Red Sox’ Walker Buehler takes ‘step forward’ — but knows work remains with 6.25 ERA

WASHINGTON — Walker Buehler allowed eight hits to a below-average Nationals offense, couldn’t record an out past the fifth inning and worked around a lot of traffic Saturday. But considering how his last few weeks have gone, the outing represented tangible progress.

Buehler, who entered with a 10.38 ERA and 19 walks in 26 innings over six starts dating back to May 31, allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in 5+ innings in Boston’s 10-3 win at Nationals Park. He needed 100 pitches (65 strikes) to get 15 outs. Pitching with a big early lead after the Sox went up 9-0 in the third inning, Buehler did enough to get his sixth win of 2025.

“It’s a step forward,” Buehler said. “I think keep saying, ‘I’m closer, I’m closer, I’m closer.’ Today, I think there was genuinely some more difference in the delivery. Confidence is a big thing in this game and the way I was moving and able to get through the first, I feel like I knew what the ball was going to do.”

Buehler had walked 14 batters in his last three starts, including seven on June 23 in Anaheim. On Saturday, though, there were no free passes.

“They used to not be a real problem for me, but recently it’s been a big one,” Buehler joked. “But no homers, no walks… I think that’s the first box checked for me.”

Buehler set the tone for his outing with a 1-2-3 first after the Red Sox plated two runs in the top of the first inning on RBI doubles from lefty mashers Romy Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder. He was bailed out of a second-inning jam by an impressive Jarren Duran running catch to rob Daylen Lile of an extra-base hit, then got an inning-ending (albeit run-scoring) double play with a nine-run lead in the third. Having a massive lead early in his outing allowed Buehler to try to pound the strike zone and work on the issues that have plagued him in recent weeks.

“I wish I would have (thrown) more strikes and kind of gotten through those a little bit cleaner,” he said. “You get nine runs and you’re supposed to throw strikes and move through the lineup. I got hung up there a couple times.”

Buehler said he felt his delivery was more in sync than it has been in previous outings and that focusing on getting his arm higher as he released the ball was a priority. The righty also largely cut down his six-pitch mix to focus on his curveball (28%), cutter (27%) and four-seamer (25%).

“There’s some reasoning behind it and some stuff that we’re trying to work on,” he said. “Those three pitches are the ones that are the most evident of the delivery being better. I’m just trying to hammer that and also survive and throw some two-seams in there and a couple sweepers.

“The four-seam, cutter, curveball has kind of been my bread and butter. Everything else is kind of like an auxiliary piece. Trying to trim it down, make it simple and try and repeat what I’m trying to do.”

Manager Alex Cora credited Buehler for a “good outing” and said the fastball, which averaged 94.1 mph on a hot day at Nationals Park, played up. Buehler’s mix has been good for weeks, the manager believes, and the execution is starting to catch up. With one more start to go before the All-Star break, Buehler knows the work isn’t done. With a 6.25 ERA through 15 starts this year, the ex-Dodger still believes he’s fighting for his spot on Boston’s roster.

“I don’t think if we played a playoff game tomorrow that I would be one of the three that’s going to go out there (in the rotation),” Buehler said. “And that’s something that has kind of carried me throughout my whole career. Still a lot of work to be done and stuff that I want to figure out and how I can help this team late in the year and.

“But yeah, today’s definitely better than the alternative… Hopefully we keep taking little steps like that and hopefully at the end kind of put together a run at some point.”