NEW YORK — Walker Buehler has a 5.18 ERA in 10 starts after he signed a one-year, $21.05 million contract with the Red Sox in December.
“This organization put a lot of faith in me this offseason and I’ve been (expletive) embarrassing for us,” Buehler said.
The Yankees pounded Buehler for five runs (two homers) in the first inning Friday. Boston lost 9-6 here at Yankee Stadium to drop to five games below .500 (30-35).
Buehler recorded just six outs. He gave up seven runs (five earned runs), seven hits and two walks while striking out two. He also hit a batter to force in a run with the bases loaded during the second inning.
“It’s tough,” Buehler said. “It’s obviously a big game and a big rivalry that I was excited to be a part of. And for it to go the way that it did is super disappointing, especially after the past two, three weeks of kind of prep and throwing and all that kinda (expletive) and how I’m feeling. Physically I feel great and for it to happen that way, it sucks.”
Buehler struggled in his first two starts this season, then posted a 2.59 ERA over his next four starts before landing on the injured list with right shoulder bursitis.
He began with 2 ⅓ scoreless in his first start back from the IL but then got ejected for arguing a ball-strike call.
He has allowed 14 runs (12 earned runs) over his past three starts (12 ⅔ innings).
“I feel like I’ve said this for two years straight now but I feel like I’m getting closer as weird as that sounds,” Buehler said. “But for me to have kind of the four- or five- start stretch that I had right before I went on the IL of being largely successful and then to have these couple in a row is (expletive) super disappointing.”
Buehler said the shapes of his pitches, including his newer type of slider, were good. He also liked the feel of his changeup. He said he “made a lot of really good pitches and a lot of (expletive) ones and some in-betweens.”
“I don’t want to dig too deep into it. Obviously, I’m throwing a lot of sliders. I’m throwing a lot of (the) two-seamer,” he said. “Those traditionally haven’t been what I do very often. And I think when the sweeper is never in the zone like it hasn’t been, the curveball’s gonna get hit more than it has, the cutter’s gonna get hit more than it has.”
Buehler walked leadoff hitter Trent Grisham and allowed a double to Aaron Judge to begin the game. He then got two quick outs and it looked like he might escape without allowing any runs. But Jazz Chisholm Jr. didn’t let that happen, belting a 417-foot three-run home run to center field. Two batters later, Anthony Volpe hit a 369-foot two-run home run to right field.
“Physically and even the execution of it, I didn’t feel it felt like a seven-run, two-inning outing,” Buehler said. “But that’s the game and give it another go in five days.”
