Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts reacts after hitting a triple during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts gestures to the dugout after hitting a triple during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Will Smith reacts after striking out during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado reacts during the first inning of a baseball game against the Dodgers, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Brandon Drury shows his frustration after striking out during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Brandon Drury, left, has a word with home plate umpire David Rackley after striking out during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner throws out the Padres’ Jake Cronenworth on an infield grounder during the second inning on Wednesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers catcher Will Smith throws to first to force out the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar during the fourth inning on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers catcher Will Smith, left, works with a trainer after injuring his hand during the fourth inning of their game against the Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove reacts after getting the third out with the bases loaded during the fifth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado, right, reacts after safely stealing second base during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias gestures during the sixth inning of their game against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto reacts after swinging at a pitch during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado, left, jokes with Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias during the sixth inning on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts gestures while batting during the seventh inning of their game against the Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Padres catcher Austin Nola bumps into a fan while catching a foul ball hit by the Dodgers’ Will Smith during the eighth inning on Wednesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado reacts after striking out during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Wednesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman connects for an RBI single during the 10th inning of their game against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. The Dodgers held on to win, 1-0. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman watches his RBI single during the 10th inning of their game against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night in San Diego. The Dodgers held on to win, 1-0. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers catcher Will Smith, left, congratulates relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle after the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres, 1-0, in 10 innings on Wednesday night in San Diego. It was their franchise-record 107th win of the season. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, left, celebrates with first baseman Freddie Freeman after the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres, 1-0, in 10 innings on Wednesday night in San Diego. It was their franchise-record 107th win of the season. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle, center, celebrates with catcher Will Smith, left, and first baseman Freddie Freeman after the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres, 1-0, in 10 innings on Wednesday night in San Diego. It was their franchise-record 107th win of the season. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts congratulates catcher Will Smith, left, and outfielder Chris Taylor after the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres, 1-0, in 10 innings on Wednesday night in San Diego. It was their franchise-record 107th win of the season. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO — Before Wednesday’s game, Dave Roberts hedged when asked if Julio Urias would be the Dodgers’ Game 1 starter when their Division Series begins on Oct. 11.
Out of deference to Clayton Kershaw’s body of work? Perhaps. Out of wariness given the Dodgers’ propensity for out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to postseason pitching decisions? Nah – you’re projecting.
But certainly there can be no doubt Urias has earned the role of leading man in the playoffs.
In his penultimate start of the season (he will pitch once more next week), Urias held the San Diego Padres scoreless for six innings in a game that went to extra innings before anyone could score. Freddie Freeman’s RBI single in the 10th drove in the only run of the game in a 1-0 Dodgers victory Wednesday night.
The win was the Dodgers’ franchise-record 107th of the season.
“To know that we’ve made our mark on Dodgers history is pretty remarkable,” Roberts said. “A lot of people have their hands on this, not just this year but kind of building where we’re at right now. It’s something to be proud of. It’s part of the journey and we still have a lot of baseball to go. But there are certain markers that you have to take notice of and celebrate and this is certainly one.”
They made their mark on more than Dodgers history. They are the first team in major-league history to win as many as 106 games (as they did in 2019 and 2021) and then improve on it the next season.
“That’s a lot of wins if you really think about it,” Freeman said. “A lot of good things have happened from a lot of guys. Not just 26 guys. It’s got to be 40 to 45 guys to be able to do that.
“Once October 11 hits, nobody is going to care how many wins you had in the regular season. But we’re here, we’re in the regular season – we might as well get as many wins as we can.”
Freeman credited the Dodgers’ pitching with being the foundation for the 107 wins and Urias has been at the forefront of that all season.
Wednesday was the seventh time in 30 starts this season that Urias didn’t give up a run, the 24th in which he gave up two runs or fewer. He hasn’t given up more than two runs in a start since July 10. In 13 starts since then, he has a 1.23 ERA.
Wednesday’s outing wasn’t seamless. Urias gave up six hits, walked two and only had one inning without a baserunner. But he kept the Padres off the board and lowered his ERA for the season to an NL-low 2.17 in the process.
The Cy Young frontrunner for much of the season, Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara has thrown 50 more innings than Urias – but Urias has a better ERA (2.17 to 2.32), WHIP (0.96 to 0.99), batting average against (.199 to .213) and strikeouts per nine innings (8.58 to 8.12).
“People can say what they want. I’m just trying to do my job on the mound and focus on putting us in position to have the best chance to win the game,” Urias said in Spanish. “They can say or have whatever point of view they have. It doesn’t distract or motivate me to keep giving my 100 percent and win a championship, which is our main goal.”
As for leading that effort from the front of the playoff rotation, Urias said he won’t think about that until after his final regular-season start next week.
“I want to focus on that start, feeling good and do what I can to shut down Colorado,” he said. “Those conversations come after that start, so it’s best I stay focused on that start totally and then we’ll know what awaits us and I’ll talk with them.”
While Urias’ numbers have been heading in the right direction for a while now, boredom seems to have set in with the Dodgers’ offense.
While splitting their past eight games, the Dodgers have hit .195 as a team and scored a total of 20 runs (2½ per game).
The ineffectiveness has blossomed in the first two games of this series in San Diego during which the Dodgers have gone 2 for 26 with runners in scoring position and stranded 25 runners on base.
“I still think we’re fine,” Roberts said. “Obviously the last week it hasn’t been that productive. I know we’ve ran into some good arms the last week. But I’m not overall concerned. There are some guys that need to clean some things up in this last week, but kind of overall, I feel good about it.”
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Mookie Betts lined the third pitch of the night from Padres starter Joe Musgrove into left-center field for a double and went to third when left fielder Jurickson Profar overthrew the cutoff man. But Betts then watched 31 more pitches that inning without advancing. Musgrove walked two to load the bases but struck out the side to strand them.
A one-out double by Chris Taylor in the second went for naught and the Dodgers loaded the bases again in the fifth before Musgrove struck out Joey Gallo to leave them there. It was the fourth time in the first 15 innings of this series that the Dodgers loaded the bases but did not score a run.
Gallo came up with runners on base in each of his four at-bats Wednesday – twice with the bases loaded – and struck out all four times, stranding eight runners.
The Dodgers finally scored an assisted run in the 10th when a passed ball moved the free runner to third base ahead of Freeman’s run-scoring single – his major-league-leading 192nd hit of the season, setting a new career high.
Tommy Kahnle stranded the free runner at third in the bottom of the 10th for his first save since 2018.
Freddie Freeman drives home his best friend Mookie Betts!!
