Walker Buehler struggles early in his sixth start back since recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the offense is unable to string anything together in a 4-1 loss.
Los Angeles— It appeared to be the ideal position for the Dodgers to build on the momentum they regained at the end of a six-game road trip.
Put Walker Buehler on the mound against the Colorado Rockies, an opponent they’ve dominated at home in recent years, to get the limited three-game homestand off to a good start before returning to the road.
So much for it.
Buehler allowed three earned runs, the Dodgers’ offense labored for much of the game, and they lost 4-1 on Friday.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expected greater command from Buehler in his fifth start since undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in August 2022, but it was clear early on that this would be an issue again. Buehler allowed doubles to the first two batters he faced before drawing a one-out walk to load the bases. However, Buehler replied by striking out Kris Bryant and Brendan Rodgers, allowing him to escape unscathed.
Buehler did not fare as well when he encountered Bryant and Rodgers with runners in scoring position again in the third inning. Bryant singled to left to start the scoring, and Rodgers hit a two-run single to make it 3-0 after Andy Pages missed the bouncing ball in the outfield.
Things got worse in the fourth when Ezequiel Tovar tagged Buehler for a solo home run 410 feet into center field for a 4-0 advantage.
Buehler (1-3) pitched six innings, allowing six hits and four walks while striking out seven. He has allowed three earned runs in four of his five appearances this season.
It didn’t help that the Dodgers couldn’t muster much offense against Dakota Hudson, who entered with a 1-7 record but allowed one run and four hits in seven innings.
Throughout seven innings, the offense failed to advance a runner past first base.
The eighth was a different story, beginning with Gavin Lux’s double. The Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs in the top of their order, and Mookie Betts hit into a double play, allowing them to score one run. To put a stop to the menace, Freddie Freeman struck out swinging. Many fans appeared to have had enough after watching Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freeman go 0 for 11 with one walk.
The Dodgers finished the ninth inning quietly, with Will Smith grounding out, Teoscar Hernández striking out looking, and Kiké Hernández lining out.