Walker Buehler, the Dodgers pitcher, could not have scripted a finer first career save.
Buehler, who missed the entire 2023 season due to a second Tommy John surgery, struck out two in a spotless ninth inning to secure the World Series victory over the Yankees in Game 5 on Wednesday.
It was Buehler’s first relief appearance since his debut season in 2018.
Following the victory, the unexpected hero sent a message to all of the critics who saw the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series title differently because of the truncated COVID-19 season.
Following a 60-game regular season, the Dodgers defeated Tampa Bay in a neutral-site World Series in 2020. The pandemic also prevented them from attending a parade.
“Obviously for me, two years off and two operations is a lot for our organization. “We deserve this,” Buehler said MLB on FOX. “We’ve been playing pretty terrific baseball for many years. Everybody speaks about 2020 and whatever, but they can’t say much about it right now.”
According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Buehler is only the second pitcher to win a World Series game as a starter and subsequently save the clinching since saves became legal in 1969. Madison Bumgarner first accomplished the feat in 2014 with the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers have won their eighth title and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles.
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