Red Sox' Walker Buehler, World Series hero for Dodgers, to receive ring in reunion Friday
Clayton Kershaw
and perhaps manager
Dave Roberts
will be tasked with the delivery.
Advertisement
'I haven't seen any of those guys in a long time, so it'll be fun,' Buehler said. 'I told them I just want them to bring it over. I don't want a whole thing.'
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
After a decade in the organization, including eight seasons in the majors, Buehler's last moment in a Dodgers uniform came in the clinching Game 5 against the Yankees. On one day of rest, he appeared out of the bullpen to toss a perfect ninth inning, striking out
Alex Verdugo
for the final out.
It was a fitting conclusion to Buehler's time as an October stalwart for a perennial contender. His lifetime postseason numbers include a 10-3 record, 3.04 ERA, and 114 strikeouts in 94⅔ innings across 19 games.
That title felt different, Buehler said, than 2020, when the Dodgers won it all in the pandemic-shortened season.
Advertisement
'I said it literally five minutes after the game: Nobody can say [expletive] about this one,' he said.
Reminiscing and reunions aside, the Dodgers will be another tough matchup for Buehler, who owns a 5.72 ERA this season but has been better lately. They lead the majors with 5.31 runs per game.
'This team is a good litmus test for where you're at,' Buehler said. 'The new thing in baseball is being extremely disciplined and hitting the ball for power. Honestly, they're probably the best team in the game at doing that, taking walks and hitting homers. So, you've got to throw strikes and try to get guys who don't miss much to miss … or keep them in the ballpark when they're guys who know how to hit homers.'
Related
:
Manager
Alex Cora
said: 'He grew up as a Dodger, won two [World Series] with them. He was really good with them. I bet there's going to be a lot of emotions. But talking to him, he's downplaying it. He's trying to help us get to the next level. That's why he signed with us. What we have seen the last two, three [starts], he's getting to the point where every five days, it's going to be fun.'
Answering the call
In the seventh inning against the Phillies on Wednesday night, when the bullpen doors opened and the closer emerged, the Red Sox' season reached a new, more urgent, perhaps more desperate stage.
Advertisement
Cora called on
Aroldis Chapman
for four outs, the first time in more than a year that the lefthander went more than an inning.
Just a day prior, Cora said he didn't want to do that with Chapman yet because 'it's too early,' but he would eventually.
'It's July 22,' Cora said Tuesday. 'This guy is very important for us. He's done an amazing job so far. And we expect him to keep going that way. When the time comes, we'll do it.'
The time came in an
J.T. Realmuto
with two outs in the eighth but said he felt strong in the outing — in which he threw just 14 pitches — and is ready to handle more than an inning more often in a playoff push.
Chapman hasn't done that much lately. Including Wednesday, he has just five appearances of more than three outs in the last seven regular seasons.
In the four years before that, he did it 15 times.
Chapman said he has not discussed it with Cora.
'And I don't think there is a need for [a conversation],' Chapman said through an interpreter. 'The game situation will dictate when they need me. I'll be ready for that situation.'
Marquee matchup
Highlighting the Dodgers-Red Sox pitching probables is a duel of lefthanders Saturday night:
Garrett Crochet
vs. Kershaw. On Friday, it'll be
Brayan Bello
and
Emmet Sheehan
. On Sunday, Buehler vs.
Dustin May
…
Shohei Ohtani
is slated only to hit during the series … Roberts told reporters in Los Angeles that
Mookie Betts
might not be with the team Friday to tend to a personal matter.
Advertisement
Tim Healey can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dodgers get important Blake Snell, Max Muncy injury updates
The post Dodgers get important Blake Snell, Max Muncy injury updates appeared first on ClutchPoints. As the July 31 MLB trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Dodgers are getting closer to a different kind of boost — key reinforcements from the injured list. Two of the most significant updates involve left-handed pitcher Blake Snell and infielder Max Muncy, both of whom are trending in the right direction and could rejoin the team soon. Blake Snell, who's been out with a shoulder issue since June, is scheduled to make what could be his final rehab start on Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The reigning NL Cy Young winner is expected to throw around five innings or 75 pitches in what will be his fourth rehab outing. In his three previous appearances across multiple levels of the Dodgers' minor league system, Snell has impressed. He's posted a 2.00 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and an eye-popping 17:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over nine innings. In his most recent outing last Sunday, he stretched out to 58 pitches over four innings, showing progress in both workload and effectiveness. The Dodgers are looking to get active at the trade deadline amid a flurry of injuries Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that Saturday's start could be a turning point. 'Once we get through that, there will be a real discussion on if he should join us or do another one,' Roberts said earlier this week. Assuming Snell comes through Saturday's outing without issue, he could slot back into the Dodgers' rotation during next weekend's series against the Tampa Bay Rays — a timely addition for a staff still dealing with injuries to key arms. Meanwhile, Max Muncy's recovery from a bone bruise in his left knee is ahead of schedule. The slugging third baseman has ramped up baseball activities in recent days, including taking ground balls and hitting on the field. Tuesday marked a significant milestone, as Muncy participated in on-field batting practice for the first time since his injury. Roberts revealed that Muncy is headed to the team's facility in Arizona to face live pitching. 'Max is going to go to Arizona and take live at-bats for a few days,' Roberts said. 'As we get through the weekend we'll see where he's at to potentially go on rehab the next week.' The Dodgers have managed to maintain their lead in the NL West despite a wave of injuries, and the potential return of both Snell and Muncy could give them a major lift as they head into the home stretch of the regular season. While trade deadline rumors swirl around bullpen upgrades, internal additions like these could be just as impactful. With the returns of Blake Treinen and Roki Sasaki also on the horizon, the Dodgers appear poised to rearm in time for another deep October run. Related: Dodgers' Mookie Betts gets expected return date from Dave Roberts Related: Dodgers' perfect Emmanuel Clase trade proposal to Guardians
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
