Dodgers: Julio Urias Confirms He’s Open to Any Role, Roberts Avoiding Long Wild Card Outing
Believe it or not, this is Julio Urias’s fifth postseason with the Dodgers. The 25-year-old was dominant during last year’s championship run as both a starter and a reliever. Urias could once again be used in a dual role in the 2021 playoffs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rPwpl22RT0?start=53
On Saturday, Urias affirmed that he’s open to any role this October. Even if that means starting on three days’ rest.
“I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to pitch in the postseason and I know what that’s like. In any role they ask me to go, I’ll be able to help out the team the best I can.”
Urias did more than just help in 2020. He closed out the clinching games in both the NLCS and the World Series for the Dodgers. In 23.0 IP last postseason, Urias recorded a 1.17 ERA with 29 strikeouts and just four walks. He also held opposing hitters to a .441 OPS.
No stranger to October baseball, Urias commented on what differentiates playoff baseball from the regular season.
“The postseason’s different. Everything that goes into the postseason is maximized to the highest extent. You’re asked to different things. Put your body in different positions. Thats where the adrenaline, focus takes over.”
For the Wild Card game, however, Dave Roberts put Julios’ usage on Wednesday night into perspective.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts said he doesn’t foresee using Julio Urias before the eighth inning unless the game gets “funky”
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) October 6, 2021
“Funky” is a loose baseball term meaning that things may have gotten out of hand early in a game. And in a single elimination game that’s a no bueno.
Final Thoughts
Walker Buehler isn’t on the active roster for the wild-card game. Meaning, if the Dodgers beat the Cardinals, Buehler will start Game 1 of the NLDS, not Urias. Julio could be in line for another adrenaline-filled playoff relief appearance in Wednesday’s wild-card game.
In 18 career playoff games, Urias owns a 2.79 ERA. Of those 18 games, only three have been starts.
The Dodgers will need all hands on deck this October. The success of the pitching staff could pivot on how effective Urias can be in a hybrid role.
If 2020 was any indication, he’s up to the task.
NEXT: Nolan Arenado Compares This Wild Card Game To Another Huge Faceoff With LA
Taylor walk off. Bring on the Giants.
Chris Taylor!!!
Watch out Giants, the Dodgers are coming for you!!!!
One word….WOW!!!!!!!!
If anyone read some of my comments today, I continuously mentioned how the post season produces unlikely heroes! Belli with his .165 average came up huge as did cold as an igloo CT3.
Hello there, I’m watching the game as I was out to dinner a so I recorded it on DVR Things worked ot of course but Scherzer was less than happy for being taken out after 4 and 1/3 innings. But his pitching count was past 90 and there are capable relievers in the pen.
Paul, perhaps now you may understand why I’m such a huge Dave Roberts fan! He puts his players in the best possible positions to succeed!
Admittedly Beaty at 1st was the right call and maybe Bellinger is awake to the task at hand, as he has a few years of PS experience under his belt. But Roberts has to give us here the credit for the lineup suggestion because the results now speak for them selves. On to SF and it’s PAY BACK TIME!
I must have missed something. Bellinger was 1 for 2 with a strikeout and two walks. Are you calling this a great game? I’m not. But there is an obvious move to be made here. Taylor, you know the guy with the walk off home run, should start for the rest of the post season in the outfield with Betts and Pollack, and Bellinger should sit on the bench.
You know what 106W? I’ll leave those decisions to the wizard who just happens to be the winningest manager in baseball history!! Look it up for yourself.
You give any manager a team of all-stars, pretty hard to lose. Yet, ‘the wizard’ has lost 3 straight All Star games in a row….
The Dodgers win despite Roberts. You put Roberts on a team such as AZ, let’s see how brilliant a manager he is.
Lastly, with his continued use of Billy Mc (.142 as of this post), a guy who should be no where near a ML roster, that in of itself speaks volumes as to the ‘brilliance’ of whom you praise. Alston and Lasorda were true great managers. Give those 2 guys this roster, enough said.
You forgot the (2) stolen bases!
