In 2018, Walker Buehler had a strong rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, making significant postseason starts. The right-hander faced the Atlanta Braves on the road in Game 3 of the National League Division Series for his first taste of the postseason.

Unfortunately for Buehler, he let up five runs in the second inning, including a grand slam to Ronald Acuña Jr., making it an outing to forget. The crowd at SunTrust Park went crazy after the blast, and the Braves went on to win 6-5 against the Dodgers.

After eliminating the Braves, Los Angeles moved on to play the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Championship Series. Like their first playoff game, the Dodgers had to contend with an enthusiastic crowd at Miller Park.

When Manny Machado bumped into Jesús Aguilar’s leg at first base during Game 4, Brewers fans booed him viciously.

Buehler praised Wrigley Field via the “Just Baseball” broadcast and highlighted Truist Park and American Family Field as two of the best playoff atmospheres, largely because of those incidents:

“I always remember my first year in college. You could sense that entire playoff series in Atlanta, where Acuña lost out on a grand slam. After Machado stepped on Aguilar’s foot, Milwaukee became really intriguing. We had all the information with that. All things considered, that stadium is quite intriguing. It smells like they’re cooking sausages, and there was something strange going on with the dome. However, Milwaukee is peculiar in that there seems to be a haze there. Similar to walking into an old pub and seeing smoke from thirty years ago Milwaukee experiences the sensation to some extent on occasion. Thus, those are presumably the two that, early in my career, really got to me. There is definitely a vibe in Atlanta with all the lights, chop, and other stuff. Since they like to schedule us on the weekends and it’s usually a large series, Wrigley at night is also kind of always like that. That place always has a little something to it because so many men played against them in the playoffs before I got there.

Despite not being able to play in the postseason this year because of his recuperation from Tommy John surgery, Buehler was still able to enjoy the boisterous Dodger Stadium crowd. Over 51,000 people watched the first two games of the NLDS.

Walker Buehler discusses the Diamondbacks’ NLDS sweep against the Dodgers.
According to Buehler, the starting pitchers for Arizona have been crucial to the Diamondbacks’ success this season. The team’s youth helped them defeat the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.