The San Diego Padres entered the season hoping veteran right-hander Walker Buehler could rediscover the form that once made him one of the National League’s most dependable starters. While flashes of that version have appeared throughout the year, sustained success has remained difficult to achieve.
Those concerns have intensified during the opening weeks of July. After an encouraging month in June, Buehler has struggled in consecutive starts, leaving the Padres searching for answers as they attempt to remain in the National League playoff race.
His latest appearance against the Arizona Diamondbacks followed another disappointing performance against the Chicago Cubs, making back-to-back outings that rank among the most challenging of his season. The rough stretch has also resulted in an unfortunate statistical milestone.
As San Diego battles to keep pace in the Wild Card standings, both Buehler and the Padres face increasing pressure to reverse course before the season slips further away.
1. Consecutive Difficult Starts
Buehler’s recent struggles began during a matchup with the Chicago Cubs, where he endured one of the toughest starts of his season. Over four innings, the veteran surrendered nine runs on seven hits while issuing three walks and striking out six batters.
Although the outing was widely viewed as an anomaly, the Padres hoped several days of rest would allow Buehler to regroup before taking the mound again against Arizona. Instead, the right-hander encountered many of the same problems.
Facing the Diamondbacks, Buehler lasted five innings but again had difficulty limiting hard contact. He allowed seven runs on seven hits, including two home runs, while recording only four strikeouts during another disappointing performance.
The back-to-back outings left Buehler with an unwanted distinction. According to Talkin’ Baseball, he became the first pitcher this season to allow 16 earned runs across a two-start span, underscoring just how difficult the opening weeks of July have been for the veteran starter.
2. June Success Quickly Disappears
The recent downturn has been particularly surprising because Buehler appeared to be building momentum before the calendar turned to July. Throughout June, he consistently kept opposing offenses under control and gave San Diego a chance to compete each time he started.
While he generally worked around five innings per appearance, Buehler limited damage effectively, allowing only one run in each of his starts during the month. Those performances suggested he was gradually regaining the command and confidence that once defined his career.
His June success gave the Padres reason to believe they had found a reliable contributor for the second half of the season. Even without pitching deep into games, Buehler had become a dependable option capable of keeping contests within reach.
That progress, however, has quickly unraveled over his past two outings. The sharp contrast between June and early July highlights the inconsistency that has followed Buehler in recent seasons and remains one of the biggest challenges in his effort to return to top form.
3. Padres Face Growing Pressure
Buehler was not the only player to struggle against Arizona. San Diego’s offense failed to provide any support, as the Padres were shut out despite collecting several hits against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt and Arizona’s bullpen.
The inability to capitalize with runners on base has become a recurring issue for San Diego throughout the season. Even when opportunities arise, timely hitting has often been missing, placing additional pressure on the pitching staff to deliver near-perfect performances.
Following the loss, the Padres fell to 44-46, leaving them in third place in the National League West. Catching the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers has become an increasingly difficult task, making the Wild Card race the club’s most realistic path to the postseason.
With nearly half the season still remaining, San Diego has time to recover. However, the team will need stronger performances from both its starting rotation and offense if it hopes to remain in playoff contention. For Buehler, reversing his recent struggles could prove critical to both his season and the Padres’ postseason aspirations.