LEADING OFF: MLB win leader Urías goes for Dodgers vs Giants

Full Screen
1 / 4

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Julio Urias (7) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

A look at what's happening around the majors on Saturday:

___

Recommended Videos



HE'S BACK

Big league wins leader Julio Urías starts for the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NL Division Series at San Francisco against Kevin Gausman.

Urías went 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA — no one else in the majors posted more than 17 wins this season.

The 25-year-old lefty played a huge role in the postseason as a starter and closer last season when Los Angeles won its first World Series championship since 1988.

Urías will be making his 19th postseason appearance and fourth start for the Dodgers. He's 6-2 with a 2.79 ERA in those games.

Buster Posey and the Giants have seen Urías a lot. He's 2-1 in five starts against San Francisco this year.

Gausman (14-6, 2.81) will be making the first postseason start of his career. He's pitched four times in relief in the playoffs with Baltimore and Atlanta.

The 30-year-old righty was 1-1 in three starts against the Dodgers this season.

PITCHING IN

Braves left-hander Max Fried and Brewers righty Brandon Woodruff will try for another pitcher’s duel as Atlanta and Milwaukee play Game 2 of their NL Division Series.

Corbin Burnes and the Brewers edged Charlie Morton and the visiting Braves 2-1 in the opener, with Milwaukee getting both runs on Rowdy Tellez’s homer in the seventh inning off Morton.

Fried (14-7, 3.04) closed out the regular season in top form, going 3-0 with an 0.39 ERA in his final three starts. Woodruff (9-10, 2.56) has been solid all season, but the Brewers lost each of his final four outings in September.

IN HOT WATER

MLB Network broadcaster Jim Kaat is facing criticism for a comment about White Sox infielder Yoán Moncada made during Friday’s AL Division Series game between Houston and Chicago.

Kaat apologized several innings after saying teams should try to “get a 40-acre field full of” players who look like Moncada, who is Cuban. The remark reminded some viewers of the unfilled promise by the U.S. government that freed slaves would receive 40 acres and a mule following the Civil War.

The 82-year-old Kaat read an apology on the air during the fifth inning.

“Earlier in the game when Yoán Moncada was at the plate, in an attempt to compliment the great player that he is, I used a poor choice of words that resulted in an insensitive and hurtful remark,” he said. “And I’m sorry for that.”

LOOSENING UP

Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and the Astros work out at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago after taking a 2-0 lead over the White Sox in the AL Division Series.

Chicago returns home trying to avoid a sweep in the best-of-five matchup. Manager Tony La Russa hasn’t yet announced a starter for Game 3 Sunday night.

Rookie Luis Garcia starts for Houston. The 24-year-old righty was 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA this season.

Garcia started Game 5 of last year’s AL Championship Series for the Astros, pitching two hitless innings against Tampa Bay.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports