"For one night, anyway, the whirring of the rumor mill was drowned out by a sound Ubaldo Jimenez is more accustomed to.

A standing ovation at Coors Field.

Yes, Coors Field, Jimenez's personal torture chamber for the first two months of the season. Or maybe you've forgotten those flocks of boo birds that took roost in LoDo in May.

It's all but official after Tuesday's performance in a 12-3 victory over the Braves: Jimenez's issues are behind him. Question is, will his days in Denver soon follow?

With the trading deadline 11 days away, a handful of teams, most notably the Yankees, have inquired about Jimenez's availability. While a deal appears unlikely, Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd has listened.

So it was that Tuesday's game could have been the last home start for the most accomplished pitcher in franchise history. If so, the crowd sent Jimenez away in style, standing in unison as he departed after 6 2/3 innings, during which he matched his season high with nine strikeouts and allowed two runs, both via Dan Uggla solo homers.

"It felt really good," Jimenez said. "It's been a long time since I've gotten one of those. Especially when you're hearing so many things, I don't know if that's going to be my last one here."

While Jimenez's future is unclear, his stock certainly is on the rise. He stood 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA through May. Since then, he's 6-3, 2.58 and has allowed more than two earned runs — three on each occasion — in 10 starts.

Jimenez, as is his way, made a point of putting on his Rockies cap for postgame interviews. And he made it clear he wanted to keep it there beyond the trading deadline.

Asked if he would tell O'Dowd that, Jimenez smiled and said, "I think he already knows.""