CC Sabathia's Hall of Fame induction reminder of enduring impact on Yankees culture
COOPERSTOWN — When Brian Cashman recruited CC Sabathia to play in New York prior to the 2009 season, he knew it would take more than just the promise of trying to win and a giant contract. 'I told him and Amber [Sabathia's wife] we would make them comfortable in New York,'' Cashman said Sunday, just prior to Sabathia's induction speech. 'I looked him in the eye — and threw a ton of money at him — but I knew he wasn't sure about playing in New York. I think we both fulfilled our promise. He became a Hall of Fame pitcher and he and his family were just fine in New York. We both fulfilled our promise.' If Sabathia's speech Sunday was any indication, Cashman's approach was the right one, since the big lefty spent nearly his entire 12-minute speech thanking the women in his life, from his wife to his mother Margie, both of whom were in attendance, to his grandmother and many aunts. While Sabathia noted that he'd shown his appreciation for his father Corky, who died early in Sabathia's career, he went out of his way to tell stories about people he believed may have been overshadowed. 6 CC Sabathia looking at his Hall of Fame Plaque during the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, New York on July 27. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post From throwing grapefruits in his grandmother's backyard as a youngster, which is where Sabathia said he first 'realized I could throw hard,' Sabathia consistently brought up 'the village of women who raised me … and a few times literally saved me.' It was his mother, Sabathia said, who taught him to become a fan of the game and brought the native of Vallejo, Calif., to A's games at the Oakland Coliseum, where Sabathia watched the 1989 World Series-winning team that included fellow Hall of Fame inductee Dave Parker, who died just a month before the ceremony. His father helped teach Sabathia the game, but Margie was a significant part of his growth, as well. 'My mom loved the game, too,'' Sabathia said. 'She'd put the catching gear on and catch me in the backyard. My mom is the reason I'm a baseball fan. And fans turn into players who sometimes turn into Hall of Famers.' 6 CC Sabathia speaking during the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 6 CC Sabathia's plaque that will hang in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Sabathia's path to Cooperstown began in Cleveland, where he spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career after being a first-round pick of the organization in 1998. And he solidified his status as an ace in 2008, after being traded to Milwaukee, where he consistently pitched on short rest to lead the Brewers to the postseason — even with free agency approaching. But it was in The Bronx where Sabathia cemented his Hall of Fame credentials, pitching the final 11 seasons of his career and leading the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title. 6 CC Sabathia posing for a photo after the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 'We had a very high assessment of him as a pitcher and that was obviously met, even before he was a Hall of Famer,'' Cashman said. Cashman credited Sabathia for changing the culture of the team at the time. 'I thought we had, in some ways, a broken clubhouse, and he had a reputation as a connector,'' Cashman said. 'He made a fantastic impact.' That impact continues today, with his former teammates still citing Sabathia as an example for how they play. 6 Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia throws a pitch during a game against the Rangers on Oct. 20, 2010. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post 6 CC Sabathia reacts after getting out of trouble in the 6th inning in an ALCS game against the Rangers in 2010. Neil Miller Prior to his IL stint, Aaron Judge said Sabathia's performance in 2019, when he pitched out of the bullpen in the postseason until his shoulder gave out, is a reason why he puts his body at risk in the outfield. 'Watching him go out there hurt and then basically throw until his arm came off, you can't help but be motivated by that,'' Judge said of Sabathia, who entered Game 4 of the ALCS against the Astros while pitching with left shoulder soreness and walked off the mound with a subluxation of his left shoulder. 'That last run was a great example,'' Judge said. 'He threw literally until he couldn't throw anymore. I'll never forget that. We didn't finish it that year, but he knew if we were gonna get there, it was gonna take all of your body and soul.' And on Sunday, it landed Sabathia in the Hall of Fame.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Galt little league team earns trip to Cal Ripken World Series, seeks community help to get there
The eight-and-under Galt all-stars baseball team is getting ready to slide into the Cal Ripken World Series next month all the way in New Jersey. Everyone is pitching in to try and get the Galt All-Stars to the eight under Cal Ripken World Series in New Jersey. This is only the second time in Galt's sports history that a team is headed to the big stage, and parents and coaches are calling on the community to get them there. "Last year we got beat," said Coach Richard Savage. "I didn't think we were regional champs, I hoped that we would be competitive." Savage is using his own personal baseball diamond to teach his all-stars, now under eight regional champions. "But in the end, whoever has their best game on their best day ends up winning, and that's us," Savage said. "Couple coaches joked about it on Sunday, and on Monday, I had an invitation." An invitation to the World Series as Pacific Southwest Regional Champions. "A lot of 'em didn't know there was such thing as world series. They thought that was it, we did it," he said. "We threw it out to the parents and they said all in, and they said all in. Most of 'em said it's a once-in-a-lifetime, and we said all in." A team of 12 is getting the chance to put Galt on the map. "There's a team from China, across the pond, a team from Mexico, it's a world series," he said. But now there's the catch of paying to get to New Jersey. "Nobody thought last week we'd be spending four grand to fly across the country," Savage said. "We all know we're going to have to come out of pocket. We're not asking for a free ride, we just need some help." Savage and coaches calling for the community to pinch hit their hopes and get them to play ball. "Cross country just to play baseball is going to be huge for them," he said. "They fight back, never give up, that's what's great about this group of 8-year-olds." Savage said there will be a fundraising event on Thursday in Galt where people can come out and support the team to make their field of dreams become a reality. Savage said there will be a fundraising event on Friday at Back Alleys in Galt, where people can come out and support the team to make their field of dreams become a reality. They also have an online fundraiser.
