Ureña outduels Misiorowski as rookie continues showing promise

ANAHEIM -- It’s not often that Brewers ace and NL Cy Young Award frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski gets outdueled.

But right-hander Walbert Ureña did just that and continued his unexpectedly strong rookie season with six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium. The 22-year-old scattered three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts to improve to 7-7 with a 2.54 ERA in 20 outings (18 starts). His ERA leads all rookies with at least 50 innings pitched this year.

“It was emotional but I was just trying to do my job,” Ureña said. “I got the ball, I got the opportunity. I know he's tough and maybe the top pitcher right now in the big leagues, but we won. So it was good.”

Ureña has been a revelation since joining the rotation in mid-April, as he’s posted a 2.58 ERA with 93 strikeouts and 49 walks in 97 2/3 innings over 18 starts. He’s been a nice surprise, especially considering he was ranked as the club’s No. 18 prospect by MLB Pipeline before the season.

He’s impressed manager Kurt Suzuki, who said Ureña does a good job of internalizing things and not being intimidated by going up against an ace like Misiorowski.

“I think that's for the media to enjoy that,” Suzuki said with a smile. “I think Walby just wants to help the team win, and he does whatever it takes. But today was an accomplishment no doubt. But for Walby, he's just taking it day by day, every time he starts to try to help the team win, no matter who's on the other side.”

His emergence has also allowed the Angels to be more aggressive at Monday’s Trade Deadline with fellow starting pitchers José Soriano and Reid Detmers considered trade candidates. Soriano was scratched from his start Saturday, which indicates they are seriously contemplating trading him. Detmers’ next scheduled start would be on Tuesday against the Orioles, but the Angels haven’t announced a probable starter yet.

Ureña has displayed elite stuff, and his velocity has only been getting better in recent starts. His sinker averaged 98.2 mph against the Brewers, a tick higher than his season average of 97.6 mph, while his changeup has become his best pitch and averaged 91.6 mph Sunday.

“He could have went out there and got too amped up and balls could have been flying all over the place but he kept his composure,” Suzuki said. “He was attacking the strike zone, and today might have been the best game he's pitched all year.”

He got off to an impressive start, striking out the side in the first inning on just 10 pitches. It was a sign of things to come, although he did run into trouble in the third, when the Brewers had runners at first and second with two outs. But he was able to get Garrett Mitchell to hit a soft comebacker to end the inning.

"Good fastball and the changeup plays like a sinker,” Mitchell said. “I think he did a really good job of executing and stayed out of the middle of the plate for the most part, especially the first time through.”

In his final frame, he was helped out by getting William Contreras to hit into an inning-ending double play. It came on his 90th pitch of the afternoon, but the Angels have been cautious with him, as he’s only gone over 100 pitches once over his last eight starts and just twice all year.

Misiorowski outlasted Ureña and went seven innings because he was much more efficient, and that’s something Ureña will need to improve on going forward. But left fielder Wade Meckler surprisingly hit a two-run homer off Misiorowski on an 0-1 cutter in the second inning that proved to be the difference. Misiorowski entered with a NL-best 1.58 ERA in 20 starts, and had allowed a combined nine earned runs over his previous 87 1/3 innings.

“Just trying to stay on the heater with him,” Meckler said. “Obviously, he's got probably the best fastball in the game. You just respect the heater at all times and I just got a cutter out front. I wasn't sure if I got it off the bat. But you know going up against a guy like that, runs are going to be at a premium. So it felt good to get a lead, especially with a guy like Walby on the mound, throwing up zeroes.”