Steve Webb
Julio Urias was just masterful. That is about all that is necessary to summarize Sunday’s Easter matinee 4-2 win at Coors Field in Denver. For the first time in his career, the Mexican phenom pitched into the 8th inning, and would have shut the Rockies out had he not been charged with a run that he left on base when he exited the game after a scratch single in the 8th. And get this, that masterpiece was just painted by the fourth man in the Dodgers’ rotation. This could be a very fun year indeed.
The Dodgers scored three garbage runs in the first inning. Mookie Betts led off the game with a walk, and then advanced to third when AJ Pollock‘s comebacker was tossed into centerfield by Rox starter Austin Gomber. Justin Turner also walked to load up the bases. Gomber then uncorked a wild pitch to Will Smith, and Mookie raced home with the first run of the game. The play at the plate might have been close, but Gomber forgot to, you know, catch the ball. Which kind of comes in handy in such a play.
After Smith struck out, Chris Taylor took an RBI walk. With the bases still loaded, Gavin Lux hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Charlie Blackmon, and just like that it was 3-0 without the benefit of a Dodgers’ hit.
The Dodgers didn’t do much else offensively the rest of the day, only knocking a total of four hits during the entire game. The two hits of note among them were a nice double to the wall by Zach McKinstry in the second and a no-doubter off the bat of Will Smith in 8th.
Believe it or not, it was the first legit homerun of the season for the hard-hitting Dodgers. Cody Bellinger‘s on Thursday was nullified on a baserunning boo-boo, and Zach McKinstry’s Saturday night shot to right ended up being of the inside-the-park variety when the ball somehow made its way out of Raimel Tapia‘s glove and back into the field of play. So I guess the Dodgers got that monkey off their backs.
But the day belonged to Julio Urias. Working efficiently, he struck out six and walked only one. Mixing in a new-and-improved change-up with the queso and the breaking stuff, he had Rockies hitters baffled most of the day. He gave up a double to Chris Owings in the first, but that was about the only pitch that the Colorado hitters were able to square up against him all day. If this is what Urias is going to bring to the table in 2021, the Dodgers are in very good shape indeed.
Even better news, with Kenley Jansen unavailable due to his five-out save on Saturday night, Corey Knebel stepped into the closer’s role for the first time, and was very much up to the task. He sent the Rockies down 1-2-3 in the ninth, striking out one in an 8-pitch outing.
With three nice victories over the weekend, it’s safe to say that the bad taste that the Opening Day mess had left in fans’ mouths has been washed away, and then some. The Dodgers fly to the Bay area tonight, and start a three-gamer against the A’s Monday evening. Projected starters for the game are Dustin May for the Dodgers and Frankie Montas for the Athletics. Game Time 6:40 pm.
Happy Easter, everybody!
