The Los Angeles Dodgers did not give up their 'championship hero' for no reason. Walker Buehler (31), the pitcher who marked the Dodgers' World Series victory last year, has been struggling in two consecutive games with the Boston Red Sox.

Buehler started the home game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball on May 5, giving up 7 hits (including 2 home runs), 1 walk, and striking out 4, and recording 5 earned runs.

With 8 runs scored by the offense by the 5th inning, Boston won 13-9, and Buehler recorded his first win since the trade but could not smile. Following a loss in his first appearance against the Texas Rangers on April 30 (4⅓ innings, 7 hits allowed, 1 home run allowed, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 4 earned runs), he has struggled in two consecutive games, bringing his season earned run average to 8.68.

Buehler allowed only 1 hit through the 2nd inning, but after a walk in the 3rd, he gave up consecutive hits, marking his first earned run. In the 4th, he allowed a double to Nolan Arenado to left, a single to Alec Burleson to right, and then gave up a three-run home run to Ivan Herrera. A slider on the third pitch came in low but connected for a long hit.

In the 5th inning, after recording two outs, he gave up a solo home run to Brendan Donovan. Donovan attacked Buehler's low 93.3 mph (150.2 km/h) four-seam fastball.

Despite managing to hold on until the 5th inning to qualify for a win, Buehler's pitching was not good. He threw a total of 83 pitches with a maximum speed of 95 mph (152.9 km/h) and an average of 93.5 mph (150.5 km/h) four-seam fastballs (28 pitches), along with cutters (18), sweepers (15), knuckle curves (11), sinkers (6), changeups (3), and sliders (2).

He threw a total of 7 types of pitches, but none worked for the batters except for the sweeper. The average speed of his four-seam fastball has dropped by 2 mph (3.2 km/h) compared to last year, and the effectiveness of his off-speed pitches has also halved.

Buehler spent 7 seasons with the Dodgers through last year and once performed as their ace. However, after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery on his elbow in June 2022, he was rehabilitating throughout 2023, and in his comeback season last year, he struggled with 1 win and 6 losses, an earned run average of 5.38 over 16 games (75⅓ innings). His pitches were not at their best, and his control was shaky. He even had a hiatus of over a month due to hip inflammation.

However, he bounced back during the postseason with 4 games (3 starts, 15 innings), achieving 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 save, with an earned run average of 3.60. Particularly, he announced his return by recording a starting win in Game 3 of the World Series (5 innings) and a save in the decisive Game 5 (1 inning), throwing 10 scoreless innings over his last 3 games.

After the season, Buehler, who became a free agent, showed a desire to remain with the Dodgers, but there were no answers. The Dodgers did not extend a qualifying offer of $21.05 million for one year to Buehler. They bid farewell to Buehler by signing free agent pitcher Blake Snell for 5 years at $182 million. Without any compensation ties, Buehler entered the free agent market and headed to Boston, signing with the same terms as the qualifying offer at $21.05 million.

According to MLB.com, an executive from a National League club during the offseason said, 'If Buehler can stay healthy, he could be the best signing of this winter. When Buehler is good, he is overwhelming,' noting the expectation for his comeback. During spring training, he pitched well with 2 wins and an earned run average of 1.80 over 10 innings with 11 strikeouts, leading to hopes that the expectations would be met. However, he has struggled in two consecutive games after the season started.

After the game that day, Buehler said, 'My body feels good. I came into the season in really good shape, and at the very least, I have been disappointed. When I join a new team, I want to show everything I have. I want to help the team win, but I couldn't do that during the first two weeks. It's disappointing, but the season is long. There will be good moments.'

Since there is still a lot of the season left, it is too early to discuss the success or failure of Buehler's contract. However, there is certainly a reason why the Dodgers gave up their championship hero.

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