Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler let out his frustrations in the dugout early during his team’s NLDS Game 3 contest against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif.
Buehler ended his start Tuesday with a miserable final line: seven hits, six earned runs, and a walk across 5.0 innings pitched. All of the runs came in the bottom of the second inning.
However, the numbers don’t paint the complete story. Buehler did give up a leadoff single to Manny Machado. But the next two batters got on base partly due to poor fielding.
First, Jackson Merrill reached base on a fielder’s choice after Freddie Freeman’s throw to second ended up in left field. Machado moved to third via the error, which appears to have resulted from Machado intentionally blocking the throw.
One batter later, Buehler was able to induce a ground ball that had the potential to be a double play. But instead of tossing to second for at least one out, Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas stepped on the bag himself and threw to first. Rojas was late on both attempts to get an out.
Everybody is safe!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/QxT8vJQ1sh
— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024
The Padres tacked on four more hits in the inning, which ended with the home team up 6-1.
Buehler was understandably furious once he finally got the last out of the second. He was seen destroying equipment as the rest of the dugout gave the pitcher space.
Walker Buehler was PISSED when he got back into the dugout
Can't blame him for what his defense did to him pic.twitter.com/zFQV5ZmadN
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) October 9, 2024
What hurt even more for Buehler was that he was on the hook for every run rather than any of them being marked as unearned.
Despite the two plays being recorded as fielder’s choice miscues and not official errors, Buehler could have easily had two outs after three batters had his teammates fielded better.
Buehler ended up taking the loss in the 6-5 affair as the Padres took a 2-1 lead in the series.
