For those that can remember that far back, as a 19 year old, Julio Urías made his MLB debut on May 27, 2016, at Citi Field against NYM. He lasted all of 2.2 innings, allowing 3 runs, 5 hits, 4 BB, 3 K, and 81 pitches. That is nearly 30 pitches/inning. His opposing pitcher, Jacob deGrom. Julio did not lose the game, as the Dodgers scored 4 runs in the 9th to tie the game. On the second pitch in the bottom of the 9th, Curtis Granderson hit a walk off HR. LAD lost, but Julio Urías got a no decision.
This game turned out a tad better. Brandon Nimmo led off the bottom of the first with a double that was originally ruled a HR. On a 1-2 slurve, Nimmo hit a ball just below the top of the cushion. Urías proceeded to strike out Tommy Pham and Francisco Lindor. After walking Pete Alonso, he got Starling Marte to hit a fly ball to Jason Heyward in RF.
Julio retired the next eight NYM batters before Marte was rewarded 1st base with a HBP. The Dodgers challenged the call believing that the ball hit the knob of the bat. The call was not overturned. It was not confirmed either. Not enough evidence to overturn. Urías responded by striking out Jeff McNeil to end the inning.
While Urías was pitching a 1 hit shutout, Justin Verlander was pitching a no-hitter through 4. With one out in the top of the 5th, JV proceeded to walk Jason Heyward, James Outman, and Miguel Vargas. Mookie followed that with his first hit off Verlander in the regular system, as well as the 1st hit of the night for the Dodgers. LAD now had a 1-0 lead. Freddie Freeman followed that with a 2-run double, and the way that Urías was dealing, that was going to be enough. The Dodgers had 3 runs on 2 hits and 6 BB.
In the bottom of the 5th, Bret Baty reached 1st on catcher’s interference. Another disputed call. Just like before, Urías buckled down and got Mark Canha to pop out and got Brandon Nimmo on a called strike 3.
David Peterson relieved Verlander after 5.0 IP and 104 pitches. Peterson walked JD Martinez in the 6th. Jason Heyward forced JDM at 2nd. Two 2-out singles by James Outman and Miguel Rojas plated Heyward. JD Martinez hit his 23rd HR off Dominic Leone in the 8th. Outman went 2-2, including his 11th double, 2 BB, and 2 runs scored. Good start of the 2nd half for the rookie.
Urías was facing the 2, 3, and 4 portion of the order for the third time. He got Pham on an F8, and struck out Lindor and Alonso to end his evening. In 6.0 scoreless IP, Urías allowed 1 hit, 1 BB, 1 HBP, and 1 catcher’s interference.
Julio Urias pitched like an ace going 6 innings scoreless, striking out 7 and walking just 1, while giving up just 1 hit. The Dodgers desperately need him to be the clear #1 with Kershaw down & tonight he stepped up. This was his 2nd scoreless start of the year. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/ZJK00HLye3
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) July 15, 2023
The Dodgers scored a pair of runs off two additional relief pitchers, while Yency Almonte, Caleb Ferguson, and Ryan Brasier each pitched a perfect inning with a K.
The Dodgers opened the second half with a 6-0 lead. With an Arizona loss, the Dodgers now have a 1.0 game lead in the NL West. Both San Francisco and San Diego won to keep pace with LAD.
Just like Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, the All Star Break marks the unofficial start of the 2nd half of an MLB season. Something seems to click Julio Urías into another gear. For the last two years, Urías is 18-1 with a 1.61 ERA for the 2nd half. For his career, Urías is 22-2 with a 1.79 ERA. I will take those numbers.
This game was important for another reason. With Clayton Kershaw now on the shelf for at least another 2 weeks, the Dodgers rotation is down to Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin, and three rookies. Urías did his part with 6.0 brilliant innings. Now Doc turns it over to Tony Gonsolin for his 1st start of the 2nd half.
07-14-2023 – MiLB Game Summary Reports
OKC Dodgers 5 – Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco) 3
Ryan Pepiot was making his first rehab start. He got the first two outs, but gave up a single and double to Sacramento for a 1-0 lead. He struck out Joey Bart to end the 1st inning. In the 2nd he allowed the River Cats a walk, but nothing else. Pepiot threw 29 pitches in his 2.0 innings.