Don’t know why Pollock was removed but I’m glad he was. He was looking like he did in the 2019 playoffs and Taylor ended up walking it off
Pollock was removed because the wizard was pulling all the right levers! Now bring on those Bay Area bombers.
Actually the question was what did Bellinger do today that was heroic? As for DR being a wizard, see how many people agree with you. I don’t worship DR like you do I think for myself. I know that the Dodgers win games because they are the most talented baseball team. I don’t attribute that talent or the resultant wins to DR. I’m just glad he didn’t make a move today that ended the Dodgers postseason before it started. But I won’t trouble you with responses anymore. Because I already know what you are going to say. Whatever DR says.
If you don’t think getting on base 3 times and stealing two bases (one in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs in a tie game!) is heroic, it simply shows how little you know about the game of baseball.
D4Life…
While I enjoy your enthusiasm for the Dodgers, I like many, disagree with your take on Roberts. That said, can you please explain the brilliant move of taking out Beatty, installing Billy Mc at 1st base? What was the reasoning behind that move other than to take out of the lineup a .270 hitter?
Thanks!
Doug, my guess is for the upcoming best of 5 series with the Giants that McKinney won’t be on the roster. There will be afew roster changes from what we had for the WC game.
Paul,
From your lips to Gods ears!!!!!!
I can not handle having that guy on the roster. When he is, sadly ‘the wizard’ uses him as his number 1 guy off the bench, when he is not starting.
I was telling a buddy of mine today, maybe the only reason ‘the wizard’ put him at first base last night was to give B Mc the opportunity to say he played in the playoffs. Otherwise, there is no other explanation as to why he was interested into the game, at first, when he has what, 2 games in his career at first base.
Here is a list of players that were brought up to the team, that ‘the wizard’ used as an everyday player upon their arrival. When in fact, ‘the wizard’ had better options on the bench or the minors, let alone sitting regulars for these guys. The FACT that ‘the wizard’ has a h*rd on for Matt Betty, amongst others:
BILLY MCKINNEY
STEVEN SOUSA
SHELDON NUESE
YOSHI TSUTSUGO
ZACH REKS
Pitching? I am not even going there…..
Roberts may be a nice guy, God Bless him. As a manager, he sucks.
Last night, he was burning thru both hitters and pitchers at a rapid rate, all during a 1-1 tie. What if the game had gone to 15 innings? ‘Nuf said.
Ask Walter Alston, ask Tommy Lasorda…. don’t ask ‘the wizard’ cause he don’t know.
Doug, ok you win that one! But McKinney never came to the plate. I doubt either Souza or McKinney see any action outside of pinch hitting if that. They are last resort options. Only on the roster because of Muncy’s unavailability.
One final comment, you gotta give those pesky Redbirds a ton of credit. They sure battled. Gave me 6 coronaries! Not sure how I’m going to survive this upcoming NLDS.
Dave Roberts made all of the right decisions last night. Scherzer was grinding the entire time that he was on the mound and did not have his best stuff. Roberts did the right thing pulling him when he did. The bullpen, as it has been for much of the regular season, was great and Roberts used them wisely. The only move that Roberts made last night that puzzled me proved to be one of his best. CT3 came through and the Dodgers are playing the Giants!
Repeat LA!!!!!!!!!!!
I was sort of shocked when they went to Graterol as he has been so inconsistent. I’m glad they were able to save Urias for game 2.
B McP, you now see why I’m such a huge Roberts fan. He knows his players strengths and weaknesses! He constantly puts his players in the best possible situations to succeed! All you DR bashers, go suck an EGG!
What did Dave Roberts do last night that was different from all the other times/games? The decisions, substitutions he made, worked. Yes, the Dodgers are very talented, should make a managers job easy but, the talent has to come through, players have to make the plays. Last night it happened with every move he made! Did any of you watch the MLB channel after the game? Harold Reynolds explained all of Roberts’ moves the best. And they were the best because the players executed/performed like they should for the contract they & their agents say they are worth. Doesn’t always happen but, last night it did!