After staving off elimination against the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers were bullish with Max Scherzer and Walker Buehler aligned for starts.
However, Scherzer was unable to take the mound Saturday because of lingering arm fatigue, so the Dodgers turned to Buehler on short rest for the second time this postseason. He pitched just four innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.
Buehler fared well in minimizing damage until surrendering what held as game-winning, three-run homer to Eddie Rosario in the fourth inning.
“We were trying to attack and do things, and that’s a really quality Major League Baseball team. They did a really good job, Buehler said after the Game 6 loss. “Rosario is obviously kind of on a different planet right now in terms of how he’s swinging the bat. Thought I made some good pitches.
“Thought the one he hit for a homer was a decent pitch, but he was able to elevate it and get it out of there.”
Aside from the home run, Buehler was particularly disappointed in himself for not turning in a better performance.
“I think the biggest thing for me is you want to be this Herculean thing, go out and throw, be really good, and I just wasn’t,” he said. “It stinks. I think we have a really special clubhouse and really special team. Game 6, elimination game, you get the ball, you want to be better than that, and I just wasn’t.
“Hard pill to swallow, but congrats to Atlanta and the things they’ve done. They obviously put together a really good team and were able to beat us four out of six.”
Buehler doesn’t blame rest
When the Dodgers were facing elimination in the NL Division Series, Buehler made his first career start on short rest. That outing saw him go just 4.1 innings, though the right-hander denied fatigue being an issue.
That stance held after a second start on short rest. “I think I just made a couple bad pitches in a couple spots that you can’t make bad pitches,” Buehler said.
“Honestly, I think that’s (blaming fatigue) the easy out. I really, truthfully don’t think that had anything to do with it, to be honest with you.”
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