June 02--The teenager slinked off the mound as the ballpark rose in appreciation. The congregants at Wrigley Field did not stand to applaud Dodgers prospect Julio Urias as Thursday's fifth inning ended, but to salute the monsters stashed in the home dugout, the Cubs who battered Urias in a 7-2 defeat.
The Dodgers survived three days with the Cubs, losing twice but avoiding a deluge. On the fourth day of this series, baseball's best team unleashed its full force on baseball's most expensive team. Chicago whacked three home runs and scored six against Urias, a 19-year-old making his second career start.
Each home run felt like a cannon blast. Javier Baez, the 23-year-old infielder, hit a two-run shot in the fourth. An inning later, outfielder Jason Heyward and third baseman Kris Bryant supplied solo shots on back-to-back pitches. Urias recovered to complete the inning, a noble showing for a prospect, but little comfort for the team.
After a stirring weekend in New York, the Dodgers (28-27) dropped three of four in Chicago. The team returns to Dodger Stadium hoping to inflate its record with series against Atlanta and Colorado.
Urias (0-1, 9.39 earned-run average) improved on his first start but still showed signs of youth. Urias did not repeat the eight-batter, three-run nightmare first inning he experienced against the Mets on Friday. After a bloop single by outfielder Dexter Fowler. Urias induced a pair of soft grounders. Chase Utley turned the second for a double play.
His luck turned in the second. It started with a walk to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Umpire Nic Lentz refused to grant Urias the outer edge of the strike zone. Urias missed near the zone three different times in an eight-pitch duel. With Adrian Gonzalez holding Rizzo at first, outfielder Jorge Soler rolled a single through the right side of the infield.
A 3-2 slider sent shortstop Addison Russell's bat flying on a strikeout. But Urias left a slider over the middle for Baez. Joc Pederson bobbled the RBI single, which allowed Soler to reach third base. Soler scored on a groundout to give the Cubs a two-run lead.
Baez tormented Urias two innings later. Soler led off with a single. Two batters later, Urias fed Baez a flat changeup. Baez pounded a two-run home run.
Trayce Thompson cut into the deficit with a home run in the top of the fifth. The bottom of the inning was unkind to Urias. Heyward lined a fastball over the ivy in right. Bryant destroyed a belt-high curveball. His drive connected with the left-field scoreboard.
Andy.mccullough@latimes.com
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes
