LOS ANGELES — Julio Urías has shaken off an unimpressive begin to his season and returned to the height of his prodigious talents.
So have his Los Angeles Dodgers, who’re near operating away with one other NL West title after one more dominant week.
Urías matched his profession excessive with 12 strikeouts over seven innings of four-hit ball, and Miguel Rojas homered and drove in 4 runs within the Dodgers’ season-high eighth consecutive victory, 8-3 over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
Mookie Betts broke it open with a two-run double within the sixth for the Dodgers, who’ve gained 12 of 13 to surge 8 1/2 video games forward of San Francisco within the race for his or her tenth division title in 11 seasons.
“We’re a very complete team,” veteran infielder Kiké Hernández mentioned. “We can beat you on offense, on defense, with pitching, one through nine in the lineup. We even do the little things, which not every good team does. We’re playing great baseball right now, and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Urías (10-6) struck out seven consecutive Rockies and eight of 9 throughout his remaining three innings of labor, blowing by Colorado’s lineup in an instance of his latest enhancements. After posting a 5.02 ERA in his first 14 begins this season amid harm setbacks, the left-hander has allowed simply six runs over 24 innings with 27 strikeouts in his final 4 begins.
“I’m starting to focus more on getting hitters out than just my mechanics,” Urías mentioned by a translator. “I’m attacking the zone, and I think I’m doing well.”
While recording his third consecutive victory and fifth in his final seven begins, Urías produced Los Angeles‘ first begin of the season with no less than 10 strikeouts and no walks. Los Angeles allowed simply six complete runs and 18 hits throughout its first four-game sequence sweep of the Rockies since September 2016.
“You could just see (Urías) was determined,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “He was going to go at least six innings today. He got to seven, and he could have gone out there for the eighth. He was efficient and on the attack. We needed that.”
Alan Trejo hit a two-run homer for the Rockies, who’ve misplaced 5 straight. Urías was visibly annoyed after giving up Trejo’s second homer of the season on a excessive changeup within the fourth inning, however he rebounded by placing out the facet within the fifth and sixth.
“(Urías) threw a lot of curveballs today, which I think against us historically hasn’t really come into play, so it’s always a game of adjustments,” Colorado supervisor Bud Black mentioned. “He’s to the point now in his career where he’s doing a lot of pitching, changing speeds and throwing a lot of different pitches in different counts. We couldn’t solve him overall.”
Pinch-hitter Cole Tucker had an RBI single for Colorado within the third after changing Jurickson Profar, who bumped into the left subject wall whereas making a powerful catch on Betts’ lengthy line drive to finish the second. Profar twisted his left knee, the Rockies mentioned.
Kyle Freeland (4-13) yielded six hits and 4 runs over 5 innings. The Denver native is winless in 14 consecutive begins since May 14.
The Dodgers‘ unlikely offensive engine was Rojas, who matched his season excessive in RBIs by driving in a single run in every of his 4 plate appearances.
Rojas bought his third RBI on a flyout within the sixth earlier than Betts‘ double broke it open. Rojas added one other sacrifice fly within the eighth.
Freddie Freeman went 0 for 4 and had back-to-back hitless video games for the primary time in 4 weeks since July 15-16.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: Profar was down on the warning monitor for no less than two minutes earlier than he was helped to the Rockies‘ close by bullpen. He wanted assist to make it off the sector on his injured knee. He shall be reevaluated later, the staff mentioned.
Dodgers: RHP Joe Kelly went on the injured checklist with proper forearm irritation. The reliever is 1-0 in 4 appearances with no runs allowed and 7 strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings since his return to Los Angeles final month. The transfer is retroactive to Aug. 10. … Slugger J.D. Martinez (groin) wasn’t within the beginning lineup, however was out there to pinch-hit. Roberts expects Martinez to play Tuesday for the primary time since Aug. 6.
UP NEXT
Rockies: Chris Flexen (1-5, 7.92 ERA) takes the mound in Denver on Monday night time in opposition to the Arizona Diamondbacks to open a six-game homestand.
Dodgers: After a day without work, the homestand continues when Bobby Miller (6-2, 3.89) takes the mound Tuesday night time in opposition to NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
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