Jimenez slows down and wins

DENVER • It took awhile for Ubaldo Jimenez to find his groove. Once he found it, he dominated the San Diego Padres.

Jimenez shook off an early two-run homer to pitch seven strong innings, Chris Iannetta hit his first career grand slam and the Colorado Rockies beat the Padres 10-3 on Tuesday night.

Four of the first seven batters in the game reached against Jimenez (11-12), but he didn't falter. Early in the season, a start like that would have led to a quick night for him, but he settled down to win for the third time in his last four decisions.

"Probably in the beginning of the season if I had a start like that I wouldn't have made an adjustment," Jimenez said. "I just tried to relax and not rush my mechanics."

He settled down after the second inning and was nearly unhittable in his last five innings. He gave up one hit from the third through the seventh and walked only one. He struck out nine, walked three and allowed three hits and retired the final seven batters he faced.

"It might have been a case where he wasn't in a rhythm yet," Iannetta said. "In the third, fourth inning he started feeling it and he got better as the night went on."

Jimenez gave up a two-run homer to Adrian Gonzalez in the first - Gonzalez's 34th - but the Rockies erased the deficit by scoring their 10 runs in the third through the sixth innings. Jeff Baker had three hits, including a three-run homer in the fifth, and three RBIs. Iannetta, Clint Barmes, Ryan Spilborghs and Dexter Fowler had two hits each.

"More impressive than anything was the way Ubaldo was able to put his foot down in the third inning and finish so well and so strong," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said.

The Padres, who had 18 hits in Monday's game, had only four hits through the first eight innings before getting a pair of singles in the ninth.

Francis done for year

The Rockies have shut down left-hander Jeff Francis for the rest of the year.

The team made the announcement after Tuesday night's game. Francis was scheduled to start Wednesday against San Diego. Livan Hernandez will start in his place.

The Rockies said sitting Francis, who is 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 24 starts this year, is a precaution and not due to an injury