Not long ago, it appeared that the Los Angeles Dodgers would run away with the National League West division crown and the top seed in the NL playoffs.
Then, the Dodgers lost six out of 10 games, shrinking their lead in the division to 3 ½ games and putting them two games behind the Phillies in the National League standings.
Los Angeles needed to stop their skid in the worst way, and an unlikely hero emerged on Sunday night. Walker Buehler pitched six solid innings, allowing one earned run, as the Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 9-2 at Truist Park.
It was the first time since May he completed six innings.
Before beating the Braves, it had been a season to forget for the former two-time All-Star. Buehler entered the game with a 1-5 record and a career-worst 5.95 earned run average. In his previous six starts, Buehler had given up 25 runs in 26 innings pitched with an ERA of 7.62. Still, manager Dave Roberts continued to believe in the righty.
“I believe in who he is,” Roberts said. “But you do have to get results as a player to build that confidence, that momentum. This was a big step. It really was. I talk about performing and results at this time of the season, and the results were very good.”
With injuries to Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Gavin Stone, the Dodgers have big question marks behind Jack Flaherty as they head toward the playoffs.
Though it isn’t the postseason yet, “it kind of feels like that at this point,” Buehler said.
Only 14 games remain in the regular season, giving Buehler two more starts to prove that he can be counted on as the Dodgers try to claim their eighth World Series championship.
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