After being designed for assignment by the New York Mets on May 1, veteran right-hander Jose Urena told himself to have faith.
That seems to have worked out.
Urena was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays at the start of last week and is scheduled to make his second start for them Sunday afternoon against the host Seattle Mariners.
Urena (0-0, 8.59 ERA) went 4 1/3 innings Tuesday but didn’t get a decision in the Blue Jays’ 8-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif. He allowed two runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
“It’s the game, it’s baseball,” said the 33-year-old Urena, who went a career-best 14-7 for the Miami Marlins in 2017. “Sometimes, (it) doesn’t go the way you want. You try to put your mind right and think and be accountable. Try to have faith and trust what you got, and take the opportunity whenever they bring it.”
With starters Max Scherzer (right thumb inflammation) and Alex Manoah (right UCL surgery) out, the Blue Jays picked up Urena.
“We’ve liked him for a while; we know what he’s about,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “He’s a pro. He’s been a good pitcher for a long time in this league. … If he can step in and give us some stability, it’s a huge plus for us.”
Urena is set to oppose Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller (2-3, 4.15 ERA), who has won two of his past three decisions — pitching five scoreless innings in each of the victories.
Urena is 0-0 with a 2.53 ERA in four career appearances against the Mariners, while Miller has faced the Blue Jays just once, giving up one run on three hits across 5 1/3 innings in July 2023. He didn’t get a decision in Seattle’s 3-2 victory.
The Blue Jays ended Seattle’s streak of nine consecutive series victories with a 6-3 win Saturday as Addison Barger broke a tie with an eighth-inning RBI single, Bo Bichette doubled and homered, and Alejandro Kirk had four hits.
The Mariners’ Rowdy Tellez went deep for the fourth time in five games this season against his former ballclub as Seattle took a 3-0 lead after four innings, but the Blue Jays tied the score in the sixth and went ahead with a three-run eighth.
“Tough one tonight. Got the lead early and just weren’t able to hold on to it,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson, whose team had lost the opener in five series during its streak before coming back to win the final two series.
Still, Seattle’s series streak — the second-longest in franchise history after the 15 in a row put together by the 116-win 2001 team — has helped the Mariners go from last to first in the American League West.
“Look at that series streak and what these guys were able to accomplish in that clubhouse is pretty impressive. We’ll get back on the win board and go from there,” Wilson said Saturday. “Everything has been so good, the preparation has been good, the effort has been unbelievable, the energy, the focus … everything has been there.
“We come back tomorrow and do the same thing and keep it moving. These guys have shown us over and over how strong they are. Like we talk about, this is a special group. Just come back tomorrow ready to go.”
–Field Level Media
