Walbert Urena Threw 107 Pitches and Had Angels' Manager Sweating Bullets

Alright, sports fam! You watching this Angels rookie, Walbert Urena? Dude's been on a five-start hot streak, and now he's gotta get his team back on track tonight after their four-game winning streak got snapped. The Angels just dropped an 8-3 game to the Rays, ending their run, and now they’re in Phoenix to face the Diamondbacks.

The D-backs are feeling good after winning their series against the Reds with a 5-3 victory on Sunday. So, this isn't gonna be an easy road trip for the Halos, especially with their young arm on the mound.

Dude's On a Scorching Streak, But What Was That Pitch Count?

Walbert Urena, this 22-year-old right-hander, is seriously dealing. Since May 18, he’s rocking a 3-0 record with a ridiculous 1.61 ERA. We’re talking 29 strikeouts and 16 walks in 28 innings. He’s only given up more than one run once in that five-outing stretch. His overall numbers are legit too, sitting at 4-4 with a 2.44 ERA.

But get this, in their 10-1 home win against the Houston Astros just last Tuesday, Urena threw five scoreless innings, only allowed three hits, and struck out seven. Sounds incredible, right? Except he also matched a career high with five walks and set a season high with 107 pitches! Angels manager Kurt Suzuki wasn't shy about it after the game, saying, "He was competing out there tonight. Obviously he didn't have his best command, but just his desire to get through that game is what pulled him through. You can't teach that. So, it was really nice to see him have that competitive nature to pull him through when he didn't have his best command. It was fun to watch, but it was stressful to watch, too."

Urena himself admitted to the Orange County Register, "I warmed up good. I felt really good. I don't know what changed in the game. I may look it up, but that was a lot of pitches." You can bet everyone in that dugout was feeling the tension.

D-Backs Pitcher Is Struggling While Angels Deal With an OF Scare

While Urena is trying to keep his heater going, the Diamondbacks are sending Ryne Nelson to the mound, and he’s been in a bit of a slump. The 28-year-old right-hander is 2-5 with a 5.19 ERA for the season, and he’s trying to stop a three-game skid where he’s 0-2 with a 7.16 ERA. His last outing was rough, an 8-0 loss in Miami where he gave up seven runs on eight hits, one walk, and two hit batters in just four innings against the Marlins. He only managed two strikeouts.

Nelson, according to the Arizona Republic, knows it, saying, "Gave up some hits and then left some balls over the plate with runners. Just wasn't getting ahead of guys good enough." He plans to stick to his process, learn from it, and make adjustments. He’s faced the Angels twice before, with a 1-0 record and a 3.97 ERA, but he did give up a game-opening homer to Zach Neto last July 11.

The Angels might also be without left fielder Wade Meckler, who had to come out of Sunday’s game in the fifth inning after hitting his head on the outfield fence trying to snag a Ben Williamson home run. Manager Suzuki said it was a precautionary move, but that’s never what you want to hear for a young guy.

So, it's Angels versus Diamondbacks tonight in Phoenix. D-backs manager Torey Lovullo is chasing his 701st win, which would put him in some elite company. Can Urena keep his wild, stressful, yet dominant streak alive, or will Nelson finally get things together and push his team to another win? This one’s gonna be a showdown, no doubt! Go sports!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.