Dodgers name Walker Buehler starter for World Series Game 3

LOS ANGELES – Walker Buehler will start Game 3 for the Los Angeles Dodgers from Yankee Stadium on Monday night to maintain the rotation and set up a bullpen day for Game 4.

Starting Buehler in Game 3 — rather than using the day off to lead the bullpen game that night — puts him as an option for a potential winner-take-all Game 7 at Dodger Stadium.

Buehler, who will face New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt, has produced less swing-and-miss with his fastball following a second Tommy John surgery, forcing him to readjust in a high-stakes environment invent.

In Game 3 of the National League Championship Series from Citi Field in New York last week, Buehler leaned on his curveball to escape jams and held the New York Mets scoreless through four innings to earn an 8-0 victory. He hit differently, but at times resembled the front-line starter who powered the Dodgers' rotation last October.

“We love Walker in big games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The road won’t faze him.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Luis Gil will start Game 4 on Tuesday in New York. The order was expected; Gil was the club's starter in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, giving up two runs over four innings against the Cleveland Guardians.

The hard-throwing rookie right-hander, who was set to start the season in Triple A until Gerrit Cole was sidelined with an elbow injury, cemented his place in the rotation with a stellar first half. He finished the regular season with a 3.50 ERA in 151⅔ innings in 29 starts.

ESPN's Jorge Castillo contributed to this report.