"Starting this series right", "The Torch has been officially passed" - Los Angeles Dodgers fans pumped up as Julio Urias was officially selected to start Game 1 of the NLDS

Julio Urias will start in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres, as confirmed by Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts. The lefty has had a spectacular 2022 season and carries a 17-7 record with an ERA of 2.16 and 166 strikeouts across 171 innings.

Urias has endeared himself to the Dodger faithful, especially over the past few years. In 2021, he was the only pitcher in the majors to record at least 20 wins. He has stepped up to the role of an ace this year, especially when the legendary Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler were shelved due to injuries.

Several fans of the team were certainly thrilled with the news, with one writing on Twitter:

"Starting this series right"

Another tweeted:

"RESPECT... The Torch has been officially passed. Urias has been the best pitcher post all star break!"

Here are some of the best reactions:

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has named Clayton Kershaw as the starter for Game 2. The skipper indicated that it was a toss-up between the two prolific lefties. However, the choice was made to start Urias in Game 1 due to him being able to come off the bullpen in the postseason.

The coaching staff also considered Kershaw's injury setbacks this year and want to preserve him in case the team reaches the NLCS.

Across four starts against the Padres this year, Urias has posted a 3-0 win-loss tally and a 1.50 ERA with 18 strikeouts.

Game 1 of the series starts on Tuesday, October 11, at 9:37 p.m. EDT.

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Los Angeles Dodgers' utter dominance against the San Diego Padres

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for another sweep of the San Diego Padres in the NLDS.

To say that the Los Angeles Dodgers have the San Diego Padres' number will be an understatement. In 19 meetings this season, the Blue Crew have 14 wins over the Friars.

San Diego has always been treated as the runner-up and inferior team in the National League West among the California teams. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have largely dominated the past decade, with the San Francisco Giants showing up every once in a while.

In 53 years of matching up against each other, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres have only clashed once in the postseason. It came in the 2020 National League Division Series, where the Dodgers utterly overwhelmed the Padres and swept them 3-0.