"It sucks that he’s my buddy" - Walker Buehler addresses getting 'clipped' by former teammate Corey Seager on Dodger Stadium return
Corey Seager hitting a home run at Dodger Stadium has been a familiar sight over the years. However, this time it was to down his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a 3-2 win for the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
Seager missed his last four games, including the series opener against the Dodgers, for the reigning World Series champions due to a hamstring injury. But the four-time All-Star announced his return to action with a clutch home run on Wednesday night.
During his first regular season game at his former stomping ground, Seager smashed his former teammate Walker Buehler for a three-run home run in the fifth inning to give his team a 3-1 lead in the game.
Buehler, who has had a difficult time since returning from his long-term injury this season, had mixed feelings about conceding the home run that eventually proved to be the difference between the two teams.
“Corey is one of the best hitters in the league; it is what it is,” Buehler said. “It sucks that he’s my buddy and he clipped me, but at the end of the day, people don’t give out $300 million for no reason. He’s as good as there is in this game. I tried to go in and I left it out over the plate.”
Buehler made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2017 season, joining the then-reigning Rookie of the Year Corey Seager at the franchise.
The Dodgers ace was part of the lineup that won the World Series during the 2020 season on the back of Seager's MVP-winning World Series performance. Corey Seager was signed by the Texas Rangers in 2021 on a blockbuster 10-year, $325 million deal.
Corey Seager booed by Dodgers fans after teeing off against Walker Buehler
Corey Seager's only plate appearance at Dodger Stadium since signing for the Texas Rangers came in the 2022 All-Star game. The two-time World Series MVP received a warm reception from fans on his first at-plate appearance in the game.
However, applause turned into boos after Seager made his way to the plate following his three-run moonshot off Walker Buehler.
“I guess it kind of comes with the territory so I get it,” Seager said about cheers turning to boos. “I don’t blame them, you know. I get it.”
A dramatic finish to the game saw Andy Pages tagged out in an attempt to tie the game, securing a narrow 3-2 win for the Rangers to level the series. The two teams will have a go at each other again in the rubber game on Thursday.