Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler’s frustrations boiled over in the dugout early during Game 3 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California. Buehler’s outing on Tuesday ended with a disappointing stat line: seven hits, six earned runs, and one walk across five innings pitched.
All of the runs came in a disastrous second inning that saw defensive lapses compound his struggles on the mound.
The numbers, however, don’t fully reflect the breakdown that occurred. After giving up a leadoff single to Manny Machado, Buehler found himself in trouble, not just from the Padres’ bats but from his own team’s defense. The sequence began when Jackson Merrill hit a ground ball, and what should have been a routine fielder’s choice became a problem.
Freddie Freeman’s throw to second base sailed into left field, allowing Machado to advance to third. The error was exacerbated by Machado’s questionable positioning near the basepath, but the call stood, leaving Buehler and the Dodgers in a tough spot.
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The defensive woes continued one batter later. Buehler induced a grounder that had the potential to be an inning-ending double play. However, instead of tossing to second to ensure one out, Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas opted to step on the bag himself and threw late to first base. Rojas’s decision backfired, as the Padres ended up with two runners safe and no outs recorded on the play.
The Padres capitalized on the Dodgers’ mistakes, racking up four more hits and taking a commanding 6-1 lead by the end of the inning. Buehler, clearly frustrated, finally managed to get the third out but stormed into the dugout, visibly upset.
Cameras caught him taking his anger out on equipment while his teammates gave him space, acknowledging his understandable fury over the defensive breakdowns.
To add insult to injury, none of the runs were ruled unearned, despite the fielding blunders. Officially recorded as fielder’s choice plays rather than errors, the defensive miscues meant that Buehler was held accountable for every one of the six runs allowed. What could have been a quick inning had the Dodgers’ defense executed cleanly turned into a nightmare for the pitcher.
The Dodgers ultimately lost the game 6-5, putting them down 2-1 in the series. For Buehler, the outing was especially painful, as the misplays behind him contributed to a loss that could have gone very differently had the defense been sharper.
