Walker Buehler’s Return to the Bronx
Walker Buehler marked the start of the 2024 season at Yankee Stadium last October, contributing to the Dodgers’ triumph over the Yankees in the World Series.
This past Friday night, he returned to the Bronx with the Red Sox, and the atmosphere was distinctly different from before.
Buehler struggled, allowing seven runs while recording just six outs in a 9-6 defeat, raising his ERA to 5.18 after signing a one-year contract worth $21.05 million.
“This organization put a lot of faith in me this offseason, and I felt embarrassed for us,” Buehler expressed.
The Red Sox, sitting at 30-35, have been a significant letdown this season, which many attribute to their starting rotation’s struggles.
Garrett Crochet may be a standout, but Buehler and other pitchers have faced challenges. As it stands, Boston ranks 25th among starters with a 4.53 ERA.
Despite these difficulties, the team offered Buehler a significant one-year deal, hoping he’d excel in his first full season post-Tommy John surgery.
Last year, he had a disappointing 5.38 ERA during the regular season with the Dodgers but managed to throw 10 scoreless innings against the Mets and Yankees in the NLCS and World Series.
After briefly lowering his ERA to 4.00 in a scoreless 2 1/3 inning outing against the Mets, Buehler has since struggled to regain his form.
He shot out of the gate 3-0 this season but has seen his ERA balloon to 8.52 over his last three starts, giving up 14 runs and five home runs in just over 12 innings.
Friday night was particularly tough for him, as he gave up five runs in the first inning alone after one pitch nearly got him out of the jam.
Jazz Chisholm played a key role, racking up four RBIs against Buehler, including a three-run homer after being down 0-2 in the count.
Despite the challenging outing, Buehler told reporters he feels close to returning to form, noting he believes he threw some good pitches during the game.
The Red Sox are hoping to turn things around soon.
“I didn’t feel physically off, but it was disheartening to give up seven runs,” Buehler reflected. “It’s just one game, and I’ll be ready to pitch again in five days.”
