Walker Buehler was dominant against the New York Mets and in his longest start of the season at 7.2 innings, but it was an outing that ended in frustration.
With the Los Angeles Dodgers clinging to a 3-1 lead and the tying runners on base, Buehler got a call to break his way for a key strikeout. He remained in the game to face Pete Alonso, who already had hit a solo home run off Buehler.
The first two pitches were called balls, which Buehler voiced his disagreement with, and the third resulted in an RBI infield single. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts brought the hook at that point and Buehler continued to shout at home plate umpire Nestor Ceja.
That exchange ended with Buehler getting ejected as he was steps away from the dugout. “Just trying to be competitive and thinking that I’m making pitches that I haven’t looked at, but probably are balls,” Buehler explained after the 3-2 win.
His frustration also stemmed from a missed call earlier in the game when Buehler had to throw extra pitches because of an incorrect foul ball ruling. The same sequence was at play for Alonso’s infield single that was not deemed a foul ball despite hitting of his left foot.
Neither play was reviewable.
“Given what happened earlier in the game, I thought that we might get a conference and look at it,” Buehler said. “Just a little bit frustrating there at the end. He told me to stop, and I didn’t stop. So I get what he did. That’s his job.
“At the end of the day, I’m trying to be competitive and get out of there, and I thought I saw it hit his foot.”
Buehler pleased with consistency
Buehler has gone at least six innings in all but 25 of his starts this season, and a minimum of seven frames in 11 of those.
“I think I’m just not hunting the strikeout, the highlight throw, or whatever. Just trying to get guys out and be efficient,” he said. “I think that’s probably part of growing up and trying to create value for my team and myself. … It’s something that’s important to me and our team, and I take a lot of pride in it.
“At the end of the day it’s a bout winning games. Glad I was able to put us in position to do that.”
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