Jose Urena has ‘rough’ first start after COVID-19, but helps Marlins beat Braves
.JPG "Miami Marlins’ Jose Urena pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Atlanta.")
It took him five pitches to allow a batter to reach base. It took him three batters to give up his first runs of the season.
And it took until the fourth inning to refuel some bad love with his opponent.
Yes, it was an eventual season debut for Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Urena, who made his first start of the year after being sidelined by COVID-19 for six weeks.
But Urena, Miami’s Opening Day starter in 2018 and 2019, settled down as his start progressed and made big outs in the process to help the Marlins to their 5-4 extra-innings win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday at Truist Park.
Urena’s final line: Three runs allowed on four hits and three walks over five innings of work. He struck out two and threw 83 pitches, 46 for strikes.
“Jose kind of hung in there,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I think you kind of expected some rust.”
The most noted of those pitches came with two outs in the fourth inning. A 95.4 mph sinker ran inside and plunked Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. The moment created heightened tensions. Two years ago, Urena hit Acuna with a 97 mph fastball that resulted in benches clearing, ejections and Urena being suspended and missing a start.
The pitch hit Acuna on his left elbow guard. Acuna took a first step toward the the midpoint between the mound and first base before home plate umpire Junior Valentine and catcher Jorge Alfaro escorted him for a few steps. Acuna then slowly walked to first base.
Urena said the hit by pitch wasn’t intentional. Rather, it was a mistake that came while trying to execute his game plan. Urena has a tendency for throwing pitches inside. According to Statcast, 56 percent of Urena’s pitches to right-handed hitters last season were thrown on the hitter’s half of the plate.
“I’ve got to do my job,” he said. “... [Inside pitches are ] a weird spot for him and a stronger spot for me. If I miss that, it’s over. He has a lot of power. It’ll be out of there. You have to be aware of that with him.”
Both benches received warnings. Acuna stole second before Urena picked him off to end the inning.
“The warnings are from the history, I believe,” Mattingly said. “I really believe [Braves manager Brian Snitker] and the Braves know that was not intentional. It wasn’t. I guess they have to do it because of our history a little bit from a couple years ago. I didn’t really think much about it. We’re trying to get him out. It’s two outs.”
Snitker was not asked about the hit-by-pitch in his postgame press conference.
The hit-by-pitch was the lone miscue at the tail end of Urena’s start after a shaky first two innings. Urena walked Acuna and Dansby Swanson on 10 total pitches to start the game. Freddie Freeman drove them both home with a double to left-center field. He got out of the inning by striking out Marcell Ozuna and getting Nick Markakis to ground into a double play.
Urena gave up his third run in the second when Ender Inciarte hit a one-out RBI triple that skipped past Corey Dickerson in shallow left field and scored Adeiny Hechavarria. Urena loaded the bases again by walking Swanson and hitting Freeman before stranding all three by getting Ozuna to fly out.
Urena then retired the side in the third on 12 pitches, got two outs in the fourth before the Acuna hit by pitch and got three quick outs in the fifth to end his start.
“I thought he was truly rough all day,” Mattingly said. “He made pitches when he had to. We got out of a couple of innings and got some big outs. They really could have tacked on early. That kind of left us in the game.”
This story was originally published September 7, 2020 at 7:01 PM.
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