Alex Cora Identifies Key Issue From Walker Buehler’s Latest Start

Walker Buehler’s rough patch continued Tuesday night.

After following up an “embarrassing” start at Yankee Stadium by pitching seven strong innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, Buehler struggled in his latest turn. The Boston Red Sox right-hander surrendered eight runs in an 8-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora dissected Buehler’s performance when speaking to reporters after the game, as seen on NESN’s broadcast.

“He wasn’t able to finish hitters,” Cora said. “There were … I think eight at-bats that we had them with two strikes and they got on base.”

During the second inning, Buehler was ahead 1-2 to rookie Cole Young before relinquishing an RBI double. With two out, he lost J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez on back-to-back walks with two strikes before Cal Raleigh crushed a grand slam.

Unlike the prior plate appearances, Raleigh attacked the first pitch on what Cora labeled a “hanging changeup.”

“We had two outs at one point,” Cora noted. “One pitch away from getting out from that inning, and it just didn’t happen.”

Cora doesn’t think it’s a matter of Buehler lacking stuff, so they’ll work to pinpoint the issue.

“When you’re that ahead in counts, 1-2, 0-2, we have to be able to finish him,” Cora said. “We’ll take a look and see what happened today, and we’ll figure (it) out.”

Buehler allowed eight hits and four walks before getting pulled with 93 pitches in the fourth inning. The offseason signing now has a 5.95 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 12 starts.

A candid Buehler was disappointed that he couldn’t sustain the rotation’s momentum. Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Hunter Dobbins, and Lucas Giolito had allowed one run combined over Boston’s last four games.

“It just sucks to fail on that kind of level with kind of where our team is at and how we’ve been feeling about ourselves and starting to play really good baseball,” Buehler said. “And to be an older guy that was brought in here to kind of try and help lead and to perform the way I have been, it’s tough and embarrassing.”

Meanwhile, Cora is turning his attention to Wednesday’s rubber match at T-Mobile Park. Crochet will start a game beginning at 4:10 p.m. ET.

“It’s baseball, right?” Cora said. “We just got to get ready for (Wednesday).”