Rockies cut the Dodgers' division lead to one game. Colorado needs to sweep the three-game series to win the West.
The Rockies won their fifth in a row and Dodgers lost their season-worst fifth straight. Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to start Saturday for Los Angeles against Jorge De La Rosa.
Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer and Yorvit Torrealba had a two-run double for the Rockies.
Dodgers star Manny Ramirez struck out all four times up, matching a career high. He fanned in the seventh inning with two runners on base.
Jimenez (15-12) allowed one run and two hits, and matched a season high for strikeouts. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.51, the best by a starting pitcher in franchise history.
DETROIT — Jake Peavy delayed Detroit's chance to move closer to the AL Central title, pitching Chicago past the slumping Tigers.The Tigers went into the final weekend with a two-game lead over Minnesota, but got off to a bad start when Scott Podsednik hit a leadoff home run.Detroit lost for the fourth time in six games, all while the Twins were taking a big lead against Kansas City.Peavy (3-0) pitched eight scoreless innings and Carlos Quentin also homered. Out for three months because of an injured right ankle, Peavy gave up just two hits and showed the form he had as the 2007 NL Cy Young winner.Edwin Jackson (13-9) gave up a career-high eight runs.If the Tigers fail to hold off Minnesota, they will become the first team in major league history to lead a division on May 10 and stay atop it until losing the title in the last week of a season.
MINNEAPOLIS — Jeff Manship (1-1) got a well-timed first big league win for the Minnesota Twins, who got a grand slam from Delmon Young and hung on to cut Detroit's AL Central lead to one game.Zack Greinke's up next for Minnesota on Saturday.
