Walker (15-6) took the loss Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets, giving up four runs on four hits and four walks over seven innings as the Phillies fell 4-3. He struck out three.
A three-run first inning nearly led to a quick exit for Walker, but he gutted out the early offense and helped preserve the Phillies' bullpen ahead of Tuesday's playoff opener in the wild-card round. The veteran righty tossed 106 pitches (64 strikes) in his final regular-season trip to the mound, and while Walker was able to give the Phillies innings in September, they weren't very effective ones -- he got tagged for at least four runs in four of his final five outings, posting a 5.93 ERA and 19:12 K:BB through 30.1 innings on the month.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Start postponed due to rain
Rotowire
Walker's next start will be pushed back after Friday's game between the Phillies and Mets was postponed due to rain, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday, with Walker presumably now slated to start one of those contests. The right-hander will be looking for win No. 16 as he closes out his regular season.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Strong in no-decision
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Walker did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings against the Mets. He struck out four.
Walker pitched well enough Friday night to earn his 11th quality start. The outing was a solid return to form after he had allowed three or more runs over his four previous starts. Walker has a 4.35 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 135:65 K:BB over 165.2 innings in his first season with the Phillies. He is currently slated to make his final start of the regular season next week against the Pirates.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Goes seven frames in no-decision
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Walker gave up five runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three over seven innings Sunday against the Cardinals. He did not factor into the decision.
The Cardinals got to Walker for three runs in the third and two runs in the fifth, but he ended strong with two shutout innings and was able to provide the Phillies with some length. It's just the second start in the last seven games he's managed to go more than six innings, a span during which he's struggled to a 5.85 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and has just 29 strikeouts in 40 innings. The 30-year-old currently projects for a home matchup against his former team in the Mets.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Another rough outing
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Walker did not factor into the decision in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against Atlanta, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings.
Outside of a triple by Austin Riley in the first that turned into a little-league home run when the ball was fumbled in left field, Walker did not allow a home run, which was about the only positive development to take away from this outing. Walker threw only 53 of 103 pitches for strikes and hit two batters as part of the 11 runners he allowed to reach base. Walker has gone 16 consecutive starts throwing at least five innings, but following a stretch between June 6 and July 15 that saw him win seven consecutive games with a 1.64 ERA, Walker holds a 5.08 ERA over his last nine appearances. His next start is scheduled to take place this weekend in St. Louis.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Earns 14th win
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Walker (14-5) earned the win Monday, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.2 innings against the Angels. He struck out six.
Walker dealt with plenty of baserunners Monday but managed to limit the damage to an RBI single in the first inning and a two-run single in the fourth. He exited the game with two outs in the sixth, holding a 5-3 lead and ultimately notched his 14th win, further adding to his career high. Walker has a 4.05 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 119:57 K:BB across 142.1 innings on the campaign. His next start is tentatively scheduled to come in Milwaukee over the weekend.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Seven strikeouts in no-decision
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Walker did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks over five innings against the Giants. He struck out seven.
In his return to Philadelphia's rotation, Walker ran into some bad luck in the first inning, allowing an unearned run to score after his defense committed two early errors. The 31-year-old righty then managed to hold San Francisco at bay until Joc Pederson laced a two-run double in the fifth. Walker had been living up to his last name in his previous seven starts, issuing 4.7 BB/9 to go with a 4.25 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 42.1 innings during that stretch. He is projected to face the Angels at home early next week.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Will skip start after poor outing
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Walker (13-5) took the loss Saturday, allowing three runs on three hits and six walks over five innings against the Twins. He struck out two. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he would skip Walker's next scheduled start to give him some extra rest, the Associated Press reports.
Walker has given up four or more runs in three of his last six starts with a 18:14 K:BB in 30.1 innings. "Control is off, command is off, velocity is down," Thomson said. "So I think it's time to just give him a little breather." The Phillies have off days Monday and Thursday and were already running a six-man rotation, so Walker's brief shutdown won't cause any ripples on the staff.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Allows four runs in win
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Walker (13-4) earned the win Sunday, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk over seven innings in an 8-4 victory over the Royals. He struck out two.
It looked like it could be a short outing for Walker after he surrendered four runs in the first two innings. However, the 30-year-old Walker blanked the Royals over his next five innings, allowing just one more hit in that span, as he tied Justin Steele for the league lead with 13 wins. Walker now sports a 3.98 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and 104:49 K:BB across 23 starts (126.2 innings) this season. He's currently lined up for a home matchup with the Twins in his next outing.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Notches 12th win
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Walker (12-4) earned the win Monday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings against the Marlins. He struck out four.
After allowing a two-run homer to Jorge Soler in the first inning, Walker rebounded to blank Miami over his next 5.2 frames to earn his 12th win. The 30-year-old Walker is now 8-1 over his last 10 starts, with a 2.45 ERA in that span. Overall, his ERA is down to 3.99 with a 1.27 WHIP and 102:48 K:BB across 22 starts (119.2 innings) this season. Walker's next outing is currently lined up as a home matchup with the Royals this weekend.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Allows two runs in no-decision
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Walker did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks over 5.2 innings against the Orioles. He struck out four.
