Julio Urias ends first full month in opener with Brewers

Julio Urias starts the series opener for the Dodgers on Tuesday night against the Brewers at Miller Park in Milwaukee, in his final start of one of the most unique pitching months in Dodgers history.

Urias in five June starts has a 3.70 ERA in his five starts, with half of his 10 earned runs coming in the first start of the month. The 19-year-old has also walked only five batters in his five June starts, one in each game, to go with 32 strikeouts in 24⅓ innings.

His 32 strikeouts are the most by a Dodgers rookie since Hyun-jin Ryu had 46 strikeouts in six starts in his first month in the majors, April 2013. But Ryu was a major league rookie in only the most technical sense, but in reality was a 26-year-old with seven years of professional experience in South Korea.

The last real Dodgers rookie with a strikeout month as good as Urias was Hong-Chih Kuo, with 42 strikeouts in 32⅓ innings in September 2006. He made five starts that month in his seven appearances, and even started Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Mets.

With 32 strikeouts already in June, Urias is tied with Ralph Branca for most strikeouts in a month by Dodgers teenager, at least dating back to 1913. Branca struck out 29 in August 1945, then topped that with 32 in September.

Urias has yet to last longer than 5⅓ innings in a start, so entering Tuesday at 24⅓ innings it seems unlikely he would get to 30 innings for the month. Should Urias record 16 or fewer outs on Tuesday, he has a chance for the most strikeouts by any Dodgers pitcher in a month with under 30 innings, dating back to 1913. Urias is sitting on 32 strikeouts, nine shy of Alex Wood, who struck out 41 in just 28⅓ innings this May.

That would require a new career high in strikeouts in a game for Urias, who struck out eight Brewers in five scoreless innings 11 days ago at Dodger Stadium. Milwaukee is the first team he will see twice.

Chase Anderson starts for the Brewers after getting skipped his last time through the rotation. He allowed only six runs in a four-start stretch, with 17 strikeouts and only two walks, before the Dodgers tagged him for seven runs in 2⅓ innings on June 18.

Anderson allowed two home runs in that start at Dodger Stadium, one to Howie Kendrick and one to Justin Turner, who has eight home runs and 22 RBI in 24 games in June. Turner's eight home runs in June are the most by a Dodgers third baseman in a month since Adrian Beltre hit 13 in August 2004.

Game info

Time: 5:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA