MILWAUKEE — Walker Buehler is still waiting to make his triumphant return.
Buehler has been activated from the injured list twice this season – once following his recovery from a second Tommy John surgery and Wednesday, following an eight-week absence to let a hip injury heal (and afford him time to hopefully recalibrate his delivery).
The second comeback looked a lot like the first. Buehler made it through just 3⅓ innings, getting no help from his defense – or the home plate umpire – and let a three-run headstart slip away. The Dodgers rallied to tie but lost, 5-4.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak and allowed the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks to move within 2½ games in the National League West after both won earlier in the day.
Seven of the nine runs scored Wednesday were unearned in a game as messy as a Cheezy Joe – the hybrid grilled cheese-sloppy joe sandwich sold at a local restaurant that defines the flavor profile of Wisconsin culinary ingenuity.
And Buehler’s night fit right in.
He gave up four runs but only one was earned thanks to errors by shortstop Nick Ahmed and third baseman Kiké Hernandez. But he also got excellent plays from Kevin Kiermaier in center field and Freddie Freeman at first base that helped limit the damage done by the Brewers.
Kiermaier’s play came in a first inning that started with three consecutive walks by Buehler. Aided by home plate umpire David Rackley’s vision of the strike zone, Buehler’s first 17 pitches included just five strikes.
But Kiermaier handled William Contreras’ bases-loaded fly ball to medium depth center field and fired a 99-mph bullet home to Austin Barnes. Barnes blocked the plate and tagged Brice Turang out for the double play – which surprisingly held up when Brewers manager Pat Murphy didn’t challenge the call for obstruction.
Buehler gave up just three hits. But one of them was a solo home run by Jake Bauers and Buehler also walked four. His 87 pitches produced just five swings-and-misses by Brewers batters.
The Brewers took the lead in the fourth inning when Garrett Mitchell drew that fourth walk off Buehler, stole second then moved to third on Freeman’s play. The first baseman stretched out to grab Sal Frelick’s bouncer down the line then spun and threw to Buehler covering first base. Frelick was called safe but the Dodgers challenged and the play was overturned on replay.
With the score tied and a runner at third, the Dodgers played the infield in and Buehler got Joey Ortiz to chop a ball toward Hernandez at third base. He didn’t field it cleanly and Mitchell scored the go-ahead run.
The Dodgers escaped further damage that inning – thanks to Clayton Kershaw.
Anthony Banda came in to face Turang and gave up a line drive that bounced off the foul line and into the left field corner. Ortiz reached third and Turang checked in at second base with an apparent double.
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But Dave Roberts emerged from the Dodgers’ dugout, marched to the mound and told Banda not to throw another pitch. Instead, the Dodgers appealed to second base where Ortiz had been deked into sliding and starting back toward first base. When he realized his mistake, he didn’t re-touch second base before heading to third.
Kershaw had noticed the blunder from the dugout and Ortiz was called out on the appeal, changing the inning and allowing the Dodgers to stay within a run, 4-3.
While the Dodgers’ bullpen kept things in check, the Dodgers tied the score in the seventh inning on a two-out, pinch-hit RBI single by Miguel Rojas.
But Brent Honeywell Jr. hit the No. 9 hitter (Ortiz) to start the bottom of the seventh. Turang bunted him to second base and Evan Phillips came in to face Jackson Chourio.
Chourio dumped a soft single into right field. Playing his third game in right field this season, Mookie Betts charged the ball. Ortiz hesitated at third but headed home with the go-ahead run when Betts fumbled the ball for the Dodgers’ third error of the game.
More to come on this story.