Momentum Killer: Taijuan Walker continues Phillies’ screw job in 10-0 loss to the Houston Astros

Taijuan Walker was moved to Wednesday afternoon’s start against the Houston Astros instead of tonight’s opening game against the Atlanta Braves. 

Needless to say, the result was expected >>

Walker threw six innings, allowing 13 hits, six earned runs, and a walk while striking out absolutely no one. Five of those runs came in the fourth inning. He became the first Phillies pitcher to allow 13+ hits without a strikeout since Blix Donnelly on April 28, 1948 and the most since Aaron Harang allowed 14 in five innings on July 1, 2015. [MLB]

Walker is 3-6 with a 6.50 ERA in 14 starts this season, including 0-4 with a 9.17 ERA in four starts since he returned from the injured list. 

After the game, Taijuan Walker told reporters that his start was a “step in the right direction” which is so beyond the realm of reality that I almost respect it. 

Taijuan Walker says he felt today’s start was “a step in the right direction,” encouraged by the weak ground balls. pic.twitter.com/5Y3KYpTNp9

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) August 28, 2024

Honestly, I would have kept Taijuan Walker in the game until it was over.

Rob Thomson should have ran him into the ground and then cut him immediately following his latest disaster-class. If he can’t eat up innings and provide a spot start as the 5-6 starter in the rotation then he’s basically useless.

Walker is on a 4-year contract with nearly $52 million left to be paid, which to that point, the Phillies and Rob Thomson can tell you anything they want, but money owed clearly has a major factor in him getting a spot in the rotation. 

After starting the 2023 season year very strong, Taijuan Walker was pretty miserable down the stretch. On the year, he posted a 15-6 record with a 4.38 ERA over 31 starts but the majority of his success was found before the All-Star Break.

The Phillies didn’t even consider Taijuan Walker in the postseason last year. He was unreliable and known for getting off to slow starts and also could not be trusted in a high-leverage situation out of the bullpen. 

2024 Spring Training didn’t help Walker’s case either.

In fact, he was pretty miserable and while I wrote multiple times saying the Phillies are in trouble at the back half of the rotation, the majority of the readers here at The Liberty Line questioned my baseball knowledge and told me I was acting “dramatic” even after Walker put together a disastrous start against the Baltimore Orioles in which he coughed up five hits, seven runs, three walks and three home runs in just 2.3 innings of work down in Clearwater.

Go figure. Clearly, something was wrong with Walker.

His fastball didn’t move from the 89-92mph range all Spring and back on March 9th, it was as low as 88-90mph. Soon after – he was heading to the 15-Day IL.

It’s either put Taijuan Walker in the rotation, DFA him, or let $52 waste away in the dugout. 

Walker went down with a “finger injury” back on June 21st and had been trying to get it to heal for nearly two months. He finally returned to the rotation in mid-August and shocking news to absolutely no one, pitched horribly yet again.

Friday night against the Kansas City Royals was simply icing on the cake for the train wreck that is Taijuan Walker. With the score tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning, he surrendered five runs, giving the Royals a 6-1 lead and basically ending the game before it started.

Walker allowed six hits and two home runs during that frame and finished the day with six earned runs on eight hits and one walk with two strikeouts over three innings.

The Phillies lost the opener 7-4 before taking the next two to win the series.

Entering yesterday’s start against the Astros, Taijuan Walker had a career-worst 6.26 ERA across his 13 starts. His ERA+ was and remains horrendous, sitting 34 points below the league average.

Prior to yesterday, Walker went 0-5 with a 7.11 ERA over his previous eight starts. He allowed 31 runs and 11 home runs over 38 innings pitched during that span. Including yesterday against the Astros, the Phillies haven’t won a game that Taijuan Walker has pitched since May 22, 2024 – when he was pulled after throwing just 4.2 innings.

The ship has sailed on Taijuan Walker in Philadelphia and at this point, this guy isn’t even a bad fifth starter who can eat innings and give the rest of the rotation rest. 

Rob Thomson and company will likely continue to run Taijuan Walker into the ground which again, is only because they are paying him a ridiculous amount of money for absolutely nothing in return.

Starting Pitchers for the Atlanta Braves series at Citizens Bank Park:

Thursday 6:40pm:
Charlie Morton vs Cristopher Sanchez

Friday 6:40pm:
Reynaldo Lopez vs Ranger Suarez

Saturday 7:15pm:
Max Fried vs Zack Wheeler

Sunday 7:10pm:
Spencer Schwellenbach vs Aaron Nola

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