San Diego Padres pitcher Walker Buehler has landed on the wrong side of Major League Baseball history after allowing 16 earned runs over his last two starts, the most by any pitcher in the league this season in consecutive outings. The recent performances have contributed to a challenging year for the Padres.
Buehler's most recent start against the Chicago Cubs resulted in nine earned runs, contributing to the Padres' franchise-worst loss. He surrendered seven hits and four walks in four innings during the 23-3 defeat at Wrigley Field. Prior to that, he allowed seven earned runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up seven hits and a walk in 5.1 innings.
Across 18 starts this season, Buehler has a 5.07 earned run average with 80 strikeouts over 87 innings. This contrasts with his June 29 outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he pitched 5.1 innings and allowed only one run.
The Padres signed Buehler to a minor league deal in the offseason, and he worked his way onto the Opening Day roster, becoming a consistent part of the rotation. His struggles have occurred amid a difficult season for the Padres, who are 15 games behind the division leader. The team is also 14 games behind the second-place Diamondbacks.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Padres' performance could lead them to become sellers in the market, a notable shift for a team that reached the brink of elimination in the 2024 National League Division Series.