Urquidy achieves feat done only once since Palmer in ’66

Orioles great threw shutout as visitor in a Series game

an outing in his first career postseason start since Orioles legend Jim Palmer pitched a shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1966 World Series. Only Jon Lester kept Urquidy from being the first to do so since Major League Baseball instituted the League Champion Series in 1969.

At 24, Urquidy is the oldest of the trio. A 23-year-old Lester helped the Boston Red Sox finish a sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series while Palmer, then nine days shy of his 21st birthday, did not allow a run in nine innings for the second of four Orioles victories in their own sweep. Urquidy’s Astros can’t sweep, but his efforts Saturday allowed them to avoid the unenviable position of needing three straight victories for a title. They also made him only the second Mexican-born pitcher to earn a win in the World Series, joining Fernando Valenzuela.

“That means a lot for me,” Urquidy said. “I feel very special for that.”

With his mother, Alma, in attendance, Urquidy allowed two hits to continue the Nationals’ offensive struggles since the Series arrived in Washington. He got superstar Juan Soto, who turned 21Friday, to line out after Anthony Rendon singled with two outs in the first. Catcher Yan Gomes, playing in place of an injured Kurt Suzuki, doubled to begin the third, but after Urquidy’s opposite number, Patrick Corbin, failed to advance the runner with a bunt back to the mound, Urquidy stranded Gomes at third after shortstop Carlos Correa used all of his 6-foot-4 frame to grab an Adam Eaton liner.

“A couple of moments, I was thinking about, ‘Oh my god, I’m [in the] World Series pitching,’ ” Urquidy said. “It’s awesome.”