Dave Roberts has high hopes for Walker Buehler's Game 3 start for the Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler will look to recover when he starts Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets. He will also try to help the Dodgers recover from Monday's tough bullpen game performance, in which the Dodgers gave up seven runs to the Mets.

Buehler started Game 3 of the NL Division Series and allowed seven hits, six earned runs and one walk with no strikeouts against the San Diego Padres. Buehler's start against the Padres didn't look great on paper, but all the runs he allowed came in the second inning. This, of course, cost the Dodgers the game in a 6-5 loss, but Buehler did not allow any runs in the four other innings he pitched.

“I think it’s definitely about results,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Buehler’s final start. “We didn’t play good defense behind him. I was really pleased to see that he came out of that game knowing that he threw the baseball really well. He kept us in the ball game. Gave us two big innings in the fourth inning and five.”

Roberts added: “Again, the results are the results, but the way he threw the baseball, the confidence he had – and that's something, to me, he gets confidence from that effort and that's good like that, because that's what I saw of him that night.

Buehler has had an inconsistent season since returning from the injured list after a nearly two-year absence. In 16 starts this season, Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA and 64 strikeouts.

Roberts believes Buehler can have a great postseason despite these issues over the course of the regular season, acknowledging that Buehler was coming back from major surgery this season.

“Absolutely. I think he shows that,” Roberts said. “His last four outings have been his best by far…This is a guy who just had surgery. So in the year after surgery, there's an adjustment period of trying to get the feel and really get back on your feet and understand who you are as a pitcher coming out of surgery.

Buehler will start on Wednesday in New York when the series continues.