World Series: It’s why he’s called ‘Big-Game Buehler’

by Cary Osborne

After every rung the Dodgers successfully climbed in the 2024 postseason, the bullpen’s clubhouse champagne celebrations would include a group photo.

When the Dodgers won the National League Championship Series they called out for utilityman Kiké Hernández to join the photo.

Hernández made four pitching appearances in mop-up duty in blowout games during the regular season.

After winning the World Series, the relief crew collectively chanted “Kiké, Kiké, Kiké,” to get him to join the final photo of the season. True to his humorous nature, he got on the plastic tarp that protected the Yankee Stadium visitors’ clubhouse carpeting from liquid and literally slithered on it through a throng of media to join the group.

The bullpen was not complete.

They implored one more Dodger to join them.

“Walker, Walker, Walker,” they chanted.

Walker Buehler earned the final three outs in World Series Game 5 on Wednesday night, coming out of the Yankee Stadium bullpen two days after starting, throwing five shutout innings and winning Game 3.

He was inducted into the bullpen on Wednesday. And he was also cemented into Dodger postseason legendary status for his performance, retiring all three batters he faced including former teammate Alex Verdugo, who struck out to end the game and clinch a title for the Dodgers.

“That was amazing,” said Dodger reliever Daniel Hudson. “I knew as soon as (Buehler) walked down there he was going to finish it out.”

The plan for Wednesday didn’t include Buehler. Buehler’s plan for the rest of the World Series was to start a Game 7 if it got to that point.

But Dodger starter Jack Flaherty was out of the game in the second inning, forcing Dave Roberts to make difficult choice after difficult choice to keep the Dodgers afloat in hopes that the offense would turn a 5–0 deficit.

That meant the Dodgers using every high-leverage reliever they had through the sixth inning — the point when Blake Treinen, who has been the closest thing to the Dodgers’ closer this postseason, entered. There was no way Treinen was going to go three innings. He hadn’t pitched at least three innings in a game since April 18, 2018.

The Dodgers were still 10 outs away from 27 outs when Treinen entered the game.

But around that time, Buehler told Roberts he was available if needed.

It was a page out of his friend and sometimes mentor Orel Hershiser’s book. Hershiser pitched seven innings in Game 4 of the 1988 NLCS, then he finished off the Mets in the 12th inning of Game 5 after he came out of the bullpen to get the final out. It was a page out of his longtime teammate Clayton Kershaw’s book. Kershaw went 6 2/3 innings against Washington in the Dodgers’ NL Division Series Game 4 win, then finished off the series two days later by coming out of the bullpen to get the final two outs of the game.

Treinen went 2 1/3 innings — scoreless. It was his longest outing since that April 18, 2018 games He struck out Anthony Rizzo with two on to end the eighth inning.

With the Dodgers leading 7–6 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, in walked Buehler.

“Just pumped. Pumped for it,” was Treinen’s reaction. “He’s an electric pitcher. He’s pitched in the biggest moments in this organization for the last decade. So he’s a phenomenal pitcher. He’s always had the ability to lock down and bear down when the moments get tough. And you can go back and look at his postseason resume, and it’s pretty dang good.”

Especially in the World Series. Across three World Series ­ — 2018, 2020 and 2024 — he allowed one run in a combined 18 innings. The Dodgers won every game.

Then Wednesday, he added to his postseason resume. He earned the first save of his postseason career. It was the first save of his Major League career.

And after he struck out Verdugo and stood — chest out, arms out, stone-faced — he created the image that will forever be remembered in Dodger history.