Red Sox’ Walker Buehler with disastrous start versus Angels; righty walked career-high 7 batters as ERA balloons to 6.29

Walker Buehler had an atrocious first inning on Monday night against the Angels. 

Buehler was brutal as he opened the inning, throwing a first-pitch 93.6 mph four-seam fastball on the outside corner of the plate that Angels’ leadoff hitter Zach Neto crushed over the center field wall.

After retiring the next batter, Buehler quickly lost control, issuing consecutive walks to Mike Trout and Taylor Ward. Angels outfielder Jo Adell singled into left field, scoring Trout, followed by Buehler plunking LaMonte Wade Jr. to put two runners on. Things continued to unravel as Buehler walked Luis Rengifo and Christian Moore, and then he beaned Neto as the Halos went up 5-3.

Overall, Buehler's perfomance was horrendous, lasting four innings and allowing five runs, all in the first inning, which caused his ERA to rise to a disastrous 6.29. Over his first six starts as a member of the Red Sox, the righty pitched to a 4.28 ERA; since he’s returned from the IL with right shoulder bursitis, he’s owned an 8.59 ERA in seven starts.

“You can’t walk seven guys in a Major League Baseball game and expect to be successful,” said Buehler, whose seven free passes were a career high. “We keep trying different things and looking at different stuff, or this (pitch) mix or that mix. At the end of the day, if you don’t execute and throw strikes, you really don’t have a chance.

“I feel like a broken record, but it’s embarrassing. It’s just not who I want to be as a baseball player. I’d rather get whacked around than do that. Somehow, this year I’ve managed to do all the negative things you can.”

In the opening frame, Buehler threw 39 pitches, only 16 of them for strikes, while facing 11 batters. His seven walks were a career high and the most a pitcher has issued in a single game this season.

“Three scoreless after giving up five, I don’t think really necessitates a whole lot of hope,” Buehler said.

Even with his poor performance in his outing, there were some positives for the Sox’ righty. Following his ugly first inning, he kept the Angels off the scoreboard the remainder of his outing. His velocity was up, including almost 2 mph more on his sweeper, per Baseball Savant. He only had three swings and misses, two of which were on his slider.

“I think everything’s fixable in some way,” Buehler said. “I think the ball is coming out of my hand at times really well, and at times I kind of lose sight of what the ball is doing.”

What has changed for Buehler from the point he was healthy to begin the season to coming off the injured list? Is he actually healthy enough to help the Red Sox compete every fifth day?

“100 percent,” Alex Cora said regarding the status of Buehler’s health.

Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey also echoed the same sentiment. “I’m not aware of any physical limitations.”

Buehler was asked after the game if he was pitching through an issue, and he responded, “I don’t want to talk about that.”

The Red Sox and Buehler should begin to be worried over his poor performance and begin to question whether he’s healthy enough to pitch in the rotation or even contribute as a starter.

In the coming weeks, the Red Sox expect to get Tanner Houck back off the IL. Houck is expected to make two rehab starts this week, but that could change depending on how he feels and the needs of the Red Sox heading into the weekend. Newly acquired left-hander Kyle Harrison will make his WooSox’ debut this week, pitching on Thursday on the road. He could be an option for the Red Sox after July 4. Hunter Dobbins, who landed on the IL this week with a right elbow strain, could also be back after July 4. Richard Fitts is rejoining the Red Sox rotation after spending time with Triple-A Worcester, and the club could also turn to Robert Stock and Cooper Criswell to eat innings until others are healthy.

“I’m not naive to that kind of stuff. It’s just difficult,” he said. “I’m a guy that’s open to kind of doing whatever needs to be done. (But) I’m a starting pitcher and have been a starting pitcher my whole life. I don’t necessarily think that changing that is going to somehow magically fix everything.”

Cora stood by Buehler, who the Sox signed to a one-year, $21.05 million contract this offseason, when asked if his spot in the rotation was in jeopardy.

“We’ll talk about it,” Cora said about whether Buehler’s spot in the rotation is in jeopardy. “But his second and third innings were really good. Velocity was up, and the movement pitches were great, but he knows it. We talked a little bit down here. There’s a few things mechanically that he feels like he needs to do better, but he’ll be ready for the next one.”

Buehler’s 6.29 ERA is the highest he’s carried since he was a rookie back in 2017. He is unsure what he can do moving forward to change the results from Monday night.

“Largely, I don’t think a whole lot different,” Buehler said. “That’s what’s so difficult and frustrating about this game. 

"The line is so thin.”

CORA EJECTED AGAIN

In what is becoming a continued trend, Cora was ejected for the second consecutive game and the fourth time this season following an argument with umpires over a play at second base in which it appeared Rengifo blocked Abraham Toro from the bag with his leg.

The play began with Jarren Duran getting caught in a rundown after he was breaking for third on a grounder to the shortstop. The Angels easily tagged out Duran and doubled up Toro, who was trying to make it to second base.

“Our view was that he was blocking the bag at second,” Cora told reporters in Anaheim postgame, adding that they had a similar situation with the same umpire crew in a game last year against the Twins in which the call was reversed, and he was upset that they upheld the call this time. “I was trying to make that point. It happened six months ago, same situation, and it was reversed last year. Maybe he’s right; he was going to be safe, but I wanted to make sure. I didn’t agree with it.”

Second base umpire Alan Porter told a pool of reporters after the game that Toro was out by so much that Rengifo’s positioning didn’t matter.

“Did the fielder obstruct, or was the runner just out?” Porter told a pool reporter. “We felt that the runner, no matter what the fielder had done in that situation, was out. He was out by a lot.”

ESPN’S RED SOX TRADE PROJECTIONS 

Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is July 31, and it’s never too early to begin to look at whether the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers in five weeks.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan released a potential list of players that could be traded before or at the deadline and the percentage their perspective teams could deal them.

Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman leads off the list with a 10 percent chance he could be traded.

“Bregman has been an elite big league hitter since he entered the league in 2016 but has leaned more into power this year, with his highest isolated power since 2019. Most of his underlying power indicators (barrel rate, maximum exit velo, average launch angle, and hard-hit rate) are at career highs. His $40 million salary—and the chance to opt into two more years at $40 million annually—significantly shortens the list of teams that would take on his deal.”

It’s unlikely the Red Sox trade Bregman even with the chance he can opt out looming in the offseason. There’s speculation that the club could rip up his current deal and sign him to a long-term extension with him being the leader of the clubhouse.

Duran’s name has been popping up of late on social media as a potential trade chip. There have been teams interested in the speedy outfielder, particularly the Padres and Phillies. ESPN puts a Duran trade at 25 percent, with the Braves, Guardians, Phillies, Padres, Giants, and Royals all realistic options.

Duran has underperformed this season following his breakout 2024 campaign.

Aroldis Chapman came in with a 35 percent chance to be traded, and if the Red Sox are out of it around the deadline, the southpaw should fetch the club a strong return. He’s been lights out in the closer role this season, converting 14 saves and striking out 45 batters in 35 games. At 37 years old, he’s pumping 100 mph-plus on the radar gun.

With the Red Sox adding Jordan Hicks in the Rafael Devers deal, he could slot into the closer role, or the club could turn to Garrett Whitlock or Justin Slaten in the future.

ESPN also has Buehler at a 35 percent chance of being traded, but based off his results this season, the likelihood the Sox net a palatable return is in question. Teams will line up for a chance to get Buehler, who, if he can get back on track, offers a club a viable mid-to-backend of the rotation option.