Mike Montgomery would be the bulk innings pitcher and pitched 5.0 innings through the 7th. With 2 outs in the 7th, Montgomery gave up a single, SB, and RBI single. Montgomery allowed only the one run on 2 hits, a BB, and 7 K.
In the 7th, Steven Duggar led off with a BB and scored on a Drew Avans double. Duggar hit a game tying solo HR (6) in the 9th.
In the 10th, OKC scored 3 runs with the big hit being a 2-run scoring ground rule double. Sacramento scored a run in the bottom of the 10th. Victor González allowed a single and sac fly for the unearned run.
In his first game back at OKC, Miguel Vargas went 0-3 with 1 run, 1 BB, and 1 HBP (1st PA in 1st inning). He played 2B.
- Drew Avans – 2-5, 1 BB, double (14)
- Michael Busch – 2-6
- Steven Duggar – 2-3, 2 BB, 3 RBI, double (7), HR (6)
Midland Rock Hounds (A’s) 5 – Tulsa Drillers 4
Nick Nastrini completed 6.0 IP and 84 pitches. He did give up 3 runs on 6 hits, so technically it was a QS. Nick left the game on the losing side of 3-0. Tulsa scored 4 in the top of the seventh to take the lead, and leaving Nastrini as the pitcher of record if Tulsa held on.
With one out, Yusniel Diaz doubled and moved to 3rd on a Brandon Lewis single. Ismael Alcantara single Diaz home and Lewis to 3rd. Brandon Lewis scored on an Austin Gauthier SF. Jorbit Vivas drew a BB. With runners on 1st and 2nd, José Ramos doubled home Alcantara and moved Vivas to 3rd. Vivas scored on a WP for a 4-3 lead.
With Orlando Ortiz-Mayr pitching in the bottom of the 7th, he allowed a double and infield single putting runners on the corner. Both runners scored on 3 wild pitches for the final 5-4 score.
- Imanol Vargas – 2-4
- Yusniel Diaz – double (8)
- José Ramos – double (11)
Great Lakes Loons 3 – Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) 2
Damon Keith opened the 9th with GL down 2-1 with a single. After two outs, Chris Newell and Chris Alleyne each singled and Keith scored the tying run. Jake Vogel then walked to load the bases. Taylor Young followed with a walk off single and a 3-2 win.
Ronan Kopp pitched the 1st three innings, and Jerming Rosario followed with another 4.0 IP. Each allowed a run. Both pitchers had 5 strikeouts each. Juan Morillo and Jack Dreyer each pitched a scoreless inning, with Dreyer getting the win.
- Taylor Young – 2-5
- Luis Yanel Diaz – 2-4. Triple (4)
- Chris Newell – 2-2, 2 BB
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 14 – Modesto Nuts (Seattle) 4
A four-day All-Star Break was just what the Quakes needed, as they blew out the Modesto Nuts on Friday night winning 14-4.
Luis Rodriguez had a career-high five hits and Simon Reid drove home a career-best five runs, as the Quakes posted 15 hits in the opening game of the three-game set against the Nuts.
Rancho went to work in the first inning, taking advantage of three walks by Nuts’ starter Darren Bowen, as Rodriguez highlighted the three-run inning with a two-run single.
After the Nuts scored a run in the top of the second against Rancho starter Gabe Emmett, the Quakes answered with three more in the second, giving them a 6-1 lead.
Modesto’s Tatem Levins struck for a two-run homer in the fourth, his sixth of the year, making it 6-3.
That’s as close as the Nuts would get though, as Emmett settled in to give Rancho five innings.
Meanwhile, the offense exploded for four in the fifth and three more in the last of the sixth, taking a commanding 13-3 lead.
Reid, who finished with two hits on the night, smashed his first homer of the year in the sixth to help break it open.
- Josue De Paula – 2-4, 2BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, double (9)
- Luis Rodriguez – 5-6, 2 runs, 3 RBI,
- Simon Reid – 2-4, 2 runs, 5 RBI, double (5), HR (1)
- Dayton Dooney – 2-5, 2 runs
- Kenneth Bettencourt – 2-4
Watched the game after it took about an hour to get Apple straightened out on my TV’s. Kept telling me my password was wrong. Anyway, nice outing by all the pitchers. Weird that the play by play guy for Apple was the home plate umpires cousin. Jeff, Martinez’s blast was off of Leone, not Peterson and it came in the 8th inning.
