LOS ANGELES — And the beat goes on.
The Dodgers largely took a pass on Monday’s in-season trade deadline, subtracted Justin Turner (on the injured list with a hamstring injury) and Cody Bellinger (sore lat muscle) from their lineup Tuesday — and kept on winning.
Left-hander Julio Urias held the Arizona Diamondbacks to four hits over six innings as the Dodgers cruised to a 6-3 victory at Dodger Stadium.
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Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen #74 celebrates their victory with catcher Will Smith #16 during their MLB game against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 6-3. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux #9 slides into third base during their MLB game against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Diamondbacks’ Tim Locastro #16 makes a diving attempt on a fly ball hit by the Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock #11 in the bottom of the first inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias #7 during their MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodgers’ Mookie Betts #50 looks on as Chris Taylor #3 catches a deep fly ball during their MLB game against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 6-3. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor #3 scores on a sac fly in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez #14 catches a fly ball during their MLB game against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Alex Young #49 during their MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Diamondbacks’’ Carson Kelly #18 celebrates after hitting a home run in the top of the third inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The win was their fifth in the past six games and 16th in 19 games since they lost consecutive games for the second of two times in this abbreviated season.
“He just hasn’t been consistent with his delivery but he still prevented runs,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Urias whose ERA dropped to 3.27 with the win. “Tonight, he sort of put it all together — something we knew was in there. We’ve seen it many times over. But for him to now spit out a good one and hopefully gain some traction with his next one on Sunday — we’re going to need him to pitch some big innings.”
Indeed. It was the kind of solid performance that Roberts acknowledged was reassuring as the Dodgers passed on acquiring an established starter at Monday’s deadline, instead setting their rotation for the final month with the young left-hander in the group vying to possibly be the No. 3 starter during a postseason run.
“Right now it’s just focusing on every outing,” Urias said through an interpreter of the postseason evaluations soon to be made. “I’ll start focusing on my next outing tomorrow. I’ll show up and work hard. Whatever decision they make with that, with the playoffs, I’ll respect that. It’s something that’s out of my control. The only thing that I can control is trying to stay healthy. Let them make those decisions.”
Urias was in command from the start Tuesday and remained efficient throughout — two things he had struggled with previously this season.
Coming into Tuesday, Urias had allowed seven runs and a .357 batting average (including three home runs) in the first inning of his previous six starts — but only four runs and a .202 batting average after that (with no home runs).
He retired the Diamondbacks in order on 12 pitches in the first inning and never looked back.
“Mostly just talking about attacking hitters. I felt really good and I think that’s why things worked out today,” Urias said of his between-starts work with pitching coach Mark Prior and assistant Connor McGuiness.
“Obviously that’s something you focus on. If you attack batters and try to get them early then you look up and you’re six or seven innings in. That’s just the way you have to think.”
Urias allowed a solo home run to Carson Kelly in the third inning and had to strand runners at the corners after back-to-back singles followed that. Those were the Diamondbacks’ last hits off Urias, who retired the last 11 batters he faced and threw just 78 pitches (53 strikes) in his six innings, never needing more than 15 pitches to retire the Diamondbacks in any inning.
“Tonight for me, that was the difference — the feel for the slider, to shorten it, to strike it. And then pitch off that with his fastball,” Roberts said. “And getting ahead with strike one.
“I think when Julio has the feel for his pitches and the delivery synced up then he’s going to be good. Just getting that mindset from Pitch One to be aggressive is messaging we continue to talk to him about.”
Turner’s move to the IL with a hamstring injury Tuesday was not surprising. He hadn’t played since injuring it Friday in Texas. But Bellinger’s absence from the lineup was a surprise. He felt discomfort in the back of his right shoulder while taking swings in the batting cage Tuesday afternoon. His status will be re-evaluated Wednesday.
“He was swinging and felt it on a swing,” Roberts said. “Just felt it tighten up. So we didn’t want to push it. He ran today, threw today and felt good. We just wanted to err on the side of caution.”
Chris Taylor picked up the slack, driving in four runs with a bases-loaded walk and two doubles (one a misplay by right fielder Kole Calhoun that sailed over his head).
“Obviously we’d love to have those guys in there. But I think our approach as a team stays the same,” Taylor said of an approach that yielded eight walks Tuesday. “We’re trying to make the pitcher work, get him in the zone and take advantage of his mistakes. Tonight with (Diamondbacks starter Alex) Young, we did a good job of making him throw strikes. He likes to work down in the zone with all his pitches and he gets a lot of chase. I thought tonight we did a pretty good job of getting in advantage counts and taking advantage when he had to throw strikes.”
Scott Alexander surrendered a two-out, two-run home run to Nick Ahmed in the ninth inning, setting up a save opportunity for Kenley Jansen. Jansen collected (his 10th) by striking out Daulton Varsho.
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