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Walker Buehler's much-anticipated return to Yankee Stadium was anything but triumphant. The Red Sox pitcher, who shined in his previous appearance at the stadium by sealing a World Series win for the Dodgers last October, faced a much grimmer outcome on Friday night.

Buehler, now donning a Red Sox jersey, allowed seven runs in just two innings during Boston's 9-6 loss, seeing his ERA rise to 5.18. Following the game, Buehler expressed his frustration, acknowledging his poor performance and stating, "This organization put a lot of faith in me this offseason and I've been f-king embarrassing for us."

The Red Sox, who currently stand at 30-35, have had a disappointing season, largely due to their underperforming starting pitchers. Despite Garrett Crochet's stellar performances, the rest of the rotation, including Buehler, has faltered. The team ranks 25th in the league with a 4.53 ERA from its starters.

Boston had high hopes for Buehler, offering him a lucrative one-year, $21.05 million contract in hopes he would bounce back from Tommy John surgery. However, his struggles have continued. Last season, he posted a career-worst 5.38 ERA for the Dodgers but showed promise in the postseason, pitching 10 scoreless innings against the Mets and Yankees.

In his previous outing against the Mets on May 20, Buehler seemed to be finding his rhythm, lowering his ERA to 4.00 before an ejection cut his return short. Unfortunately, his last three starts have been rough, with an 8.52 ERA, allowing 14 runs (12 earned), 21 hits, and five homers in just 12 2/3 innings.

Friday night's game began with promise but quickly unraveled. Buehler was on the verge of escaping the first inning unscathed but allowed a three-run homer to Jazz Chisholm and a two-run shot to Anthony Volpe, putting the Red Sox in an early 5-0 hole. By the second inning, Buehler had conceded two more runs before being pulled from the game after 67 pitches.

Despite the rough outing, Buehler remains optimistic, claiming he feels physically fine and believes he's close to returning to form. "Physically and even the execution of it, I didn't feel it felt like a seven-run, two-inning outing," Buehler said. "But that's the game and give it another go in five days.”

As the Red Sox hope for a turnaround, they will need Buehler to convert his physical readiness and good pitches into better results on the field.