The Dodgers handed Walker Buehler a World Series ball — and he just handed them a 7-1 loss in Padres brown. This is Dodgers Daily. Today: the old-hero irony, a catcher calling his own night embarrassing, and the depth chart questions finally getting real positions. I warned you this series could go sideways. I didn't think it'd be him. Let's get into it. Here's Stacie Wheeler at True Blue LA:
The Dodgers(52-30) scored only once against old friend and World Series hero Walker Buehler and the San Diego bullpen, dropping the series opener 7-1 to the Padres(43-37) Friday night at Petco Park. The game remained close, within two runs, for most of the game.
Seven to one. To Buehler. The guy we handed a World Series ball to, now in Padres brown, shutting us down at Petco. I mean, good luck scripting a more personal gut punch. Mookie's solo shot in the second was the entire offense, Joey. One run. And it wasn't just Buehler — zero-for-four with runners in scoring position, three double plays. They did plenty of this to themselves, too. Three double plays! Six men left on! Buehler didn't have to be unhittable; our guys looked like they were pressing against a name they know too well. That's what I want answered. Is Buehler actually back to form, or did the Dodgers see a familiar face and go passive? One start against your old team tells you less than the box score wants you to believe. And for the record — 52 and 30. A 7-1 series opener loss in late June is not a five-alarm fire. The Padres are 43 and 37 looking up at us. This one's from theScore:
Rushing, the 2022 second-round draft pick who has temporarily taken over as the primary catcher while three-time All-Star Will Smith is on the injured list with neck inflammation, was expecting an off-speed pitch. Ohtani threw a 101-mph fastball, wincing with slumped shoulders as he saw the run come across.
Different game, same theme — Ohtani strikes out eight, drives in a run, and still has to watch a 101 fastball get past his own catcher. Rushing's word for it, not mine: embarrassing. And here's the part that stings — Rushing's sitting off-speed, Ohtani throws 101, the ball's at the backstop, two runs come in. That's a catcher and his ace not on the same page in the second inning. Right, but that's Rushing catching a rotation ace at the big-league level for the first time, with Smith on the IL. The framing, the communication — all of it gets tested in a way the lineup card never showed us. First sellout in Minnesota all year, packed house to watch Ohtani, and the catcher's wearing it. Credit to Rushing for owning it, though — most guys spin that. And the Dodgers won 4-3 anyway, because Ohtani is the cheat code. The catching question's still real, but it didn't cost them the game tonight. This one's from Gsteward:
One notable move was the optioning of Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Kim's recent struggles, particularly with plate discipline and swing mechanics, led to this decision. The Dodgers felt Kim had regressed to habits they had worked to break, and they aim to get him back on track with a fresh start in the minors.
So while we were all watching Buehler shut the lights off in San Diego, the Gsteward rundown drops with actual positions attached to the depth question — second base and left field for 2026. Hyeseong Kim got optioned to Triple-A — plate discipline, swing mechanics, Gomes says he'd regressed to habits they'd tried to break. And they brought Santiago Espinal back after DFA'ing him to cover the infield and corner outfield. Re-signing the guy you just designated for assignment is not exactly a flex, Kirk. That's the injury crunch talking — you're scraping for warm bodies while you're down 1-0 in the series to the Padres. Or it's flexibility. Espinal covers second, third, the corners — with this many guys hurt, someone who plays five spots is worth more than the headline says. Sure, but putting second base and left field on the 2026 problem list on the same day Buehler holds you to a Mookie solo shot? That roster hole feels pretty real when it just pitched seven innings against us. If Dodgers Daily Podcast is part of your routine, take a second to subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening. It really helps other fans find the show, and we appreciate you being here.
Links to every story from today's Dodgers Daily Podcast are in the show notes, so if something caught your ear, you can dig in there. Thanks for spending part of your Saturday with us. That's Dodgers Daily Podcast for today. This is a Lantern Podcast.