Buehler excels against Dodgers as Padres win opener

SAN DIEGO -- For nearly a decade, Walker Buehler starred in the Padres-Dodgers rivalry, although he usually did so wearing blue. On Friday night, in his second appearance against his former team and first as a Padre, Buehler led San Diego to a 7-1 victory over the Dodgers in the series opener.

Ty France’s three-run home run propelled the Padres to an early lead, and they added late insurance runs, marking their fourth consecutive win.

Buehler's resurgence continued, a development the Padres had hoped for when signing him. However, the level of his recent performance likely exceeded their expectations. Improbably, Buehler became one of the team's most reliable starting pitchers, exhibiting ace-like qualities throughout June.

Friday's start was undoubtedly Buehler's toughest challenge to date, pitching against his former club, which features perhaps the best offense in baseball. Despite this, Buehler excelled, throwing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts and allowing only three hits. Mookie Betts hit a homer off Buehler in the second inning, but the Dodgers struggled to achieve hard contact thereafter. As of June, Buehler’s ERA stood at an impressive 1.71 across five starts.

Previously, Buehler had dominated the Padres while with the Dodgers, holding a 6-1 record and a 1.80 ERA against them in 12 starts. On Friday, he matched that performance level; the only real surprise was that he didn't pitch longer.

In an interesting decision, with one out in the sixth inning, Buehler walked Andy Pages. Padres manager Craig Stammen visited the mound despite Buehler having only thrown 74 pitches. Stammen opted for left-hander Yuki Matsui, likely favoring him against the lineup's left-handed hitters.

Following the pitching change, Freddie Freeman doubled off the wall, placing Matsui and the Padres under pressure. Stammen then chose to intentionally walk Betts, loading the bases. Matsui managed to retire Max Muncy and Kyle Tucker, escaping the jam while preserving the Padres’ two-run advantage.

The Padres then turned to usual high-leverage options, Jason Adam and Adrian Morejon, for the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. After an explosive four-run eighth inning, closer Mason Miller enjoyed a night off.

For Ty France, this season marks a significant shift in performance; a year ago, he hit seven home runs over 138 games with Minnesota and Toronto. However, before July, he had already launched his tenth homer of this season—a three-run shot against Roki Sasaki in the second inning, granting San Diego an early 3-1 lead.

After also being hit in the left wrist by a 98.9 mph Sasaki fastball, France remained in the game, although he ultimately left in the ninth with the Padres leading by six runs. His presence is crucial for the team as he boasts an .810 OPS and has been one of their most valuable defenders this season.