Julio Urías strikes out 12 as Dodgers finish 4-game sweep of Rockies

Julio Urías struck out a career-high 12 and pitched his longest outing since returning from the injured list as the Dodgers finished off a four-game weekend sweep of the Rockies, 8-3 on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers finished off a perfect 7-0 week and ran their win streak to eight games.

Urías finished off his day by striking out eight of his final nine batters faced, including seven in a row from the fifth inning through the first out in the seventh, two shy of Aaron Harang’s franchise record.

Urías’ dozen strikeouts matched his career high, set on June 26, 2021 against the Cubs.

He allowed three runs, which were his first runs allowed this month, and Urías has allowed three or fewer runs in six of his last seven starts.

Both times the Rockies scored on Sunday, the Dodgers answered right back in the bottom of the inning. Cole Tucker singled home Colorado’s first run of the game in the third inning, then Tucker bobbled the ball on Amed Rosario’s single, allowing Will Smith to score from second.

In the fourth inning, third baseman Alan Trejo deposited a Julio Urías changeup into the left field bullpen for his second home run of the season, a two-run shot that tied things up. In the bottom of the frame, Miguel Rojas hit his second home run of the season to snatch the lead right back. Both Rojas home runs have been hit in August.

Rojas drove in a season-high four runs, also plating runs on two sacrifice flies and a bases-loaded infield fly that dropped in the sun near second baseman Brendan Rodgers. Rojas is the third Dodger with a home run and two sacrifice flies in the same game, joining John Roseboro (1958) and Frank Howard (1964).

The Dodgers broke the game open with a three-run sixth inning, punctuated by a two-run double by Mookie Betts.

After the Trejo home run, Urías retired his final 10 batters faced, lasting seven innings for the first time since May 13, nine starts ago. Urías is the first Dodgers pitcher to strike out double digits and walk none in a game this season, the last to do so since Tyler Anderson last October 2, also against the Rockies.

Dodgers pitchers struck out 49 batters during the four-game series, limiting the Rockies to just six runs. Colorado batters have the highest strikeout rate in the National League and third-highest in the majors.

That’s the recipe for a four-game sweep, only the second time the Dodgers have swept the Rockies in their 33 series lasting at least four games. The previous four-game Dodgers sweep of Colorado was September 22-25, 2016, finished off by Charlie Culberson’s division-winning home run in Vin Scully’s final home game.

Shorthanded

Right at game time, the Dodgers announced that right-hander Joe Kelly was placed on the 15-day injured list with right forearm inflammation. There was no corresponding move, so the team played one pitcher short on Sunday. Kelly’s IL move is retroactive to Thursday, so the earliest he could possibly return is August 25.

Sunday particulars

Home runs: Miguel Rojas (2); Alan Trejo (2)

WP — Julio Urías (10-6): 7 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 12 strikeouts

LP — Kyle Freeland (4-13): 5 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Up next

The Dodgers have their first off day of August on Monday after playing 13 days in a row, winning 12. They open a three-game series against the National League Central-leading Brewers on Tuesday (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with Bobby Miller on the mound in the opener.