Walker Buehler came through for the Dodgers, but he had to endure an inefficient start to do so.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ trust level in starting pitcher Walker Buehler seemed to have waned, what with the team deciding to roll with a bullpen game in Game 2 of their NLCS clash against the New York Mets. The 2024 season has been a topsy-turvy one for Buehler in his return from injury after all, but Buehler got the job done in his four innings of work in Game 3 at Citi Field.
It may not have been the most efficient outing for Buehler, but what the Dodgers will like from his performance is that he didn’t allow a single run to cross the plate. In four innings, Buehler threw 90 pitches (an average of 22.5 pitches per inning — the definition of laboring), allowing three hits and two walks while striking out six Mets batters.
In a start that encapsulates Buehler as a starter, he made history by being the first pitcher ever in the MLB playoffs to throw 90 or more pitches in four or fewer innings and not allow a run, as per OptaSTATS on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Of course, this is not how the Dodgers would have liked to conduct their business on Wednesday night. They most certainly would have preferred to stretch Buehler’s 90 pitches out to one or two more innings of work, but the important thing is that the 30-year-old starter held his end of the bargain and kept the Mets scoreless in a pivotal Game 3.
Given how many runs Buehler allowed in bunches during his previous start, the Dodgers will definitely take a solid start from one of the few quality starting pitchers that they have healthy. The key now is for the bullpen to finish the job as they look to start another postseason scoreless streak that was on the precipice of breaking a longstanding record.
Walker Buehler comes through for the Dodgers in pivotal Game 3
Walker Buehler’s previous start in the 2024 playoffs did not go according to plan at all. Unlike in his Game 2 start against the Mets, Buehler did reach five innings in Game 3 of their NLDS clash against the San Diego Padres while throwing just 77 pitches — 13 fewer than he did on Wednesday night.
The fact that Buehler is pitching for the Dodgers this late in the season is already a huge win in and of itself amid the team’s seemingly unceasing injury problems. He missed the entirety of the 2023 season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so for him to be one of their last men standing is nothing short of admirable.
Buehler, of course, has been less reliable than ever, which isn’t too surprising due to his injury-riddled past. But he proved in Game 3 that he can still deliver for the Dodgers in pivotal situations.
