Red Sox’ offense roughs up Nick Pivetta; Walker Buehler tosses 6 scoreless innings in win over Padres

Walker Buehler returned to Southern California, competing against the Padres, a club he is very familiar with, and looked like his former self on the mound.

Buehler tossed six scoreless frames in the Red Sox’ 10-2 win over the Padres on Friday night. It was the first time since May 2024 that he had a start where he went six-plus scoreless innings.

“Out here in Southern California, the ball works a little differently. And your numbers in terms of movement and stuff is always good here,” Buehler said. “I felt good with the fastball in the bullpen, and that was part of the plan.”

This season, the right-hander has struggled to find consistency with his command while pitching on the mound. His performance on Friday night was arguably his best outing as a member of the Red Sox.

“Yeah, I’ve probably had three good ones all year that really I will remember,” Buehler said. “But 11 a.m. against the White Sox is not one you really hang your hat on.”

The Sox hurler was efficient all night, throwing 64% of his pitches for strikes; he allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four.

“Felt good with the fastball in the bullpen,” Buehler said. “Was part of the plan. Found some stuff the past couple starts in terms of how I want my back leg to work. And tonight it was much improved for me. I think for me, knowing where my hand is out front, if that happens, then I feel like I can kind of do whatever I want and can be one of the better guys in baseball. And obviously this year I haven’t been there, but tonight I felt like I kind of knew where my hand was. So obviously a pretty improved result.”

In his career against the Padres, Buehler is 7-1 with a 1.67 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP in 13 regular-season games, all of those outings (except Friday night) as a member of the NL division-rival Dodgers.

Buehler considered his start against the Phillies on July 21 as his best outing of the season. He went seven innings and allowed just one earned run against Philadelphia. Buehler’s performance on Friday night gives a glimpse of what he can be when he is at his best. If the Red Sox are able to play in October, Buehler has a reputation of being a big-game pitcher. He owns a 3.04 ERA in 19 postseason outings (18 starts). He recorded the final out of last year’s World Series, striking out Alex Verdugo, to earn the save and clinch Game 5 of the Fall Classic.

“This and Philly are probably the two best against big-boy playoff teams,” he said. “I’ve pitched here a lot; I’ve had some success here. So to come back and throw good is a big step forward for me.

“Let’s not sugarcoat it. The biggest thing that people talk about me is pitching in the playoffs. So when you face teams that are going to be in the playoffs, they’re in some way drastically more important for me … Facing a really good team has been something that I’ve tried to hang my hat on for a long time.”

The last time that Buehler pitched in sunny Southern California was when the Sox played the Angels, and he walked seven batters over four innings on June 23.

“I’ve pitched here a lot and had some success here,” he said. “So to come back and throw good, I think, is a big step forward for me, and try to build on it.”

With his 20th start in the books, Buehler earned a $500,000 bonus, per the terms of his one-year deal he signed with Boston in the offseason. He will take home another $500,000 this season if he reaches 22, 24, 26, and 28 starts, respectively.

BEST GAME OF THE YEAR

Boston’s offense got a massive boost from Connor Wong, who drove in more runs in one game on Friday night than he recorded all season. Wong snapped an 0-for-30 streak with runners in scoring position in the eighth inning when he ripped a bases-clearing three-run double off Padres reliever Sean Reynolds. Wong had only recorded two RBI all season coming into that at-bat late into the game.

“Obviously, it’s been a struggle, so it’s just really being able to enjoy that one,” Wong said. “Try and build off of it.”

Wong stepping up at the plate comes at a key time for Boston with Carlos Narváez banged up with a sore knee. It seems like the Sox’ No. 1 catcher will avoid an IL stint and could return to the lineup on Sunday for the series finale at Petco Park. 

The Red Sox added some catching depth prior to Friday’s game, claiming Alí Sanchez off waivers from the AL East-leading Blue Jays. Sanchez is out of minor league options and joined the team in San Diego. Boston could keep him around longer instead of rostering three catchers. Wong has one minor league option remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Worcester.

“He’s been playing well for a while,” Alex Cora said about Wong after the game to reporters. “He’s not getting results, but he’s swinging the bat well. Taking his walks, hitting the ball hard.”

Following the game, Wong was asked if he felt as if he was competing for a spot on the 26-man roster following the addition of Sanchez.

“I’m really just focused on trying to win baseball games,” he replied. “So yeah, just trying to win and see what happens.”

The 29-year-old catcher had been the Sox’ starting catcher the last two seasons but lost his role following his incredibly slow start offensively and landing on the injured list with a broken pinky.

“He was supposed to be the everyday catcher,” Cora said. “He got hurt, and then (Narváez) took the baton and ran with it. But now, (Narváez) is a little bit banged up, and he’s going to play a little bit more.”

Wong went 2-for-5 on Friday, which comes on the heels of his 1-for-3 performance on Wednesday in the series finale against the Royals at Fenway Park. The more he plays, the more he’ll find his timing and rhythm at the plate. The Sox haven’t had that luxury early on this season and went with Narváez. With the rookie battling a knee issue, Boston has no other choice but to see what Wong can do at the plate.

“It definitely helps in terms of timing,” Wong said. “You don’t want anyone to get hurt or injured. And I really feel for him (Narváez) because I know what it’s like, and I’m just hoping he can stay positive and be OK.”

Wong's current season record stands at 19-for-111 (.171).

“You work so hard, and you try and put good at-bats together, and sometimes you don’t get the results,” Wong said. “And it’s like you went fishing and didn’t catch anything, and you thought you did everything right. So you just have to keep trusting it and keep working hard.”

YOSHIDA SLAMS SAN DIEGO

Masataka Yoshida delivered out of the five-hole for the Red Sox in the win. He went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double, and an RBI sac fly.

“He worked hard today with the group,” Cora said. “The batting practice was a little bit different today. He was driving the ball, and he took that into the game. He put together some good at-bats.”

Yoshida returned to the Red Sox on July 9 after being activated off the IL, recovering from right shoulder labral repair last October.

“Just trying to hit it hard,” Yoshida said through translator Yutaro Yamaguchi on his approach while taking batting practice. “Just making hard contact.”

Yoshida had an RBI sac fly with the bases loaded in the fourth to plate the Red Sox’ first run of the game off former teammate Nick Pivetta. He also laced a ground-rule double down the left field line in the sixth and launched a 377-foot, 103 mph two-run blast to right field in the ninth inning.

“It’s hard to be perfect,” Yoshida said. “Every day you find something that you can work on. So just like I said, trial and error and kind of just get myself ready.”

Pivetta has been one of the Padres' best starting pitchers this season. He opened the game cruising through the first three innings before the Sox offense got to him in the fourth.

Boston loaded the bases on a single and two walks, got a run on a sacrifice fly, got another run on an errant pickoff throw by Pivetta, and got two more when Wilyer Abreu ripped a two-run homer to cap a four-run inning.

Pivetta went six innings, allowing five earned runs off five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He is now 11-4 with a 2.94 ERA in his first season in San Diego. After five seasons with the Red Sox, Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million deal with the Padres last offseason. He’s enjoyed a strong first season, allowing the fewest hits per nine innings in the National League (6.2) and ranking in the top 10 in wins and ERA while averaging more than a strikeout per inning.

Boston and San Diego will resume their three-game series on Saturday night at 8:40 p.m. The Sox will send righty Lucas Giolito (8-2, 3.57 ERA), and he will start opposite of Padres right-hander Michael King (4-2, 2.59 ERA).