Walker Buehler Makes History by Leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series

Dave Roberts was already exhausted, leaving himself with few options as he tried to get the Los Angeles Dodgers to the finish line.

The manager used six relief pitchers in the first eight innings of Game 5. Jack Flaherty’s lackluster debutand this was 24 hours after using four in game 4. The New York Yankees were knocking on the door late in the ninth quarter and Roberts needed someone to step up and help the Dodgers take a 7-6 lead.

With no more reliable relievers to turn to, Roberts opted for a starter, Walker Buehler.

Who is Buehler? We got the victory in the 3rd match On Monday, with one day of rest, he suddenly had the weight of an entire team on his shoulders. The 30-year-old righty made the most of this big moment and cemented his place in baseball history in the process.

After forcing Anthony Volpe off the field, Buehler struck out Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo. This gave Buehler his first save since 2017 — when he was still in Triple-A — as well as the second championship ring of his career.

“I felt like I weighed about 15 pounds,” Buehler said. “I wish I was in a little better shape so my heart could handle it better, but it worked.”

Buehler became the eighth pitcher to get a win and a save as a starting pitcher in the same postseason series since saves became official in 1969. Sarah Langs from MLB.com. He became the fourth man to do so in the World Series.

Madison Bumgarner was the last player to achieve this feat, doing so with the San Francisco Giants in 2014. Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter did it with the Oakland Athletics in 1974, and Jack Billingham did it with the Cincinnati Reds in 1972.

Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery midway through 2022 and ultimately missed the entire 2023 season. He did not return to the major league pitching staff until May 2024, going just 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA, 1.553 WHIP, and -1.3 WAR in 16 starts during the regular season when he was healthy.

However, in the postseason, Buehler returned to his pre-injury form. He went 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.133 WHIP in October, so it was only fitting that he could close things out for the Dodgers.

Buehler is set to become a free agent this winter. Considering everything he’s done for Los Angeles over the last nine years — especially Wednesday night — he’s ascended to legend status in the Dodgers’ history books no matter what happens next.

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