It’s powerful to keep in mind that Walker Buehler began Sport 3 of the 2018 World Collection in opposition to the Boston Purple Sox.
That’s as a result of when Buehler exited for the Los Angeles Dodgers following seven sterling innings, the sport marched on for an additional 11 frames earlier than ending in a Max Muncy walk-off residence run within the backside of the 18th.
Buehler, who agreed to a one-year, $21.05 million deal with the Purple Sox final week after seven seasons with the Dodgers, actually doesn’t overlook collaborating in that basic World Collection affair and the odyssey that passed off to find out a winner.
“I used to be scared (expletive), man,” Buehler mentioned throughout a Zoom name with reporters Friday. “I used to be a rookie pitching within the World Collection in opposition to a very, actually proficient offensive group. On the time, J.D. (Martinez) was most likely the very best hitter on the earth and the one large factor I bear in mind, (Rick) Honeycutt, our pitching coach on the time, telling me I needed to put one by his face each at-bat and I did that and it type of went OK. I survived. It was an extended 10-inning wait, I’ll inform you that. I bear in mind the sixteenth, seventeenth inning you’re simply type of on this delirious state, type of able to go residence, win, lose or draw. However we pulled it on the market ultimately.”
Buehler stymied the Purple Sox, permitting simply two hits and no walks whereas hanging out seven. It was the very best begin from a Dodgers beginning pitcher within the collection.
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However Buehler’s World Collection second — he had one other this yr when he closed out issues for the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium — rapidly light into the background given what transpired after his outing. Muncy’s homer, Nathan Eovaldi’s gutsy reduction efficiency and Ian Kinsler’s error all grabbed the headlines, leaving Buehler to turn out to be a footnote within the longest sport in World Collection historical past.
The Dodgers grabbed a win that night time, however dropped the subsequent two video games, which prevented a chance for Buehler to pitch at Fenway Park. He didn’t get that probability in 2023, both, when the Dodgers made a regular-season journey to Boston as Buehler handled Tommy John surgical procedure.
However Buehler is aware of from that World Collection expertise that Fenway’s ambiance matches effectively with the character he reveals on the mound.
“I feel I’ve all the time type of been an emotional participant and someone that screams and yells and does all that stuff. So, I’m actually seeking to ahead to the primary second like that at Fenway,” Buehler mentioned. “Completely different parks have completely different strengths and weaknesses and feelings and no matter. Having not pitched there, I’m trying ahead to it actually. It was fairly electrical once we performed there within the World Collection and we received our butts handed to us. It was fairly loud in there.”
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