Tonight, we are young.
Julio Urias threw six innings of shutout ball and the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak, silencing the Cincinnati Reds, 4-0, on Sunday to take over first place in the National League West.
The 20-year-old pitching phenom has quickly become the best starter in a rotation that has been depleted by injures over the past two months as he won his third straight decision.
After three straight veteran starting pitchers struggled early and often, it was the youngest player on the team that played the role of stopper, allowing no runs on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings.
In fact, Urias (4-2) was so dominant, that he did not allow a runner to reach second base until his sixth and final inning.
Chase Utley led off the game with a home run and didn't stop from there. The veteran second baseman knocked in the second run of the game in the third inning and scored a few pitches later on an RBI single by Corey Seager.
Seager extended his current hitting streak to 12 games with the base knock and is seven games shy of his NL-record 19-game hitting streak set earlier this year.
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Anthony DeSclafani (7-2) lost for just the second time this season as he surrendered four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts in seven strong innings for Cincinnati.
The Dodgers calmed a Cincinnati offense that had scored 20 runs in two games against them before the loss on Sunday. The Reds stranded seven men on base and were 0-for-5 in the game with runners in scoring position.
Despite the three-game losing streak entering the game, by virtue of their victory, coupled with the San Francisco Giants loss later in the day, the Dodgers now lead the NL West by ½ game heading into the finale on Monday.
Los Angeles can either head into their heated showdown with their rivals on Tuesday tied atop the division, or with a one-game lead depending upon the outcome of the finale of the four-game series at Great American Ball Park.
Players of the Game:
Julio Urias: No runs on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks in 6IP.
Chase Utley: 2-for-5 with a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
Corey Seager: 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Three Takeaways:
1. Take Your Pick: Despite not playing for a majority of the season, 20-year-old Julio Urias is now tied for the MLB-lead with five pickoffs on the season. (Tony Cingrani, Jimmy Nelson, Danny Duffy).
Julio Urias is now tied for the big league lead with 5 pickoffs (CIN Tony Cingrani, MIL Jimmy Nelson, KC Danny Duffy) — Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) August 21, 2016
2. Three's Company: Julio Urias joined Dodger greats Don Dryssale and Fernando Valenzuela as the only pitchers 20 years or younger to throw six innings or more with no runs and no walks. In addition, Urias became the fourth Dodger 20 years or younger to win three straight appearances since Valenzuela did in 1981.
Dodgers 20 or younger w/6+ IP, 0 R, 0 BB (since 1913):
Drysdale (1957)*
Valenzuela (1981)*
Urias (today)
*shutoutshttps://t.co/QpnUL2GSw7 — Eric Stephen (@truebluela) August 21, 2016
3. Gone Streaking: First baseman Adrian Gonzalez extended his team-high hitting streak to 14 games and is hitting .400 with three home runs and 11 RBIs over that span.
Adrian Gonzalez's leadoff single in the 6th extends his hitting streak to 14 games — Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 21, 2016
Up Next:
Dodgers (68-55): Los Angeles will look to even the series and take a one-game lead into their showdown with the San Francisco Giants when Scott Kazmir takes the mound on Monday.
Reds (53-70): Cincinnati counters with Homer Bailey at 9:35AM PST in the finale of the four-game series.
