HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Jose Urquidy hadn't piched in 12 days when he took the mound in the fourth inning of game six of the American League Championship Series. He might've just recorded eight outs in the Astros 6-4 win over the New York Yankees, but it's possible they were the most important outs of the night.
"We needed somebody to give us length to get to the big boys at the end," Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole said. "I think it was the first time he pitched in this series against this team. It took some balls."
The Astros led 3-1 when the 24-year old jogged from the Astros bullpen to the Minute Maid Park mound, but they had burned through Brad Peacock, Josh James, and Ryan Pressly in the game's first three innings, and with the Yankees having used just two of their nine reliever in that span, it felt as if they had the advantage, but Urquidy stepped up, though he dealt with some early hiccups.
Urquidy started his night with a strikeout of Gary Sanchez, but Gio Urshela homered on his next pitch to bring the Yankees within one. Brett Garnder followed that with a single, putting the tying run on base with D.J. LeMahieu and Aaron Judge due up. The rookie retired both, and then set down three, four, and five in the Yankees order the next inning before recording two more outs in the sixth, lightening the load that Joe Smith, Will Harris and Roberto Osuna would have the carry.
"He was incredible tonight," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "What's hard for a young player is not really knowing what was going to happen or how he was going to be used. It probably would have been easier on him emotionally just to start the game and have the normal routine, and we weren't going to do that, and we told him we weren't sure if or when he was going to pitch but the way the game was progressing and we went through a lot of pitching early, we don't win this game if Urquidy doesn't come in and get the outs that he did at the time in which he did to turn it over to the back end of the bullpen."
With the Astros ending the American League Championship Series Saturday, they should be able to get six starts out of Cole, Justin Verlander, and Zack Greinke in the World Series, but the prospect of needing a fourth starter for game four at Nationals Park looms, and if anything, Urquidy proved he can handle in the big moment which will certainly earn him a look."He's been very versatile for us" Hinch said. "He's incredibly poised in front of the fans and facing the Yankees. It's pretty daunting to look up there and see Aaron Judge and LeMahieu, Gary Sanchez, and names that he's recognized forever, and he held his own and did an incredible job. I look forward to watching him pitch in the World Series."
