Walker Buehler Channels Lesson From Dodgers Legend to Help Padres Keep Winning

Walker Buehler's growth was influenced by a Dodgers legend.

Aug 6, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Walker Buehler (10) walks to the dugout after the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler is coming off a standout performance on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Buehler earned his seventh win of the season by allowing just one run over six innings of work. The Friars came out on top in dominant 11-2 fashion.

At the time, that win extended their win streak to four, and after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers, the Padres were in a wild-card position.

Things are looking up for the Padres and Buehler. He's appeared to find his groove after a tough July, and in his outing on Tuesday, he gave credit to Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw.

After the win on Tuesday in which Buehler pitched with a big lead, he said he knew just what to do thanks to the help from the future Hall of Famer.

“Coming up as a young guy, I had a left-hander in LA that would if I missed 0-0 anything with a lead like that, he would kind of come down on you pretty good,” Buehler said. “So that’s kind of the one and only thing that I carry along, is when you have a lead, you’ve got to throw 0-0 strikes.”

Buehler's outing on Tuesday marked the first time in 11 outings that he successfully completed six full innings.

Walker Buehler's Respect for Clayton Kershaw Runs Deep

Buehler started his career in Los Angeles as the Dodgers drafted him in the first round with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.

The 32-year-old spent eight seasons with the Dodgers and played in seven of them. Buehler was under Kershaw's wing for his entire tenure.

Buehler has always had a fondness for Kershaw. However, at the start of their relationship, Buehler admitted that Kershaw's intense work ethic and presence made him feel uneasy and intimidated.

He's also noted that watching Kershaw's preparation and standard for excellence shaped his own expectations for pitching deep into games and handling that type of workload.

After the 2024 World Series, when Buehler recorded the final three outs in Game 5 against the New York Yankees, he said he was channeling his inner Clayton Kershaw.

“For me, honestly, the first thing I said was, ‘What would 22 do?” Buehler said to Mookie Betts during an episode of the outfielder’s On Base podcast. “Twenty-two would be out there and he was hurt and all that sh-t so I guess I had to f—ing do it.”

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