Walker Buehler Bounces Back with Strong Performance Against Rays

BOSTON — Pitcher Walker Buehler expressed frustration after giving up seven runs in just two innings at Yankee Stadium last Friday. “This organization put a lot of faith in me this offseason and I’ve been (expletive) embarrassing for us,” said Buehler, reflecting on his performance.

However, only five days later, Buehler rebounded with a strong showing against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 30-year-old right-hander earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out seven over seven innings. The team clinched the three-game series, winning 2-1. “Kind of started thinking about this a little bit differently,” he said about his approach.

Buehler acknowledged a shift in his mindset. “As weird as it sounds with the career that I’ve had, there’s like a stubbornness of what I used to do. This week was kind of the first time I’ve really gone, ‘You know what? Kind of (expletive) this. I’m gonna do what I need to do. Trying to adapt a little bit,’” he explained.

In this game, Buehler recorded 10 swings and misses, showcasing improved performance with his two-seam fastball. “I’m trying to get the ball up and use a lot more of the zone than I have,” he remarked. Although he described his outing as not immaculate, he felt it was a significant step forward. “It was a big step forward for me and something I feel a lot better about,” he added.

Buehler’s record now stands at 5-4 with a 5.04 ERA. He emphasized that it was not challenging to decide to try different strategies. “You give up 10 earned in two starts, you kind of start to wonder a lot,” he said. “Definitely a big step forward for me.”

Buehler, alongside teammate Lucas Giolito, earned wins on consecutive days, allowing just three earned runs in 13 innings combined. Their performance follows a week where they surrendered 14 runs (12 earned) in just 3 ⅔ innings.

<p“For Gio and I to bounce back, I think is huge,” Buehler said. “He and I are in very similar boats, right? This just happens to be my second year coming off injury. But we’re both trying to figure it out and reinvent who we were, taking the good stuff that we still can do and finding the new stuff.”

Manager Alex Cora praised Buehler’s execution during the game. Buehler topped out at 96.1 mph, with 29 two-seam fastballs averaging 94.4 mph, slightly above his season average. He also mixed his pitches well, utilizing sliders, cutters, changeups, and knuckle-curveballs.

“Overall, the fastball played today up in the zone,” Cora noted. “Had a sinker for the lefties. Threw a few changeups. Was under control.”