The Los Angeles Dodgers were unable to build on any momentum from their Wild Card Game win as they suffered a 4-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Oracle Park.
L.A. now turns to Julio Urias as they look to even things up in a pivotal Game 2. The left-hander is coming off the best season of his career in which he led MLB with 20 wins and posted a 2.96 ERA in 185.2 innings pitched.
“The postseason’s different. Every misfire, every miss is magnified,” Urias said ahead of his start against the Giants. “So you’re always kind of learning from those lessons, but also just your focus is so heightened.
“And this is an opportunity. It’s going to be fun and I’m excited for it.”
Urias logged a career-high 32 starts this season — five of which came against the Giants. In those outings he went 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 29.1 innings pitched.
“To have the opportunity to start all season, it’s something that obviously helped me along the way, to go from start to start and focus on what I needed to do,” Urias said of being able to start on a full-time basis this year.
“And they have seen me. I’ve seen them. And it’s another opportunity to go out there and pitch against them.”
Having already shined on the postseason stage as a reliever, Urias plans to keep a similar approach when he takes the mound against the Giants. “I think I’m just going to do the same thing. I’m going to give 100% of me,” Urias explained.
“I think that’s always going to be what I do or how I approach this. Whatever role, whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it to the best of my abilities.”
Urias reflects on career
As he gets set to make arguably the biggest start of his career, Urias is not treating the outing any differently. “I think it’s going to be another game,” he began.
“Obviously the other years weren’t as good, or were tough on me, but it’s in God’s timing. Getting an opportunity to go out there and compete and pitch is obviously something I’m going to be really excited about and just do it the best I can.”
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