LOS ANGELES, CA– Today the Dodgers close out their six-game opening homestand with the Diamondbacks and the Rockies. They sit at 3-2 for the first five games. Having split the four games with Arizona. Losing 2-1 twice and winning 8-2 and 10-1. Yesterday, they showed no effect of the nasty cold 51-degree weather with wind gusts up to 31 mph, as they pounded the Rockies 13-4 last night. But we are used to them beating the Rockies and Diamondbacks easily. The Dodgers have a 60-28 record against the Rockies since 2018, and 59-31 vs Ariz. Then again, there are still 157 games to go.
Julio Urías, Culiacan Rosales, Sinaloa, Mexico, made his second start of the season and whenever he takes the mound it becomes harder to pick the Ace of this staff. Future HOF star Clayton Kershaw is still pitching at a high level as he begins his 17th year as a Dodger and shows no signs of slowing down.
Clayton Kershaw still going strong – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
Dustin May showed he is back to his pre-Tommy John Surgery dominance, and Noah Syndergaard has learned how to get outs the old-fashioned way, by pitching instead of just throwing heat.
Like his hair, Dustin May is on fire – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
But Urías, to me, has become such a workhorse and commanding pitcher over the past three years that he is now on a par with Kershaw. In 2022 he was 17-7 over 31 starts for a 2.16 ERA with 166 strikeouts and only 41 walks. He did not have a wild pitch all season for the second time in his career and limited hitters to a .199 average. That is a big-league pitcher and one of the top 5 in the big leagues! Tonight he finished with a line of six innings, no runs, five hits, no walks, and six strikeouts.
Adding to his lore at Dodger Stadium, one of those strikeouts by Urías, was his first “Hocus Pocus” magical strikeout when Rockie’s DH Elehuris Montero was called out on strikes by plate umpire Jordan Baker with an 0-2 count and no pitch thrown. His crime was asking for a second timeout. One day this will determine the outcome of a World Series. Two outs with the tying run on third and two strikes on the batter in game seven. Oops, I called a second timeout. Strike three, game over World Series over. When will these guys learn how to play this game?
Hocus Pocus strikeout – Image Credit: MLB
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