Buehler going deeper into games in 2021

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants had pestered starting pitchers all season long. Coming into Saturday, no starting pitcher had lasted seven full innings against San Francisco’s pesky yet patience hitters.

That is, until Walker Buehler.

Los Angeles’ dynamic right-hander became the first starting pitcher this season to complete seven innings against the Giants, allowing just one run across those frames with five strikeouts to one walk. He ended his evening on an emphatic note, striking out Darin Ruf on a high fastball to get out of a jam, letting out a cathartic yell before coolly walking back to the dugout.

"Walker was fantastic,” said manager Dave Roberts. “[The Giants are] an aggressive ballclub. They work counts, they’re on the fastball. He was great.”

For Buehler, these long outings are expected. Buehler has gone at least six innings in each of his nine starts this season, evolving into Los Angeles’ workhorse. Compare that to last season, when Buehler went six innings just three times in 13 starts (including the postseason).

In eight regular-season starts last season, Buehler went 36 2/3 innings. Through his first eight regular-season starts this season (not including Saturday’s outing against the Giants), Buehler had gone 51 1/3 innings. Every time Buehler has started this season, Roberts has only had to worry about the game’s later frames.

“That’s been kind of a theme of my career and something that I’ve always wanted to do better, is get deeper into games,” Buehler said. “A lot of that is the pitch calling, the guys behind the plate, getting me into counts where I can throw pitches and get the ball in play. So, kind of, hats off to them, more than anything.”

These lengthy outings are all the more impressive coming against this specific Giants team, which is notorious for wearing down opposing starters.

Entering Sunday, San Francisco had the second-lowest swing rate in baseball (43.1 percent), and the third-lowest O-Swing percentage (26.4). Simply put, the Giants wait for their pitches. Even when they’re down in the count, the Giants battle.

San Francisco’s ability to get into opposing bullpens is all the more impressive, given some of the pitchers the Giants have faced. On Friday, Trevor Bauer tried his darndest to get through that seven-inning threshold, throwing 126 pitches to help alleviate the relievers’ workload after Thursday’s bullpen game, but he was unable to get through the landmark inning.

Still, Bauer and Buehler’s ability to give Los Angeles 13 1/3 combined innings against San Francisco’s tough lineup is an impressive feat, one that represents how strong the Dodgers’ starting pitching has been this season.

Coming into Sunday, the Dodgers’ starters led the league with a 6.5 fWAR, holding a sizable lead over the Yankees and Giants (5.8). Along with Bauer and Buehler, there have been the steady contributions from Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías.

“It’s certainly the root of all the success,” Roberts said.

Worth noting

• Roberts said it’s “fair” to expect outfielder Cody Bellinger and utilityman Zach McKinstry to be back with the Dodgers next weekend.

Bellinger and McKinstry started in center and right field, respectively, on Sunday for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Right-hander Tony Gonsolin was also part of Triple-A Oklahoma’s starting lineup. Roberts expected Gonsolin to give the Minor League club two or three innings as he builds back up.

• Right-handed pitcher Jimmy Nelson was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with right forearm inflammation, retroactive to Friday, and right-hander Phil Bickford was recalled from Oklahoma City.

Nelson has been an effective for the Dodgers out of the bullpen this season, compiling a 2.41 ERA across 18 2/3 innings.

Bickford was drafted by the Giants with the 18th overall pick in the 2015 Draft. He has made two Major League appearances, both with the Brewers.