Walker Buehler didn’t watch Game 2 of the World Series live. He departed Logan International Airport a half-hour before the first pitch was thrown at Fenway Park on Wednesday and landed about a half-hour after Craig Kimbrel secured the final out in a 4-2 victory for the Boston Red Sox. He did, however, purchase the in-flight WiFi to follow along as his team plunged to a 2-0 series deficit.
Buehler flew ahead of his team in preparation for the next checkpoint in his increasingly challenging rookie season: Game 3 at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. It does not qualify as the must-win event he and his teammates overcame in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, but the import is not far off.