Big League Debut Is a Blast for Jennings

Jason Jennings became the first pitcher in modern history to throw a shutout and hit a home run in his major league debut, leading the Colorado Rockies over the New York Mets, 10-0, Thursday night.

Jennings did it all while pitching a five-hitter and getting three hits.

Jennings, promoted from triple-A Colorado Springs, joined another slugging pitcher, Mike Hampton, as the only Rockies to throw shutouts this season. Hampton blanked the Mets, 6-0, on May 9.

After waiting out a 62-minute rain delay, Jennings actually got to hit in the majors before he pitched as the Rockies batted around in a three-run first against Glendon Rusch (6-9). Jennings popped up to end the inning.

Jennings, a .386 hitter his last season at Baylor, singled in the fourth, had a run-scoring single in the seventh and homered to lead off the ninth.

Using a hard sinker to generate groundouts early, Jennings finished with eight strikeouts and walked four. The 6-foot-2, 242-pound right-hander was Colorado’s first-round pick in the 1999 draft.

The Rockies gave Jennings a cushion to work with in the first inning. Juan Pierre led off with a single and moved to third on Terry Shumpert’s hit-and-run single.

Larry Walker’s flyout scored the first run. Rusch walked two of the next three batters before giving up a two-run single to Juan Uribe with two out.

Colorado added two unearned runs in the fifth inning with the help of an error by third baseman Desi Relaford.