Mired in a career-worst three-game losing streak, Julio Urías bounced back with a stellar outing in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 13-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.
Urías opened up the game with a 15-pitch top of the first inning by retiring Kyle Schwarber, striking out former teammate Trea Turner and perennial All-Star Bryce Harper in his return. Urías capitalized on Harper’s aggressiveness in the box and used it in his game plan.
“I knew he was going to be very hungry after missing all that time,” Urías said through an interpreter. “Last year he got me on a pitch and I knew he was going to be aggressive like he is, the talented baseball player that he is.”
Urías went on to roll through the Phillies lineup for six more innings, allowing just one run on a solo homer to Turner in the fourth. He landed 67 of 95 pitches for strikes and turned in his first seven-inning start with only one hit allowed since April 20, 2021.
“I just tried to believe in myself, believe in what I can do and believe in those last few years,” Urías said. “The consistency from the last few years, being able to piggyback on that and lean on that, and be able to know I can do that, I think that’s what helped.”
Urías earned a fourth win of the season while lowering his ERA to 3.86 over 39.2 innings pitched. In his prior three starts, Urías seemed to allow at-bats to get away from him, when in recent years he excelled at finishing them off. A correction was made after taking some lumps against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“There were a couple things I fixed during bullpen sessions,” Urías explained. “Like I said, it also was just the consistency. I’d been struggling a little bit with it, but today I definitely felt way more consistent with my mechanics.
“It was little things, but also trying to believe in yourself and believe in what I bring to the table. It’s a long season. There’s going to be some ups and downs, but try to stay consistent to ride through those downs and get back to pitching the way that I can.”
Dave Roberts saw difference in Julio Urías
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed his confidence in Urías before first pitch, and quickly noticed the 26-year-old had a more determined look about him.
“Just a different demeanor. You saw the first inning, the velocity was up and it just seemed like he was in attack mode, Roberts said.
“He was going after these guys with the fastball, that hard slider, curveball still on the attack, the changeup. But I think the fastball command, had the life to it, the velocity was there. He carried it all the way through the seven innings.”
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