The Los Angeles Dodgers are inching closer to a world title. On Friday, Justin Turner and Austin Barnes hit home runs while Walker Buehler struck out 10 to give the Dodgers the 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the World Series. Game 4 air tonight on Fox, with the first pitch set at 8:08 p.m. ET.
The Dodgers now have a 2-1 lead over the Rays in the World Series thanks to Buehler’s history-making performance. According to MLB.com, Buehler is the youngest pitcher with a 10-strikeout performance in the World Series since Josh Beckett in 2003. He now has 17 strikeouts in two World Series starts, and his teammates have been very impressed with his poise.
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“The fastball command was incredible,” Turner said. “And just the way he pitches and attacks and how aggressive he is, going right at guys. He’ll mix in the cutter or the slider or mix in the curveball to lefties, but he pitches with his fastball, and he’s aggressive with it. It is what it is. You know he’s going to throw it, and he says, ‘Hit it if you can.’ He got a lot of swings and misses with it tonight.” Rays manager Kevin Cash tipped his hat to Buehler, saying his fastball was on point.
“You can see the fastball just popping through the zone,” Cash said. “He spun a couple breaking balls. But other than just a few breaking balls here or there, it was very much a ‘here it is, hit it’ approach. You totally understand and appreciate why he’s so talented and destined probably for a lot of success.”
The Rays were hoping to get a strong outing from pitcher Charlie Morton, a two-time All-Star who helped the Astros win the World Series in 2017. However, the Dodgers got to him early, which led to the Rays trailing 5-0 by the fourth inning.
“I just never got into a groove,” Morton said after the game. “I never really felt comfortable out there, which even in a playoff game, I’m able to eventually get there if I don’t get there early. I just never did. Just combine that with who [the Dodgers] are with the bat, and it made for a rough night.”
