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MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS RED SOX

October 25, 2018

Walker Buehler

Los Angeles, California - Workout Day

Q. A lot of pressure was on that Game 7 of the NLCS, how does that pressure, is it similar, is it higher?
WALKER BUEHLER: This is why we play. So I guess good pressure.

Q. Playing by the new rules, coming back here, how much of a difference does that make for you? I don't want to say it's easier, but you don't have to worry about the DH. What are your feelings facing a loaded lineup?
WALKER BUEHLER: That's a good team over there, one through 25. And especially one through nine in their lineup. And obviously one of those guys being out helps us and kind of brings us back to our normal baseball. But at the same time it's the same game, it's just a little bit different rules. So hopefully can take advantage of that.

But we've also got to beat them straight up and kind of on the field.

Q. What can these first two games against the Red Sox, you obviously didn't see during the regular season, did you learn anything from watching those hitters?
WALKER BUEHLER: You know, it's kind of an interesting deal. You're in the World Series and it's hard to say you really learn that these guys are for real. But we don't play these teams. And we don't play many teams that play them. So it's hard to kind of stack up how good they are.

Yeah, obviously they played really good baseball the past two days and we're planning on playing really good baseball for as long as it takes. So obviously that's a good team to get where they got and we'll try to win a couple games here.

Q. In baseball you try to keep everything the same, but was that plane ride any different flying all the way across the country today knowing that it's a World Series and coming back here?
WALKER BUEHLER: I mean, yeah, you've been involved in two games. So I think the plane ride from Milwaukee to Boston is probably a little more of a movie scene plane ride you're talking about. This feels different. It's a seven-game series, and now it's a five-game series. So I think it's pretty much the same as a normal kind of feeling. But at the same time tomorrow is a different level than a regular season game, obviously.

Q. (No microphone).
WALKER BUEHLER: I flew in last night.

Q. Did you take anything away from Game 7, the NLCS Game 7, whether lessons or confidence that you think will help you now?
WALKER BUEHLER: Yes and no. Nothing that I could go in a notebook and show you, right? But anytime you're in situations like that, the more that you can get there and live it yourself, I think does nothing but help you. And as I said earlier, it's a little bit different than a Game 7 tomorrow but at the same time there's a little bit of backs-against-the-wall type of scenario. So obviously we're trying to get to 2-1 and go from there.

Q. What makes the Red Sox lineup so different?
WALKER BUEHLER: I think Kershaw touched on it, they can beat you in a lot of different ways and put pressure on you in a lot of different ways. I think that's the biggest thing. They can hit the ball over the fence; everybody knows about some of the power that they have. They're really fast, they're athletic and they're strong. So they're well built and it's all well and good. But we are, too, and obviously we haven't shown everything we can do the past two days. But we've got a good team and we like our team.

Q. What makes you so comfortable pitching here at home?
WALKER BUEHLER: I don't know if it's anything different. I think the routines are the same here every time, and you get on the road and things can be a little quirky. The anthem is played at a different time. You've got to warm up. You know how everything is going to be here. So I think most guys are better at home. That's kind of a guess, but I would think that most people would be better at their home ballpark and to have their home crowd behind them. And we expect them to be out and loud tomorrow. And we'll try and win tomorrow.

Q. When you were flying back by yourself yesterday did you get recognized at all?
WALKER BUEHLER: Not really.

Q. (No microphone).
WALKER BUEHLER: No, we actually took off like 30 minutes before the first pitch and landed about 30 minutes before the last out, so I didn't get to catch much of that one, unfortunately. It made buying the Internet a lot easier to do.

Q. What is it about this team that it seems like whenever possible you kind of get your backs pushed against the wall, and that's when you guys respond?
WALKER BUEHLER: I don't know. I wouldn't say that we intentionally do that. I would say that there's a comfort level in that we have done that a lot of times this season, obviously, and rebounded and gotten to this point. So I don't think anyone wants to be there, but I think of the 30 teams that could be in a situation like that, we probably know how to handle it in the top echelon.

It is what it is. And now it's time to get back to where we need to be.

Q. Curious, what it means to you to see back-to-back pitchers from Vanderbilt, and if you've heard from the college?
WALKER BUEHLER: No. I know they enjoy it. I obviously follow their Instagram and stuff like that. No, it's cool, but at the same time we're wearing different uniforms. And we're not -- it's kind of cool and something you might look back at, but right now it doesn't really matter too much.

Q. J.D. Martinez has been a challenge all through the postseason. Just in terms of matchups, what makes him so challenging?
WALKER BUEHLER: He's got the power of the left-handed pull hitter from the left side. In this day and age when people are trying to launch a ball, he does that in the old-school fashion of starting the ball the other way and pulling the ball. He's an interesting hitter and obviously very talented, but I don't think I've ever faced him and I don't think he's ever faced me. We'll see what happens.

Q. So obviously the Red Sox have been a terror with two outs in scoring runs and driving in players in scoring position. How does that mentally change your approach when you're on the mound with knowing how well they've been hitting with two outs the whole postseason?
WALKER BUEHLER: I don't know if that really goes a whole lot into it. I think most people underestimate the power of pitching with two outs. And the moment you get to two strikes, the runners are moving a lot of times, especially in the 3-2 counts, and that can take more motion.

So it's the same game and it's the same everything, there's just two outs and the guy is running a lot of times. It's about limiting that and just trying to avoid the big hit with two outs I think is obvious. But you don't want to give it up with no outs or one out, either. I think it's probably one of those stats that's probably a little bit made out to be more than it is. But we've got to try to get 27 of them tomorrow, no matter what.

Q. Were you a polite seatmate or were you yelling and screaming and banging on the seat in front of you?
WALKER BUEHLER: I was pretty polite.

Q. Given the playoffs here, have you changed your routine at all in between starts or kept it the same the entire way?
WALKER BUEHLER: The playoff schedule can get a little funky where you'll have an extra day or a day less or have two extra days and then go on regular. But this being deep in the year, I think your arm and your body is in a spot where you can take a day that you normally wouldn't. And you're going to be okay. You're going to be the same guy, just because of the shape that we're all in.

So obviously it hasn't changed a whole lot. It's just more of lining it up and figuring out when I'm going to start my five-day routine, or if I have to subtract and add and things like that. But, no, I think we've done a really good job of keeping it as similar as we can.

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