NEW YORK -- Up to this point, the 2023 season hasn’t gone the way Julio Urías had planned. After leading the Majors in ERA in ‘22, Urías came into the season trying to prove that he was the Dodgers’ ace.
Inconsistencies and a hamstring injury prevented Urías from doing so in the first half. But with the Dodgers desperately needing their starting rotation to find itself, there’s a real argument to be made that Urías is the most important piece to the Dodgers’ puzzle the rest of the season.
In the Dodgers’ 6-0 win over the Mets on Friday at Citi Field, Urías got his second half off to a strong start, punching out seven and allowing one hit over six scoreless innings.
“I feel good,” Urías said in Spanish. “My leg feels good and everything is on track to allow me to have the second half that I want. I just have to forget about the first half and focus on the second half because this team is looking to do big things, and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Urías’ night didn’t get off to the best start as he allowed a leadoff double to Brandon Nimmo to open the game. It was originally called a home run, but the call was overturned upon review. Following that hit from Nimmo, however, Urías settled in and didn’t allow another hit, retiring all but two of the batters he faced the rest of the way.
Relievers Yency Almonte, Caleb Ferguson and Ryan Brasier picked up right where Urías left off, finishing off a one-hitter against the Mets.
“We knew we were getting a pitcher on the uptick,” said Mets manager Buck Showalter. “He’s been pitching a little better. We all know what his pedigree is. He’s a good pitcher. I’ll always give him the credit. We didn’t hit many balls hard off of him, that’s for sure.”
In previous starts this season, Urías said he might’ve allowed the first inning to spiral on him. His command wasn’t as sharp as it has been over the course of his career. He continued to search for a way to get ahead in counts more consistently.
Over his last two starts, Urías has been able to do that and that’s why he allowed just two runs over 12 innings during that span. On Friday, Urías was able to throw his four-seam fastball and curveball for strikes, while wiping out the Mets’ hitters with his changeup.
Offensively, the Dodgers gave Urías enough run support with a three-run fifth inning against Justin Verlander, which was capped by a two-run double from Freddie Freeman. In the eighth, J.D. Martinez added some more insurance with a solo homer. But the tone was set early on by Urías.
“Just the way he threw the baseball, he was in complete command tonight,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I thought the sequencing was fantastic. Used his fastball just enough and I thought the secondary was good all night long.”
With Clayton Kershaw expected to be out until early August with a left shoulder injury, the Dodgers will lean on Urías, Tony Gonsolin and their three rookie starters -- Michael Grove, Emmet Sheehan and Bobby Miller -- to carry them in the rotation for at least a few more weeks.
That will give the Dodgers more time to fully realize what they have in-house. They’re going to be active in trade talks for starting pitching help, but to what extent remains to be seen.
But if Urías can find his ‘22 form, the Dodgers feel confident they’ll have another strong option heading into another postseason run. After his start, Urías told Roberts that “vacation was over.” That’s the Urías the Dodgers have been looking for.
“I was on the injured list for a while and now that I’m back, I feel like the vacation is over,” Urías said. “It’s time to get to work.”