José Urquidy treats mom, Astros and Mexican fans to historic night
WASHINGTON – Noting the cold temperature before Game 4 of the World Series, Alma Alicia Urquidy sent her son José a few messages Saturday afternoon. Stay warm. Take care of yourself. Protect your arm.
Buena suerte. Good luck.
Then she went on a bus tour of the United States capital, stopping by the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the United States Capitol while José Urquidy took a nap at the Astros’ team hotel.
Alma Alicia Urquidy soaked in some U.S. history in the morning and early afternoon. Then she watched her son make Mexican baseball history at night as he helped the Astros beat the Washington Nationals 8-1 to even the best-of-seven Fall Classic at two games apiece.
“A lot of times I’m hot, and the cold affects me,” Urquidy said after joining the legendary Fernando Valenzuela as the only Mexican starting pitchers to win a World Series game. “She’s always there sending me messages, supporting me.
“We’re going to have dinner, and I cannot wait to talk to her back at the hotel.”
José Urquidy, who is from the resort town of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, had no problem staying warm on a night when the temperature was 63 degrees during the first pitch.
He was admittedly a bit nervous and somewhat anxious heading into the starting assignment, which he didn’t get until past midnight Saturday morning after the Astros won Game 3.
On an Astros staff with 2019 Cy Young Award co-favorites Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander and former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke, Urquidy got the starting nod for what many observers expected to be an outing full of relievers.
Urquidy hadn’t pitched more than 2 2/3 innings in an outing this postseason after making only nine appearances, seven starts, as a rookie this season.
Yet, he delivered the performance of his life with his mom in attendance at Nationals Park, becoming the first Astros starter to earn a victory in the 2019 Fall Classic.
The 24-year-old righthander didn’t have much time to spend with his mother before Game 4 because he wanted to maintain his routine and focus on the start. As they do most days, Urquidy started the day by having coffee with Astros closer Roberto Osuna, his friend since they played together from 11 to 13 years old on the Sinaloa state baseball team.
Osuna opened his Houston home to Urquidy after the 24-year-old was called up to the majors in July. They ride to home games in Osuna’s red Ram Truck, and they have coffee together daily in the morning on the road.
Osuna noticed that Urquidy was anxious before becoming just the third starting pitcher from Mexico to start a World Series game, so he tried to keep things in perspective for his good friend.
They visited again a few minutes before Game 4 in the visitors clubhouse at Nationals Park. Osuna reminded him that he was chosen for that pivotal assignment for a reason. Osuna emphatically told Urquidy that although there was an excellent team in the other dugout, the starting nod for Game 4 signified that he also was an excellent pitcher.
“We are always talking,” Osuna said. “I told him to treat this game like what it is, it’s a game. Obviously we know it’s the World Series and there’s a lot of pressure, but you have to go out to have fun. You have to know and do what you know.
“I just spoke to him and said, ‘Be calm. Do your job. Don’t try to do too much.’ And I tell you, he had an excellent game for us. I’m truly happy for him.”
Urquidy pitched five scoreless innings, holding the Nationals to a pair of hits while striking out four to become only the third pitcher born in Mexico to win a World Series game. He joins Fernando Valenzuela, who won Game 3 of the 1981 World Series over the Yankees, and Aurelio Lopez, who won a game in relief during the 1984 Fall Classic.
Valenzuela and Urquidy are the only Mexican starting pitchers to win a World Series game. Both accomplished the feat as rookies. Jaime Garcia, who started a pair of games for the Cardinals in the 2011 World Series against the Rangers, is the only other Mexican to start a Fall Classic game.
“That means a lot to me,” Urquidy said. “To be the second Mexican (starter) to win a World Series game is something special. I think this is now history, right? I feel very special for that. …
“Obviously I’m very proud to have followed Fernando Valenzuela. Obviously something historic and something that I’m obviously very happy … to have followed him and to have done what I’ve done today.”
It had been 38 years and three days since the 1981 Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award winner became the first and only other Mexican starting pitcher to win a World Series game.
The Astros gave Urquidy a 2-0 lead in the first inning. They added two more runs on Robinson Chirinos’ two-run homer in the fourth. Then Alex Bregman broke it open with a grand slam in the seventh.
“I think all of us have all the confidence in the world in (Urquidy),” Bregman said. “We expected that he was going to go out and pitch really well. I think he did, as well. I saw him on the attack. I thought he was attacking all night, and using four different pitches. He’s really tough. He was great for us.”
Urquidy was good enough to become just the seventh rookie with a scoreless start in the World Series. Moreover, he was the seventh pitcher under 25 years old to throw five or more scoreless innings without giving up more than two hits in a World Series game.
His scoreless start matched Hall of Famer Whitey Ford for the shortest scoreless start by a winning pitcher in the Fall Classic. Ford had his five scoreless innings in Game 4 of the 1961 World Series.
Urquidy, 24, had never pitched above Class A until this season. He had overcome Tommy John surgery and fought to reach the majors this season, becoming the first Mexican player to debut in the majors with the club after signing as an amateur free agent and going through the Astros’ farm system.
That accomplishment was the goal, but he put a greater stamp on a much bigger history book Saturday in the Fall Classic.
“Yes, I was a little nervous, a little bit,” he said. “But after the first inning … I felt very more relaxed to play. … A couple of moments I was thinking … ‘Oh, my God, I’m (in the) World Series pitching. It’s awesome.”
He conquered his nerves with the help of a fellow Sinaloense he has known more than half his life. This was the stage they dared to dream about as teammates on the Sinaloa state All-State team they represented from 11 through 13 years old.
“Pitching in the big leagues was my dream,” he said. “I always imagined playing the World Series and winning the game for us. Something very big for me, a big year for me. And I think I’m proud of myself.”
Alma Alicia Urquidy’s son has much to be proud about, and he’ll always be grateful for her messages and Osuna’s mentorship.
“My mom is someone that I talk to a lot and obviously she helped me out this morning,” he said. “Osuna and I had coffee. He gave me some words of encouragement.
“Osuna has been someone that’s also been a tremendous help and has helped me in terms of executing pitches, in terms of having my poise on the mound. And so he’s been a very big help.”
There was plenty of history to see in the nation’s capital for Urquidy’s mom in the morning and early afternoon. Then her son put a historic display that he and his family could enjoy with Astros fans and fans throughout Mexico while tying the World Series.
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