Inside The Dodgers

Walker Buehler Didn't Mince Words On His Performance For Dodgers Against Colorado

Maren Angus-Coombs

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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The Los Angeles Dodgers returned home on Friday to open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies and looked very similar to the team that was on a five-game losing streak before sweeping the New York Mets.

Colorado won 4-1 in front of a crowd of 47,542 at Dodger Stadium.

Walker Buehler made his fifth start since returning from his second Tommy John surgery giving up four runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking four. He took the loss and fell to 1-3 on the season with a 4.32 ERA.

Buehler's trouble on Friday began early when the Rockies loaded the bases with one out in the first inning. He escaped unscathed but needed to 28 to escape the jam.

“The first inning was a long, tough inning,” Buehler told reporters after the game. “You’re happy to get out of that kind of unscathed, but it’s deflating for our team when you have a first inning like that. You want to come home from a road trip and build momentum, and I did the opposite of that.”

Manager Dave Roberts was pleased with Buehler's performance saying that getting through six innings was "a win in itself." However, Buehler doesn't feel the same. He didn't want to talk about moral victories. He wants to win ballgames.

“Physically, I’ve probably exceeded where I thought I was gonna be, but performance-wise, I feel like [crap],” Buehler said when asked to assess his overall performance after five starts. “I’m not anywhere close to where I want to be.

“You think with a layoff like that, you’re not gonna have the same expectations you always have, but when you start tallying these starts, it’s kind of put-up or shut-up time for me, at least mentally, and these last two obviously haven’t been good enough.”

His next start is likely scheduled to be in Pittsburgh.

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Maren Angus-Coombs

MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite growing up in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer at the LA Sports Report Network.

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