Dodgers: Walker Buehler Refuses to Blame His Bad Game on Short Rest
The Dodgers didn’t have much of a choice heading into Game 6 of the NLCS. With Max Scherzer unable to make his scheduled start, they had to turn to Walker Buehler to get the job done. They couldn’t go with a full bullpen game and they literally did not have another starter to take the ball for them.
So Dave Roberts went to Buehler on short rest for the second time this postseason. And for the most part, Buehler kept the Dodgers in the game. But a mistake pitch to Eddie Rosario ended up being the difference-maker as he took him deep to right and seal their fate.
After the game, Buehler talked about taking the ball on short rest and what he was hoping to accomplish out of it. He was also asked if he thought the Dodgers going to him on short rest ultimately played a role in the outcome.
You want to be like this Herculean thing and go out and throw and be really good. I just wasn’t. Game 6, elimination game – you get the ball, you want to do better than that and I just wasn’t. It’s a hard pill to swallow. …I had a couple bad pitches in a couple spots where you can’t make bad pitches. I think that’s an easy out and I really, truthfully don’t think that had anything to do with it, just to be honest.
It’s a real veteran move by Buehler to take responsibility the way that he did. But that’s something that he has done most of his career and especially this postseason. Even when the Dodgers let him down, Buehler it there to pick his team back up with the media.
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That’s the guy that you want on the mound for you in big games. He might not have come through on Saturday night, but Walker Buehler is going to be a big game pitcher for the Dodgers for a very long time.
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Funny that prior to this year, I always viewed Buehler as being somewhat arrogant. He certainly changed my opinion of him. I give him a ton of credit. Wish I could say the same for Mookie’s pitiful post game interview. Left much to be desired.
$350 million makes you very complacent!
I too give him a tone of credit, Walker asked for the ball on more than one occasion. That says a huge amount about the type of competitor he is and what he is made of. Not sure every one on this team including the position players want the ball. This team is going to have huge decisions to make this offseason and they should start with replacing our inept manager.
Harry, I’ve never been more disappointed by player than Trea. Batting champ? Really? Coulda fooled me. He looked worse than Cody mid-season! At least Cody was swinging at STRIKES! Never seen anyone chase more balls than Trea. I’m thinking 1919 Black Sox for sure! Seager not much better. If he didn’t hit HR’s in games 2&3 he would have been sub .100! Geez. And he wants north of $200m? No way Jose!
The players made Roberts look worse than he was. I don’t want make excuses for DR as he made some real bonehead decisions too. NLCS not DR’s finest hour by any means. But over the 6 yrs he’s been here is record is better than other’s in MLB. That’s all I’m trying to get at.
I frankly don’t care who the manager is as long as the Dodgers win. I just think whoever is the manager will end up with the same result unless the FO quits trying to be the de facto manager!
Paul Winchell once asked Jerry Mahoney if he wanted a raise in allowance.
We all know who’s calling the shots for Roberts.
Enough of Roberts. Enough of his …everything. Stupid and reckless and thoughtless. Over thoughtless. The DODGERS NEED A NEW FACE!…..Maybe someone like the one Atlanta has. Just business baby! Snitker. No more of the Slap ass high 5s, WOW!…Cheerleader stuff. Let him go where he can do more harm. The Pads need a new manager, he was a Pod and still is.
And take Geffen, and Slim with the beard who hates to go to the mound and slow his pitcher down…and the usless batting coach twins…beard and hairless…The Dodgers need to CLEAN HOUSE!…. Who ever heard of a pitcher saying that his wittle arm is too tired to pitch the biggest game of his career. SScherzer…he just really wanted to pitch game 7…to get the big win….and his buddy the useless Trea-less swinging at EVERY PITCH? Really? Is this how Batting Champs do it TREA? Stick with moping your hair back as you practically sucked at 2nd. Albie KO’d you out big time. Time to the House!…Old guys…and I’m old enough to be their Dad’s, they gotta go!
The Braves kicked our DODGERS Butts with Riley, Rosario, Albie…..young guys. Sorry to say goodbye but JT is done. SIGN SEAGER…SIGN TAYLOR. Bye Bye CK…Bye Bye to all those who were too tired to finish…including T.Turner and Scherzer. I can’t help not thinking of No.32….my childhood hero, pitching complete games, 3 games against the Twins in the WS, I might be wrong, but my guy Koufax kicked all of these prima donna’s butts put together. Roberts blew it by changing Urias for Knebel. That was the beginning of the nonsense. But guys on 2nd and 3rd w/ 0 outs in the 7th and Souza is put in? Then who is this Burns and where did he come from? It’s going to be a long winter for us die hards and to even suggest that Roberts will be back next year is a spit in the face.