Cody Bellinger, Dodgers Fall to Giants Despite Julio Urias' Strong Start

The Los Angeles Dodgers are going for an eighth straight National League West crown, but they were unable to create early separation from the San Francisco Giants in their opening series.

The Giants defeated their NL West rivals 3-1 in Sunday's contest at Dodger Stadium, earning a split in the four-game series in the process.

It was a tough night at the plate for the Dodgers, as a Cody Bellinger RBI single off Giants starter Drew Smyly in the third proved to be the team's only offense. The San Francisco bullpen spearheaded the road win with a brilliant performance, holding the daunting Los Angeles lineup in check for 5.2 innings. 

Notable Player Stats 

• Julio Urias, SP, LAD: 5.0 innings, one earned run, five hits, three walks and three strikeouts
• Cody Bellinger, CF, LAD, 2-for-4, one RBI
• Drew Smyly, SP, SF: 3.1 innings, one earned run, four hits, one walk and two strikeouts
• Darin Ruf, 1B, SF: 2-for-4, one RBI, one run and one walk
• Donovan Solano, 3B, SF: 2-for-4, one RBI and one run
• Mauricio Dubon, CF, SF: 2-for-4, one RBI and one run

Julio Urias Provides Silver Lining for Dodgers

It seemed like trouble from the get-go for the Dodgers with another southpaw on the mound in Julio Urias.

After all, Alex Wood allowed three earned runs in three innings in Saturday's loss and then said of the Giants, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, "They have a solid lineup against left-handed pitchers, so it was a little more difficult preparing for them."

Urias was much more effective, allowing just one earned run on an RBI single from Darin Ruf and overcoming some control concerns by working out of trouble multiple times. He was especially impressive in his final inning when he put two runners on base to start the frame before striking out Ruf and inducing a double play from Hunter Pence.

Considering Clayton Kershaw is on the injured list and Walker Buehler hasn't started yet after the Dodgers took it slow with him during summer camp, the need for Urias to be effective in a shortened season is heightened.

He was excellent last year in 37 appearances—eight of which were starts—with a 2.49 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.

If he pitches like that and works out of trouble like he did in Sunday's game, the Dodgers can tread water until Kershaw is healthy and Buehler is dominating hitters on a regular basis.

Giants Appear Better Than Expected

The Giants are not supposed to challenge in the National League West this season.

FanGraphs' ZiPS had them in last place in its projected standings, as did Bleacher Report's Scott Miller. It's not as if a team with Ruf batting third and a 37-year-old Pence batting fourth is one that jumps off the page when evaluating the roster.

What's more, former ace Madison Bumgarner signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason.

San Francisco missed the memo that it was supposed to fall easily against the powerhouse Dodgers and salvaged a split by winning the last two games on the road. The bullpen was the bright spot in Sunday's outing, as the combination of Shaun Anderson, Wandy Peralta, Rico Garcia, Sam Coonrod, Tyler Rogers and Trevor Gott didn't allow a single run after starter Drew Smyly lasted just 3.1 innings.

Rogers came through in the biggest moment by inducing a groundout from Enrique Hernandez with the bases loaded and two outs and the game on the line in the bottom of the eighth.

It wasn't just the bullpen, as Mauricio Dubon and Donovan Solano came through with timely RBI singles in a game that didn't feature much power.

If the Giants can hang with the mighty Dodgers in Los Angeles, competing in the NL West in a shortened season where one hot streak could be the difference between a division crown and last place is not out of the realm of possibilities.

What's Next?

Both teams are in action Tuesday when the Dodgers are at the Houston Astros and the Giants host the San Diego Padres.