Fixed.
Didn’t see it. Followed it on the MLB app.
The Mets are a mess. The Dodgers? Urias, Gonsolin and 3 rookies. Will they continue to score enough?
As predicted, Kershaw takes his yearly visit to the IL. Who knows for how long. Pepiot went two. It would be grest to get him back, but he’s another rookie on the mound. He’s pitched 36 innings in the bigs. Miller has more.
In his last 4 outings, 21 innings, Gonsolin has given up 19 earned runs. It will be his turn on the IL soon.
Pitching.
Nice to see Outman get on base.
Yes it was
The last 8 games he’s got a .419 OBP.
After 2 scoreless appearances in the ACL, Ken Giles has been assigned to OKC. He pitched 2.0 innings, allowed 1 hit and struck out 4. It is entirely possible (not necessarily probable) that Ken Giles can strengthen the back end of the LAD bullpen. For 2018-2020, Giles was 36-1 in 37 save opportunities. He did not pitch in 2021 and only 4.1 IP in 2022 before being released. An excellent reliever before TJ surgery (and finger sprain) interrupted his career. I am very much looking forward to seeing what Giles can do at OKC.
Robbie Peto has been promoted a second time this month as he has been assigned to OKC from Tulsa after being assigned to Tulsa from Great Lakes on July 1.
This was a contest where the Dodgers executed well in all areas of the game. The pitching was outstanding and the offense productive. The hitters made Verlander throw at lot of pitches early on and got to the Mets BP. Other than Smith’s catcher’s interference the defense played well.
It will be interesting to see how Gonsolin and the three rookie starters do in the next few games. If it doesn’t work out then I would think AF needs to make a trade or two for starting pitching. Like now! Currently, the Dodger starting staff is close to a complete collapse. It’s been a long time since they have been in this position. On the positive side the BP is back on track and gaining confidence.
Will Smith looks tired at the plate. He seems to have an issue with his bat speed.
Anyone else noticing his lack of production?
Carry on.
Gabe Emmett? I dunno that name…
Emmett is a 22 year old RHP at Rancho Cucamonga, Full Season Low A. He is 6’5″, 175 pounds. His age is exactly the average for players in that league. He was a 19th round pick out of Folsom Lake College (a JC in my back yard). He has not been overly successful until June of this year, his second in the California League, when he won California League Pitcher of the Month for June. I have been following him because he is from Folsom.
He has been moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation. July has not been nearly as good as June was. He is not a swing and miss type pitcher and walks too many. For him to pitch well at the next level, he is going to need to get better control.
His 2023 stat line – 54.0 IP, 3.17 ERA, 1.296 WHIP, 45 K, 30 BB
So interesting, thanks.
that 2021 draft is really crazy. Sheehan, Nastrini, Bruns and Casparious.
and now this guy…
“The idea is just to get them out as fast as possible. If I don’t get to two strikes that’s fine, I’m throwing less pitches and I can go farther into the game. I can get the strikeout but mainly I’m pitching to contact, trying to get ground balls. Get a one-pitch out every time.”
Emmett holds a 2.55 ERA on the year through 42.1 IP with just six XBHs allowed across 150 opposing ABs. His current HR/9 rate of 0.21 places him in the top 10 among pitchers across the Low A California League while also ranking top 10 in opposing batting average (.205). His BABIP of .256 is 4th best in the league, all of this while appearing in 16 total games which is best for 2nd most across the Cal League. A great deal of this success comes thanks to a biting sinker/slider combo that opens up both sides of the plate and allows Emmett to pitch to both righties and lefties with equitable success. Though he does have a number of walks on his record this is nothing but a simple byproduct of his developing relationship with the inside of the plate. Continued development should see Emmett cut down his walks significantly, which in turn should boost his strikeout ability given a furthered sense of control.
“I throw a sinker and a slider, I also throw a split change but that’s more in the back pocket. That’s more of a strikeout pitch to lefties, throw that in the dirt for a swing. I’m not going to throw it much 0-0. I go inside to righties with that sinker and same with the slider to lefties. I’m trying to break their bat, I like to keep hitters uncomfortable and throw inside.
Cross Shane Bieber off the want list. He went on the IL with right elbow inflammation.
Lance Lynn going against ATL now.
54 pitches and Gonsolin is removed? I saw him in the dugout rubbing his arm.