The Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to three games and earned their first series win of the season with Sunday’s 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Julio Urias was dominant in his regular season debut, allowing just one run on three hits with six strikeouts over seven-plus innings of work. He retired 17 of the first 18 batters and needed only 79 pitches to log the longest outing of his career.
“My focus is always to attack. To attack hitters, do the things I do, throw the first pitch for strike and attack hitters,” Urias said. “We’ve got a lot of really talented arms on this team. I try to follow their lead, try to attack hitters, try to do the same things they do to go deeper.”
While Urias was effective in all facets against the Rockies, his changeup especially proved to be a difference maker. The Rockies went 0-for-11 and struck out four times on the pitch.
“Just throw it. I worked on it with the coaching staff and everybody on the Dodgers’ development side,” Urias said of his improved changeup.
“It’s just a matter of throwing it, having the confidence in it, having the ability to throw it for strikes and just having a lot of confidence in myself to throw that pitch.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts additionally was pleased with the results Urias generated when throwing his changeup. “I think the changeup was plus, the fastball was dynamic, he was first pitch strikes, there was a log of swing and miss,” Roberts said.
“He and Will were synced up today. Really fun to watch him compete and get into that eighth inning. All the way around, fantastic.”
Prior to Sunday’s start, Urias was a career 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA in six games (four starts) at Coors Field. He used that experience to make some necessary adjustments.
“It’s just go out and pitch. It’s one of those things that you’re trying to go out and pitch and focus yourself on making adjustments. Not focusing so much that it’s Colorado,” he noted. “Just focus yourself on making those pitches and just pitching.”
Smith knew Urias’ changeup would be effective
Even before first pitch, Will Smith had a feeling Urias’ changeup would be tough to hit. “He had a feel for it in the bullpen,” Smith said.
“First inning, we got what we wanted. It was staying down and had really good action. He had it the whole game.”
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