Dodgers’ Julio Urías delivers a typical performance in Game 2 win over Giants

Julio Urías was warming up in the bullpen late in the National League wild-card game Wednesday. By walking off the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning, the Dodgers were able to save Urías for Game 2 of the NL Division Series.

That was a big deal.

Urías allowed one run over five innings in the Dodgers’ 9-2 victory over the Giants on Saturday night in San Francisco, which evened the best-of-five series, 1-1. He walked one batter and struck out five. He also drove in the Dodgers’ first run against Giants starter Kevin Gausman with a second-inning single.

It was a typical Urías performance in a season that has seen him win 21 games – 20 in the regular season and one big one to start the playoffs.

No team scored more runs for a starting pitcher this season than the Dodgers did for Urías, who was happy to return the favor – and help himself at the plate.

“The pitches were working really well,” Urías said through an interpreter. “It’s the fifth, sixth time I’ve seen them, so it’s a little bit trickier to get through their lineup.”

Urías commanded his fastball with rare precision; 27 of the 34 he threw went for strikes. The Giants only swung and missed at the pitch three times, but only recorded one hit on an Urías fastball.

Urías kept hitters honest enough with his curveball and changeup. The only run he allowed came in the second inning, when Wilmer Flores walked, went to second base on a single by Brandon Crawford, then tagged up on back-to-back fly balls to advance a base each time. The Dodgers led 2-1.

Urías never had to pitch from behind.

After Chris Taylor doubled with one out in the second inning, Gausman struck out Cody Bellinger to bring AJ Pollock to the plate. The Giants walked Pollock intentionally to get to Urías, who batted .203 in the regular season with nine RBIs on 12 hits.

After the intentional walk to Pollock, Urías said, “you want to try a little bit harder. That pushed me a little bit more to get a hit in that spot.”

In just his third career postseason at-bat – in his 19th postseason game – Urías shot a sinking line drive into right field.

“I was just trying to make contact with the ball,” Urías said. “I think they fed off that, a lot of energy after that.”

“They walked me,” Pollock told SportsNet LA after the game, “and I was thinking ‘I wouldn’t do that’.”

“It was sort of a stressful, work-intensive outing for Julio,” Roberts said. “You’ve got to kind of disregard the pitch count. I felt he did his job for the night.”

Roberts said Urías is likely to be available to the Dodgers if the series goes to a Game 5 on Thursday.

Urías, 25, has won seven playoff games in his career. According to ESPN Stats and Info, only one other pitcher has won as many postseason games at such a young age: Madison Bumgarner, the former Giants star.

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