Walker Buehler delivered an outstanding performance on the mound, allowing one run and three hits while collecting 10 strikeouts.
Walker Buehler wore a blue sweatshirt in the dugout and the contented smile of someone who had successfully completed his job. He had just provided the Los Angeles Dodgers with a commanding pitching performance worthy of the franchise’s legendary aces, and his teammates had done equally well on offense. The result was a 6-2 win on Friday over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the World Series at Globe Life Field that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 advantage in the Series. Game 4 is set for Saturday night at the same stadium. The roof at Globe Life Field — where all of the games are being played to limit travel and reduce the likelihood of transmitting the coronavirus — was closed because of inclement weather. The other things that changed were the uniforms and the batting order. The Dodgers, who were the home team in Games 1 and 2, switched to their road grays and batted first, while the Rays switched to their home whites and batted second. It did not matter much where they batted in this game, because Buehler was almost impenetrable. With a fiery fastball and excellent location, he did not allow a hit until Manuel Margot’s double into the left-field corner with one out in the fifth inning, at which point he had faced the minimum number of batters.
