The Los Angeles Dodgers secured the NL West title on Thursday night with an impressive 7–2 victory over the San Diego Padres. The offense was firing on all cylinders, tallying 11 hits, and the top of the batting order once again delivered. However, the most significant performance of the night came from starting pitcher Walker Buehler, who provided much-needed stability on the mound.
Buehler Steps Up in Crucial Moment
Walker Buehler tossed five strong innings, allowing just one earned run and throwing 71 pitches to lower his season ERA to 5.38. While his overall numbers this year haven’t been ideal, Buehler’s performance on Thursday was exactly what the Dodgers needed as they head into the postseason.
With injuries to key pitchers Gavin Stone and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers are relying on Buehler to step up in their absence. The 30-year-old has struggled at times this season, but his outing against San Diego was a positive sign heading into the playoffs.
A Season of Struggles for Buehler
Buehler has pitched 75.1 innings this season, posting a career-low 7.65 strikeouts per nine innings, a 70.3% left-on-base rate, and a 45.5% ground ball rate. He’s also allowing 1.91 home runs per nine innings with an 18.8% home run-to-fly ball ratio. With a -0.2 WAR, Buehler has been a net negative for much of the season, but his performance in September has shown some improvement.
One of the most concerning aspects of Buehler’s game has been his lack of swings and misses. He ranks in just the 9th percentile in chase rate and 7th percentile in whiff rate, which means opposing hitters are making contact far too often. His fastball velocity remains decent, but without generating more strikeouts, he’ll need to find other ways to be effective in the postseason.
Buehler’s Fastball Woes
A major issue for Buehler this season has been his four-seam fastball, which hitters are batting .342 against. This pitch makes up 29% of his arsenal, but its effectiveness has significantly diminished. If Buehler is to be a reliable option in the Dodgers’ playoff rotation, he will need to make adjustments, as relying too heavily on contact plays into the hands of opposing offenses.
Dodgers’ Playoff Rotation in Flux
With the Dodgers’ rotation in shambles due to injuries, Buehler’s role becomes even more critical. Despite his struggles, he will need to deliver performances like Thursday’s in the postseason. The Dodgers still have Jack Flaherty and rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who are expected to lead the rotation in the NLDS. Fortunately, by winning the division, Los Angeles skips the Wild Card round, giving them extra time to fine-tune their pitching staff for the playoffs.
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Looking Ahead
The Dodgers will need their rotation to step up in the playoffs, and Buehler’s performance on Thursday is a good starting point. If he can build on this momentum and refine his game, the Dodgers might have a chance to overcome their pitching issues and make a deep postseason run.