The Colorado Rockies went on to win 10-6 Monday night, supporting their ace with two-run homers from Miguel Olivo, Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Spilborghs, and a solo shot from Seth Smith.
"I'll be honest with you – when the game started tonight, I wasn't anticipating the final score to be 10-6," manager Jim Tracy said. "I think first of all, a lot of credit to our offense. We took some great at-bats tonight. You hit four home runs in this ballpark, and two of them are to right field, I mean, you've done some hitting."
Jimenez (14-1), the major league wins leader who threw a no-hitter April 17 at Atlanta, lost his bid for another no-no in the sixth when he allowed four runs on four hits, including Scott Hairston's three-run homer off the facade of the second deck in left field.
The right-hander won his eighth straight decision, matching Jeff Francis' team record set in 2007. His ERA rose from 1.60 to 1.83, tying him with Florida's Josh Johnson for best in the big leagues.
Trailing 8-0, the NL West-leading Padres finally figured out Jimenez in the sixth. Tony Gwynn Jr. drew a leadoff walk before David Eckstein got San Diego's first hit, a single to left past diving shortstop Clint Barmes. Adrian Gonzalez struck out and Chase Headley singled in Gwynn before Hairston hit a 2-1 pitch for his eighth homer.
Jimenez left after six innings. He struck out seven and walked four.
"I started out throwing a lot of strikes," Jimenez said. "That inning I just lost it a little bit. I got behind in the count and had to throw my fastball."
Jimenez retired the first nine Padres batters on 30 pitches, including five strikeouts.
"Ubaldo obviously was phenomenal; the first five innings of the game, actually untouchable," Tracy said.
Jimenez struggled in the fourth, walking Gwynn to open the inning and Adrian Gonzalez with one out before retiring Headley and Hairston. Jimenez walked Will Venable leading off the fifth before retiring the next three batters.
"We had a few walks and that got his pitch count up," Hairston said. "It made him work. Against a guy like that you have to make him work or he's going to be dominant. He was dominant. But we were able to capitalize on his mistakes, but he doesn't make too many of them."
The Padres added two more runs against the Rockies' bullpen in the seventh. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-out RBI single and Hairston hit an RBI double off the top of the fence in left, missing a three-run homer by inches. Venable was intentionally walked to load the bases before Nick Hundley grounded out.
"Obviously, this club is in first place for a reason, and you would have thought with Ubaldo at 8-0 going into the sixth inning you should feel really, really comfortable, and before you know it, it's 8-6," Tracy said.
Hairston had four RBIs.
Olivo, Jimenez's batterymate, also hit a two-run double and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
San Diego's Kevin Correia (5-6) had a rough night. He allowed Carlos Gonzalez's two-run homer to right in the first, Olivo's two-run double in the third and Olivo's two-run homer in the fifth that landed in the balcony on the third level of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner. They were the 11th for both Gonzalez and Olivo.
Correia walked Melvin Mora ahead of Gonzalez's homer. The right-hander allowed six runs and seven hits in five innings, walked six and struck out three.
Spilborghs hit a two-run homer to left off Sean Gallagher with two outs in the sixth, his eighth, for an 8-0 lead. Smith had a solo shot off Edward Mujica in the ninth, his 11th.
Notes
Rockies 1B Todd Helton was a late scratch with lower back stiffness and is day to day. He was replaced by Mora. … Jimenez's road ERA rose from 0.80 to 1.23, best in the majors. His last two starts are the only times he's allowed more than three earned runs this season.