Walker Buehler dominated last night as he pitched his first career complete game shutout, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
To add to the dominance, Buehler managed to strike out 10 batters while not allowing a single walk, only allowing three hits in the process.
Buehler now joins an elite list of Dodgers aces who have struck out 10 or more batters while not allowing a walk.
He tied Don Drysdale, Dazzy Vance, and Sandy Koufax last night with his seventh such game.
The all-time leader is his Dodger teammate, veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who has had 25 starts with 10 or more strikeouts and no walks.
Most games with 10+ strikeouts & no walks, Dodgers since at least 1901:
Clayton Kershaw: 25
Walker Buehler: 7
Dazzy Vance: 7
Sandy Koufax: 7
Don Drysdale: 7— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 26, 2022
Matching His Mentor
It’s always cool to see a player chase a team record in a certain category, but in this case, it’s even more special.
Kershaw was a mentor to Buehler early on when he was still the ace of the Dodgers’ staff.
Now, Buehler is moving up on an all-exclusive list of Dodger greats, as well as chasing his own teammate and mentor for the top spot.
Of course, with Kershaw having 25 games where he struck out ten or more without a walking a batter, it’s going to take Buehler a little bit of time to catch him, but he has such a bright future that it’s only a matter of time.
Kershaw has successfully passed the torch down to Buehler in Los Angeles’ rotation, and he is following in his mentor and teammate’s footsteps on his way to becoming a Dodger great, and it’s always nice to see a younger pitcher challenge his veteran teammate for some history.
It’s only a matter of time before Buehler gets closer to Kershaw in that category.
NEXT: Walker Buehler Made His Intentions Clear Ahead Of Complete Game