It certainly could've been worse for Walker on Tuesday -- he held the Orioles to just two runs despite needing 104 pitches to make it through 5.2 innings. The 30-year-old right-hander has pitched to a 4.56 ERA over his last four outings after posting a pristine 0.84 mark in the previous five starts. Overall, Walker is 11-4 with a 4.06 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 98:46 K:BB through 21 starts (113 innings) this season. He's currently slated for a road matchup with the Marlins in his next outing.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Win streak snapped
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Walker (11-4) took the loss Thursday versus the Brewers after he gave up four runs on six hits and two walks across six innings. He struck out six.
The 30-year-old entered the contest with victories in seven straight starts and had a 1.84 ERA during that span, but Milwaukee tagged him for four runs while Corbin Burnes shut down the Philadelphia offense. Walker still pitched well for the most part, but Christian Yelich gave the Brewers all the offense they would need with a three-run homer in the third inning. The surging Orioles are likely up next for Walker, who has a 4.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 94:42 K:BB over 107.1 innings this season.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Extends win streak to seven
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Walker (11-3) picked up the win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Padres, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out three.
It was far from a dominating performance, but Walker got plenty of run support in a 9-4 victory. The right-hander has reeled off seven straight wins since June 6, a stretch in which he sports a 1.84 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 43:15 K:BB through 44 innings. The key to his recent success has been his ability to keep the ball in the park -- Walker's served up only two homers during his win streak, after getting taken deep 10 times in his first 57.1 innings this season.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Finishes strong month with win
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Walker (9-3) allowed a run on six hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings to earn the win Thursday over the Cubs.
Walker had an excellent June, allowing six runs over 36 innings across six starts. He also posted a 34:10 K:BB for the month, and he's now won five straight outings. After some uneven performances early on, he's settled down with a 3.93 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 77:33 K:BB over 89.1 innings through 17 starts on the year. Walker is projected to make his next start on the road in Tampa, which would be one of the biggest tests he's faced in a while.
Walker has recently enjoyed a velocity bump of 2-3 mph, and it has him riding high right now, allowing a combined two earned runs in his past four starts. His middling matchup against the Cubs in Week 14 is no reason to shy away from him.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Sharp against former club
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Walker (8-3) picked up the win in Friday's 5-1 victory over the Mets, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five.
Brandon Nimmo touched him up for a solo shot in the third inning, but otherwise Walker was dominant against the team he won 19 games for over the prior two seasons. The veteran right-hander tossed 54 of 91 pitches en route to his second straight quality start and eighth of the season, and over his last seven outings Walker has produced a dazzling 1.71 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 32:13 K:BB over 42 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, likely to come on the road next week against the Cubs.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Possible waiver wire pickups
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You may be inclined to dismiss Walker's eight-inning gem Friday as a natural byproduct of facing the Athletics, but what about his five shutout innings against the Dodgers the start before? In fact, over his past three starts, Walker has allowed a combined one earned run on a combined 11 hits in 20 innings, lowering his ERA from 5.65 to 4.31. That might not be enough to move you on its own, but when you factor in that it coincides with a velocity jump of 2-3 mph on basically all of his pitches, it's hard not to conclude that he's figured something out. This is a guy, after all, who went 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA last year. He says he's changed up routine and is "feeling looser, more athletic." It's reason to add him as an innings-eater for the end of your staff.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Five scoreless innings versus LAD
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Walker (6-3) earned the win Sunday, allowing two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings against the Dodgers. He struck out five.
Walker hasn't allowed a run during his two-game winning streak, tallying 13 strikeouts in 12 innings during that stretch. The right-hander was off more than he was on to start the campaign, posting a 5.65 ERA over his first 12 appearances (57.1 innings), but he's really picked up his play of late. Walker will look to stay sharp during his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for the opener of a three-game weekend set in Oakland.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Dominant against Detroit
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Walker (5-3) earned the win Tuesday, allowing two hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Tigers. He struck out eight.
It was Walker's best start to date with the Phillies as he logged season highs in strikeouts and innings pitched. The 30-year-old Walker has looked better after a rough start to the season -- he has a 3.53 ERA over his last seven starts after posting a 6.91 mark over his first six. Walker now sports a 5.04 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP and 53:29 K:BB across 64.1 innings this year.
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Phillies' Taijuan Walker: Falls to former team
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Walker (4-3) took the loss Thursday, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks over four innings against the Mets. He struck out two.
Walker pitched fairly well for three innings in his return to Citi Field, but Mark Canha's two-run homer in the third would be enough to tag him with the loss. The 30-year-old Walker has been inconsistent in his first season with the Phillies, though he's held opponents to three runs or fewer in five of his last six starts. Walker sports a 5.65 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP and 45:26 K:BB through 12 starts (57.1 innings) this year.
