He’s spent his profession in between — between the current and the longer term, between the Dodgers’ rotation and bullpen.

Which is why, 5 years into his main league profession, Julio Urías continues to be making an attempt to determine the place he belongs on this recreation.

Sunday evening, the 24-year-old former baby prodigy from Mexico claimed a everlasting place in franchise historical past.

Urías pitched the Dodgers into the 2020 World Collection.

“It was his second,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned.

Urías blanked the Atlanta Braves over the ultimate three innings of a 4-Three victory in Recreation 7 of the Nationwide League Championship Collection in Arlington, Texas, retiring every of the 9 batters he confronted.

He earned his second win of the sequence, the primary coming solely 4 days earlier, when he threw 101 pitches in a Recreation Three begin.

Hours earlier than that begin Wednesday, Roberts was requested whether or not Urías may very well be the workforce’s future nearer.

Roberts chuckled.

“We might have that dialog later, however, proper now, I really like him as a starter for the Dodgers in Recreation 3.”

Effectively, later got here ahead of anticipated.

Recreation 7 marked the seventh recreation in seven days for the Dodgers. Their bullpen was spent.

Julio Urías and the Dodgers have a good time after beating the Atlanta Braves on Sunday evening. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)

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Recreation 5 starter Dustin Might returned to pitch because the opener. He was changed within the second inning by Tony Gonsolin, who was anticipated to pitch the vast majority of the innings. However Gonsolin didn’t pitch effectively and compelled Roberts to show to Blake Treinen to complete the fourth inning.

Treinen returned for the fifth inning. Brusdar Graterol pitched a scoreless sixth.

With the rating tied 3-Three via six innings, Roberts known as on Urías, who pitched in reduction within the NL wild-card and divisional rounds.

Urías was breathtaking.

His fastball touching 96 mph, he recorded his first three outs on solely 10 pitches.

The short seventh inning positioned Urías to earn the victory when Cody Bellinger launched a 94-mph sinker by Chris Martin into the right-field stands within the backside of the inning.

Urías responded by navigating via the center of the Braves’ order within the eighth inning. Their finest hitter, Freddie Freeman, labored a nine-pitch at-bat, however Urías finally made him line out weakly to middle area.

In Roberts’ thoughts, there was little query about who would pitch the ninth inning.

Kenley Jansen had pitched in every of the 2 earlier video games. This was Urías’ recreation to complete.

“I belief him,” Roberts mentioned.

Urías pressured Ozzie Albies to floor out. He made Dansby Swanson do the identical. And when his changeup was lazily golfed to middle area by Austin Riley, Urías raised his arms skyward.

Bellinger caught the fly ball, prompting Will Smith to strategy the mound in celebration. Urías slapped Smith’s chest protector and embraced the catcher.

Within the quick aftermath of the victory, NLCS most precious participant Corey Seager marveled at Urías’ composure.

“That was his second proper there,” Seager mentioned. “That was his recreation to win, and he went out and did it.”

The journey to postseason glory was an unconventional one for Urías.

The Dodgers signed him as a 16-year-old on the identical 2012 journey to Mexico through which they landed Yasiel Puig. They deal occurred by likelihood. The Dodgers had been on the town to see one other prospect, a catcher named Julian Leon.

Urías was nonetheless 16 when he pitched within the Class-A Midwest League. His precocity offered an issue for the Dodgers, who needed to steadiness his short- and long-term pursuits, in addition to their very own.

Even after he broke into the majors as a 19-year-old, they continued to handle his workload fastidiously. He was shuttled forwards and backwards between the majors and minors. He began at instances and pitched in reduction in others.

His growth was set again additional by a shoulder harm in 2017 that required surgical procedure. He spent most of 2018 in restoration.

“Julio could be very gifted,” Roberts mentioned. “He’s very good, and he’s very robust. We’ve form of dealt with him during the last 4 years with child gloves, form of making an attempt to construct him up and put him in several roles, some that he hasn’t actually favored and appreciated, which I completely get. However when it comes all the way down to it, he simply needs to pitch, needs to compete and needs to assist the Dodgers win.”

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Together with a pair of wins he picked up as a reliever within the earlier two rounds, he’s 4-Zero this postseason.

He’s a veteran of 16 postseason video games with a profession playoff earned-run common of two.84. He has six profession postseason victories, which is greater than any pitcher has ever recorded earlier than his 25th birthday.

And he now has his signature second, three innings that can without end change how he’s seen. Sunday evening, for the primary time in his profession, what he did was extra vital than whom he might grow to be.

Hernández reported from Los Angeles.

This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Occasions.