Julio Urías has developed a reputation as an ace who leads the Los Angeles Dodgers to wins over his last two seasons, but that has not been the case so far in 2023.
Urías began to take over as the proverbial leader of the staff when he went 20-3 during the 2021 season, and last year he finished going 17-7. But now, the southpaw is 3-3 after losing three consecutive games.
This marked the first time in his career that the 26-year-old has dropped three straight games, which Urías attributed a failure to execute the game plan and said he simply needs to improve, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
“It’s my execution and everything that comes with failing,” Urías said in Spanish after the Dodgers’ 6-2 loss. “I have to pitch better. That’s what I have to do. There were pitches that I thought were ‘free strikes,’ like we say. But I’m not executing the way I should. I honestly just have to be better.”
Urías has given up a combined 13 runs across those starts, with six allowed in 5.2 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, and five to the Chicago Cubs in 3.1 innings last week. Although Urías only allowed two runs in 5.2 innings against the Cubs on April 16, he was still tabbed with the loss.
Urías’ ERA this season sits at 4.41 in 32.2 innings, a significant jump from the sub-three ERA he has had in the previous two years, and more than a run higher than his career 2.90 ERA across 632.1 innings. That of course has played into the losing streak, but an inconsistent Dodgers also is partly to blame.
Although pitchers have some impact in their win-loss record, they can only win as many games as their offense allows, and the Dodgers’ offense is significantly less talented than it has been in the previous two seasons. Urías won’t use that as an excuse, but it’s unlikely he could win 15 or more games without the offense improving.
Julio Urías’ trouble with home runs
Coinciding with Urías’ three-game losing streak has been allowing back-to-back home runs in each of those starts, which is another career-first for the southpaw.
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