Red Sox' Walker Buehler, World Series hero for Dodgers, to receive ring in reunion Friday

Boston Globe

4 days ago

Buehler doesn't want any hoopla, though. Instead of a public, on-field moment — which is common in these situations — Buehler communicated to the Dodgers that they should 'just hand it to me' privately. He suspects
Clayton Kershaw
and perhaps manager
Dave Roberts
will be tasked with the delivery.
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'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.'
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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.
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'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.
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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.
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Tim Healey can be reached at