Jose Urena’s run of consistency giving Marlins someone they ‘can count on for innings’
Jose Urena knew the mistake after he threw the pitch. His second-inning slider to Josh Naylor went right over the heart of the plate. Naylor capitalized, sending the pitch over the right-field fence for a 388-foot home run to give the San Diego Padres an early two-run lead.
But Urena didn’t panic. He didn’t change his approach. He didn’t shift his focus.
Instead, the Miami Marlins’ pitcher amped up his game once again. He followed up the home run by striking out both Ian Kinsler and Austin Hedges to end the inning and then gave up just two more hits and one more run over his next four innings of work. Couple that with a fourth-inning outburst by the offense, and the Marlins cruised to a 9-3 win over the Padres and Urena earned his third consecutive victory.
“I just have to keep attacking the hitters,” Urena said.
He’s been doing that well over the last month and a half, which has helped Urena turn his season around after three dismal starts to begin the season.
The proof: Urena has thrown at least six innings of work in nine consecutive starts, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by a Marlins pitcher since Jose Fernandez in 2016. Eight of those nine outings — including the past five — have been quality starts, defined as throwing at least six innings and giving up no more than three earned runs.
His consistency is needed as the anchor of a young starting rotation. Urena, 27 years old himself, is the only pitcher of the Marlins’ five big league starters who has thrown a full MLB season and has already gone through the growing pains that he four counterparts — Trevor Richards, Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara and Caleb Smith — are still enduring at points this season.
“You’ve got to have someone you can count on for innings,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “... He’s been pretty solid. You’ve got to have a guy you know isn’t going to go two [innings]. He’s going to get through [at least] five or six and you know how to use your bullpen and set it up.”
His ERA over those nine games: 2.95. For context, Urena had a 9.22 ERA after his first three starts of the year, losses to the Colorado Rockies (five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings), the New York Mets (five earned runs in four innings) and the Cincinnati Reds (four earned runs in five innings).
“Jose’s really just been able to use all of his pitches better,” Mattingly said. “He’s been using his four-seamer a little more, but he doesn’t change who he is. He’s been working on some little things since Cincinnati, and that’s really when it started. Just trying to get down the mound a little better. It’s helped his breaking ball, which creates more sink for him on the fastball. As much as anything, he’s been more consistent with that, which has created a better rhythm for himself.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2019 at 12:27 PM.
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