Julio Urias earned a seventh career postseason win in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, which tied the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starter with Madison Bumgarner’s MLB record for most wins by a pitcher in the playoffs at 25 years or younger, per ESPN Stats.
Urias wasn’t overly dominant against the San Francisco Giants, which in some sense could have been predicted considering it was a sixth start this year against the NL West champions. Urias held San Francisco to just one run and collected five strikeouts, but only pitched five innings.
“I felt good. I thought the pitches were working really well,” he said after the Dodgers’ 9-2 win. “It’s the sixth time I’ve seen them so it’s a little bit trickier to get through that lineup, but I felt good. Offensively the team put up some runs and all in all it was a good game.”
Overall in his postseason career, Urias is 7-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 19 games (four starts). He memorably was shifted into the bullpen last October and recorded the save in the Dodgers’ World-Series-clinching win.
“I think it’s just trying to treat it like another game,” Urias said of his success in the playoffs. “Obviously the game is a big game and the stage is magnified, but you just focus and you put your energy into that pitch, pitch by pitch and try to get the results you can, try to give my 100% every time I go out there.”
In addition to keeping the Giants in check, the left-hander helped his cause with an RBI base hit in the second inning. It came after AJ Pollock was intentionally walked and marked the Dodgers’ first run scored in the NLDS.
“I think it’s just the adrenaline that kicks in,” Urias said of the at-bat. “Obviously after they walked Pollock you kind of want to do a little bit better, you want to try a little bit harder and I think that opportunity kind of pushed me a little bit more to try to get a hit in that spot and it worked out.”
Betts: Urias getting deserved recognition
As a 20-game winner this season, Urias has garnered NL Cy Young Award consideration and earned praise on a national scope.
“I think Julio has, for a long time now, been kind of underrated and now people just are giving him his credit,” Betts said. “He’s always been really good. I think this year he just was really consistent. I think that’s been the difference.
“Obviously in the postseason he’s always been really good, but throughout the season he’s had his ups and downs, but this year he’s just stayed consistent, one of our best arms and he proved it tonight.”
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