Walker set the proper pace for game one

Phil Gurnee ♦ October 4, 2019 ♦ Leave a comment

Dave Roberts had a good game on Thursday Night, but his best call was the most important. Dave went with Walker Buehler to start game one, and Walker didn’t disappoint, hurling the Dodgers to a 6 – 0 victory.

How good was Walker Buehler? Only eight pitchers have given up zero runs, one hit or less and had at least eight strikeouts in postseason history.

Player              Age       Date Series Gm#  Tm Opp   Rslt  IP H ER BB SO GSc
Walker Buehler   25.067 2019-10-03   NLDS   1 LAD WSN  W 6-0 6.0 1  0  3  8  75
Pedro Martinez   27.351 1999-10-11   ALDS   5 BOS CLE W 12-8 6.0 0  0  3      8
Mike Mussina     28.311 1997-10-15   ALCS   6 BAL CLE  L 0-1 8.0 1  0  2 10  88
Tom Glavine      29.217 1995-10-28     WS   6 ATL CLE  W 1-0 8.0 1  0  3  8  85
Anibal Sanchez   29.227 2013-10-12   ALCS   1 DET BOS  W 1-0 6.0 0  0  6 12  78
Moe Drabowsky    31.076 1966-10-05     WS   1 BAL LAD  W 5-2 6.2 1  0  2     11
Roy Halladay     33.145 2010-10-06   NLDS   1 PHI CIN  W 4-0 9.0 0  0  1  8  94
Roger Clemens    38.071 2000-10-14   ALCS   4 NYY SEA  W 5-0 9.0 1  0  2 15  98

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/4/2019.

You have to hate and love that Moe Drabowsky is on this list with the greatest relief appearance in World Series history when he shut out the 1966 Dodgers getting twenty outs, giving up one hit, and struck out eleven.

Walker only went six innings before handing the ball off to Kolarek, Kenta, and Kelly. Kolarek had one job, get Juan Soto and to the surprise of most Dodger fans who have seen the LOOGY not do that job, Kolarek did his job, making a great hitter look silly. Kenta got his five outs and Joe Kelly finished up.

The offense got four walks in the first inning for a run but was sputtering with a 2 – 0 lead when Max Muncy got the biggest hit of the night a legit two run single with the bases loaded to give the Dodgers a 4  run lead and allowed Dodger fans to finally exhale.

Joc Pederson and Gavin Lux would hit solo home runs for the final 6 – 0 victory.

For Lux:

Rookie Gavin Lux didn’t have time to be nervous before his first career postseason plate appearance. Then he became the youngest Dodger to ever homer in the postseason. https://t.co/jRfpi4lF4z

— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) October 4, 2019

Per MLB At 21 years, 314 days old, Lux is the fourth-youngest player in MLB history to homer in his postseason debut. Only Jimmy Sebring (1903), Brian McCann (2005) and Rougned Odor (2015) were younger.

Joc Pederson brought the crowd to their feet when he crushed a foul pole home run and now has seven postseason home runs.

Joc Pederson is tied for third all-time in #Dodgers franchise history for postseason homers (7).

This is their 47th postseason series as a franchise.

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) October 4, 2019

The home run

If you missed it last night, Joc Pederson tried to literally topple a foul pole with a homer.

pic.twitter.com/y3M1fMCelU

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 4, 2019