The Boston Red Sox have been streaky so far this season. After getting hot and winning five-straight the team hit a three-game skid and faced a four-game sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays. Boston sent Walker Buehler to the mound Thursday. The Red Sox landed the two-time All-Star on a one-year, $21.05 million contract this offseason.
While Buehler is expected to vastly improve the team’s rotation, he got off to a rocky start in 2025. But on Thursday, he appeared to turn a corner.
“I just felt more violent than I have in a long time. That’s how I play when I’m good. So I’m pretty pleased with it,” Buehler explained to reporters after the outing, per NESN on X.
“This week was a big one for me just in terms of workload because I’m trying to figure it out and I’m kind of tired of sucking. So, you know, I kind of pushed my chips a little bit more in the table this week than I typically have. And for that to pay off is kind of a big win for me personally… today felt like a big game for as early as it is in the year,” Buehler noted, via NESN.
Walker Buehler hopes to return to form with the Red Sox
The veteran righty had his best start in some time against the Blue Jays. Buehler went 6.1 innings and allowed just one run on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. However, he was engaged in a pitching duel with Toronto’s Chris Bassitt, who tossed 5.2 innings and allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts.
Still, Buehler kept the Red Sox in the game and Boston was able to tie things up in the eighth before rallying for the win in the 10th inning and avoiding the sweep at home. After giving up nine earned runs in 9.1 innings over his first two starts this season, Buehler looked comfortable on the mound Thursday.
Buehler left the Dodgers for the Red Sox this offseason, after helping the team’s playoff push in 2024, which included recording the final out against the Yankees in the World Series. After missing a great deal of time over the last three seasons due to Tommy John surgery, Buehler hopes to return to his early Dodgers form, when he looked like one of the best pitchers in baseball.
In addition to Buehler, the Red Sox landed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in a trade with the Chicago White Sox and signed third baseman Alex Bregman this offseason.