Walbert Ureña picked a good night to reset.
After a pair of rough outings, the Angels right-hander delivered one of his best starts of the season Monday, carving up the Yankees in a 10-1 win at Angel Stadium that stopped Los Angeles’ seven-game slide. Ureña worked seven innings, matched a career high with eight strikeouts, and gave up just one run on five hits with no walks.
The performance pushed Ureña to 9-9 with a 2.85 ERA in 25 outings, 23 of them starts, and added another eye-catching line to what has become a breakout rookie season. He has now struck out 120 and walked 64 across 123 1/3 innings, and his ERA sits fifth in the American League among pitchers with at least 120 innings. Among rookies, only Parker Messick’s 2.46 ERA is better.
What stood out Monday wasn’t just the final line. Ureña looked in control from the start, and his stuff had plenty of bite.
His sinker climbed as high as 101 mph, while his changeup averaged 91.8 mph and accounted for eight of his 16 swings and misses. His sweeper was effective too, producing three whiffs and three strikeouts.
The first inning offered a little turbulence. Ureña allowed two hits, and catcher Tyler Heineman was charged with a passed ball that moved two runners into scoring position. But Ureña escaped by striking out Trent Grisham, and from there he settled in and kept the Yankees quiet the rest of the way.
The outing also fit into a larger trend for the Angels’ rotation, which has been one of the club’s biggest strengths lately. Angels starters put together a 2.51 ERA in August, the best mark in the Majors and the best monthly team ERA for the organization since April 1982, when it posted a 2.24 ERA in 22 starts.
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