As Walker Buehler steadily emerged throughout the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers entrusted the rookie in starting high-pressure games. With the Dodgers looking to make up ground in the National League West standings, Buehler pitched against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
While those outings were important to the Dodgers eventually claiming a sixth consecutive National League West title, they paled in comparison to what Buehler faced in a Game 163 against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
Of course, the right-hander would later admit to having full confidence and faith that he and Dodgers were going to clinch the division. Now the stakes seemingly increase yet again for Buehler as he takes the mound in Game 3 of the NL Division Series.
It’s not quite as daunting of a reality as either winning their way to the NLDS or facing the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Game, but it nevertheless is Buehler’s postseason debut.
“I kind of look at it as like a baby step,” he said of the experience that came with pitching in Game 163. “Obviously this will be my first playoff game. But 163 has gotta be somewhere between a regular game and a playoff game. I’m just kind of going with the same game plan and try and stay under control.”
Buehler was though of as a potential reliever for the postseason last year but he didn’t quite take off in the role, and was never included on an active roster as the Dodgers marched toward the World Series.
Now, he’ll figure to play a pivotal role if the team is to again appear in the Fall Classic and potentially win it. Buehler is in the position in large part because of a rapid maturation process from 2017.
“The biggest thing for me was trying to understand how to intentionally throw balls that look like strikes and end up balls, and throw pitches that look like balls and end up strikes,” he explained.
“I think that’s a huge thing at this level just because guys are so disciplined and have seen so many quality pitches in their career that you can’t just beat them in the zone all the time. So focusing on that and trying to create some better tunnelling, I guess, is like the hot term for it.
“But pitches that look the same and end up in different places, trying to figure out how to do that a little bit better.”
