Dodgers home runs back Julio Urías in latest win

Julio Urías cruised into the seventh inning and was backed by home runs from Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, and Gavin Lux giving the Dodgers a 9-1 triumph and a second win over the Diamondbacks in as many nights, making this series a bonafide hit.

For the Dodgers, anyway.

Low hit totals are the norm this season, with a MLB-wide .236 batting average that would be the lowest in history, even lower than the .237 average in 1968, famously known as The Year of the Pitcher.

But even in a low offensive environment, Dodgers pitchers are relatively thriving. Urías allowed only a run on three hits on Tuesday, and retired 13 straight before the last two of those hits chased him with two outs in the seventh inning.

It was the fourth start by Urías this season allowing no more than three hits while pitching at least five innings, and the 14th such start by a Dodgers pitcher in 2021. Only the Brewers have more, with 15 such starts.

Before the two harmless singles in the seventh — both were stranded by reliever Blake Treinen — it looked like Urías might match Walker Buehler, who gave up only one hit in his seven innings on Monday. It would have marked the first time the Dodgers got back-to-back starts of at least seven innings and no more than one hit allowed since Fred Frankhouse and Roy Henshaw turned the trick for Brooklyn against Cincinnati on August 27 and August 28, 1937.

But alas, they will have to instead settle for a dominant start from Urías, who struck out eight and walked none, and got a season-high 17 swinging strikes — nine on the slurve, eight on the fastball.

Notes

• Betts started the scoring by leading off the game with a home run, his 25th career leadoff homer, and fourth with the Dodgers. He has reached base in 10 straight games.
• Chris Taylor, back in the lineup for the first time since Saturday after getting briefly sidelined by a sore right wrist, hit a two-run shot in the fifth to give the Dodgers the lead for good. Taylor ranks fifth in the National League with a 163 wRC+.
• The floodgates for the Dodgers opened in the seventh, first loading the bases with nobody out. The first run came on the fourth bases-loaded hit by pitch of Albert Pujols’ career, giving him two RBI in two games with his new team.
• With two outs in the seventh and the bases still loaded, Gavin Lux continued his red-hot May by hitting a grand slam into the right field seats near the visiting bullpen

• David Price, activated off the injured list on Monday, struck out one in a perfect eighth inning in his first game since April 25.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Mookie Betts (5), Chris Taylor (5), Gavin Lux (2)

WP — Julio Urías (6-1): 6⅔ IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 8 strikeouts

LP — Corbin Martin (0-1): 5 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts

Up next

Clayton Kershaw starts on Wednesday for the Dodgers (7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA).