In a season full of impressive performances, rookie Walbert Ureña outdid himself with his best showing of the year against the Twins on Thursday night. Ureña struck out a career-high nine batters over seven scoreless innings before Wade Meckler delivered a walk-off single to lift the Angels to a 5-4 win in 10 innings at Angel Stadium. Mike Trout also came up big with a game-tying RBI single after the Twins scored in the top of the 10th. Meckler was excited not only for his first career walk-off but to give the Angels the victory after another stellar showing from Ureña, whose locker is right next to Meckler’s. “It's unbelievable,” Meckler said. “You just watch his stuff from the outfield, and it looks like a bowling ball at 101 mph from that high slot and then the fastball just stays up. I hope I never have to face him.” Ureña scattered just four hits without issuing a walk to improve his ERA to 2.74 in 28 outings (26 starts) this season, but was stuck with a no-decision after Ben Joyce gave up a game-tying two-run homer to Walker Jenkins with two outs in the ninth. The 22-year-old Ureña has struck out 140 and walked 67 in 144 1/3 innings to make himself a candidate to receive some down-ballot votes for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. “That might have been one of the best starts I've seen, honestly,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “Like up there with ones that I've ever caught, either. It was impressive. It was 100 mph, his changeup was incredible. Today, he was virtually unhittable.” Ureña’s ERA ranks second among all MLB rookies with at least 100 innings pitched this year, as the only rookie starter with a better ERA this year is Cleveland’s Parker Messick with a 2.57 ERA in 178 1/3 frames. Additionally, his 16 starts allowing one or no runs are the most by a pitcher in a season at age 22 or younger since Dwight Gooden in 1985.
