Backed by four homers in the first three episodes, Mexican Julio Uries became the ninth Mexican-born pitcher to win 15 games in a Major League season on Monday, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 at the Atlanta Braves.
Uries also became the first 15-game winner of the season, after Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks failed in his attempt Sunday.
The Dodgers left-hander also became the No. 40-born Mexican pitcher to pitch in at least 100 Major League games, reaching just one hundredth in his opening 26 of the season.
The 24-year-old from Sinaloa threw six innings for four hits and two runs – both clean – without giving a passport, striking out seven and tolerating a pair of home runs, to set his record at 15-3.
The Cuban Jorge Soler and Freddie Freeman hit consecutive homers in the sixth inning, already with two outs on the board, to break the Mexican’s whitewash.
Instead, the defeated Drew Smyly (9-4) tolerated 4 volleys for all five runs in the first third of the game, beating Max MUNCY in the first episode, Will Smith in the second and Mookie Betts and Corey Seager –the only one with a base runner– in the third.
The last Mexican pitcher to get at least 15 wins in a season had been Regiomontano left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who finished 16th in 2013 with the Colorado Rockies.
The list is headed by leftists Fernando Valenzuela and Teodoro Figuera with four occasions each. Then they are with twice the same De la Rosa, Rodrigo López, and Yovani Gallardo. With one stroke, Ismael Valdez, Óliver Pérez, Esteban Loaiza and now Uries appear.