The first two games of the World Series did not go as planned for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they lost them both to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Now they will have to erase a 2-0 series deficit if they want to be crowned champions for the first time since 1988.
The Dodgers do have one positive thing going for them and that’s rookie sensation Walker Buehler starting Game 3. Boston’s lineup is perhaps the best that Buehler has faced all season.
They have made things extremely tough on the Dodgers pitching staff so far this series, particularly with two outs in innings.
While Buehler doesn’t anticipate changing anything to ensure the Red Sox don’t score with two outs, he does understand the importance of getting that third out each inning to keep them off the scoreboard.
“I don’t know if that really goes a whole lot into it,” Buehler said. “I think most people underestimate the power of pitching with two outs. And the moment you get to two strikes, the runners are moving a lot of times, especially in the 3-2 counts, and that can take more motion.
“So it’s the same game and it’s the same everything, there’s just two outs and the guy is running a lot of times. It’s about limiting that and just trying to avoid the big hit with two outs I think is obvious. But you don’t want to give it up with no outs or one out, either. I think it’s probably one of those stats that’s probably a little bit made out to be more than it is. But we’ve got to try to get 27 of them tomorrow, no matter what.”
Fortunately for Buehler, he will have the luxury of pitching at the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium, where he has been much better this season than when on the road.
“I don’t know if it’s anything different. I think the routines are the same here every time, and you get on the road and things can be a little quirky,” he said. “The anthem is played at a different time. You’ve got to warm up. You know how everything is going to be here.
“So I think most guys are better at home. That’s kind of a guess, but I would think that most people would be better at their home ballpark and to have their home crowd behind them. And we expect them to be out and loud tomorrow. And we’ll try and win tomorrow.”
Buehler has pitched in some big games for the Dodgers this season, including Game 163 to help them win a sixth straight division title and Game 7 of the National League Championship Series to secure a return to the Fall Classic.
This one may be the biggest though as the Dodgers cannot afford going down 3-0 to a Red Sox team that can already smell blood.
Want to get your content COMPLETELY AD FREE? Click here to follow us on Apple News!
