Taijuan Walker Revenge Tour: Phillies sweep the Rockies, shift focus to the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend at The Bank

If you’re a Phillies fan who thought Taijuan Walker was cooked, you weren’t alone. But Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, the veteran righty threw a little gasoline on that doubt — and then torched it.

Zack Wheeler dominates Rockies as Phillies cruise to 5-1 win at The Bank

Walker, making his season debut, turned in six shutout innings in a 3-1 win over the Rockies, completing a clean three-game sweep. He scattered just three hits, allowed one walk, struck out four, and had the crowd on its feet by the time he walked off the mound in the sixth.

The Taijuan Walker Revenge Tour

Taijuan Walker REVENGE TOUR (vs Rockies 😅)

6 IP | 3 H | BB | 4 K | #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/8AdTZkW4Ox

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) April 3, 2025

And yeah, the velocity is back.

After spending Spring Training fighting just to stay on the roster, Walker’s fastball averaged 92.8 mph, up over a tick from last year’s 91.5. He even touched 93.9 mph. Maybe he just needed a little South Philly adrenaline.

Either way, the Phillies needed this. With Ranger Suárez on the IL, Walker’s return to the rotation was met with a collective shoulder shrug — and he responded with his best start since May of last year.

The Offense Did Just Enough

Kyle Schwarber continued his early-season heater, launching his fourth homer of the year, a 444-foot missile that left absolutely no doubt and gave the Phils a 2-0 cushion in the seventh.

Earlier in the game, he doubled and scored on a Bryce Harper rope down the line to get the Phillies on the board.

Who else but Kyle Schwarber

Schwarbs 💣#RingTheBell | #Phillies pic.twitter.com/93jhSr3xhi

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) April 3, 2025

Harper, who’s been warming up himself, finished 2-for-4 with the RBI double.

Don’t Look Now, But This Team Is Cooking

With the win, the Phillies have now ripped off three straight, moved to 5-1 on the season, and are showing signs that this could be a deeper squad than people expected. The bullpen handled business behind Walker, with Orion Kerkering, Jordan Romano and José Alvarado, while always making it interesting, shutting the door to complete the sweep.

Nasty stuff from Orion Kerkering…

Orion Kerkering with 19 inches of horizontal break here. Truly remarkable stuff in the arsenal.#RingTheBell | #Phillies pic.twitter.com/RBYAKQeaqr

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) April 3, 2025

And let’s not forget: this isn’t a full-strength Phillies rotation. Walker just bought the team some time — and maybe, just maybe, bought himself some breathing room with the fanbase. For a guy who looked like a question mark two weeks ago, Walker walked off the mound today to a standing ovation. In Philly, that’s more than just a nice moment — it’s a second chance.

What’s Next

The Phillies keep the homestand rolling with a weekend set against the the Paper Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers. Jesus Luzardo will get things going tomorrow night, with Aaron Nola scheduled to go Saturday. Cristopher Sanchez will close out the series on Sunday.

For now, Taijuan Walker gets his flowers. A win in April doesn’t mean everything — but it means a hell of a lot more when you weren’t sure you’d even be in the rotation.

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