Walker Buehler Took Out Frustrations On Dodgers' Dugout During Game 3 Loss

Buehler was not pleased after surrendering six earned runs in the second inning of Tuesday's game.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler throws a pitch in the first inning against the San Diego Padres during Game 3 of the NLDS at Petco Park. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers' dugout felt the wrath of starting pitcher Walker Buehler on Tuesday night. Buehler, making just his eighth start since returning from a rehab assignment in August, cruised through a blemish-free first inning before hitting a big speed bump in the second frame.

After surrendering a leadoff single to Padres third baseman Manny Machado, Buehler got outfielder Jackson Merrill to hit a grounder to first in what looked like a surefire double play for the Dodgers. But first baseman Freddie Freeman’s throw hit Machado in the helmet after Machado appeared to intentionally angle his running lane to make the throw difficult, and everyone was safe.

In the next at-bat, another ground ball, this time to shortstop Miguel Rojas, failed to result in a double play, and the tying run scored. A two-run double, an infield single, a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer later, the Padres had spotted six runs on the scoreboard, and a frustrated Buehler took out his anger on the dugout.

Walker Buehler visibly frustrated in the Dodgers dugout. pic.twitter.com/0HnEcIWH7a

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It's hard to blame Buehler, given how the inning went. Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez belted a grand slam in the top of the third inning to cut the San Diego lead to just one run, but that proved not to be enough in San Diego’s 6–5 win. Buehler took the loss after exiting the game with five innings pitched and seven hits, six earned runs and a walk on his ledger.

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