Phillies Lose to D-backs Amid Walker’s Ongoing Issues
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies faced a tough 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, with pitcher Taijuan Walker’s persistent issues with his splitter and velocity taking center stage once again. Walker’s performance has been under scrutiny this season, and this game was no different.
Walker’s Performance: A Lingering Concern
Four Runs and Three Homers
Walker allowed four runs off five hits, including three homers, and three walks over just four innings. This continued a troubling trend for Walker, who has now conceded 12 home runs and an .862 opponents’ OPS in his 10 starts. Only two of those starts have been quality starts, contributing to his disappointing 5.60 ERA, ranking him 114th out of 125 pitchers with at least 10 starts this season.
Manager’s Patience Tested
“I know he’s working at it and I know he cares,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “That’s why I have patience with him. I’ll probably sit down with him [Saturday], just to make sure he’s healthy.”
When asked about his health, Walker confirmed, “I feel healthy.”
The Potential for Change
Relief Pitcher Turnbull Shines
The Phillies might face a difficult decision after Spencer Turnbull’s impressive relief performance. Turnbull worked around some traffic to toss three scoreless innings in relief of Walker. He posted a 1.67 ERA in six starts while Walker was on the IL in April, limiting opponents to a .489 OPS and just three home runs over 32 1/3 innings in those outings.
Thomson’s Considerations
When questioned about the possibility of making a change, Thomson was noncommittal. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,” he said. “That’s an inside-the-clubhouse conversation.”
The Splitter Problem
Decreased Usage and Effectiveness
One significant issue for Walker has been his splitter. In his last outing, he threw only seven splitters, six fewer than any other game as a Phillie. Against the D-backs, he managed just nine, with only one thrown below the knees. Four were put in play, and all were well-struck.
“I threw one good one and then next thing I know, I give up a home run on it and it stayed up from there,” Walker said. “Tried to force it down — get it down — but the action is just not consistent right now.”
Struggles with Command
Walker’s struggles extended beyond his splitter. He was unable to find other pitches to keep the D-backs off balance, generating only two swings and misses on 26 pitches. This marked the fewest in any of his 208 career outings, with a whiff rate of 7.7%, his third-lowest ever.
“He struggled, you know?” Thomson said. “Command was off, up in the zone. … Everything was up in the zone and hittable.”
Velocity Concerns
Declining Speed
Another area of concern is Walker’s velocity. His sinker topped out at 91.5 mph and averaged 90.4 mph for the second straight outing, down from his season average of 91 mph, which itself is down from 92.4 mph last season.
“I feel 100% fine,” Walker insisted. “My arm felt really good today. I thought the ball was coming out good and I look up and it’s 91.”
Splitter Dependency
Walker has demonstrated that he can be effective at lower velocities if his splitter is working. Last season, he threw his splitter 33.2% of the time, with opponents hitting just .205 against it. This year, however, they are hitting .426 (23-for-54) against the pitch. Walker has thrown it only 16 times out of 169 pitches (9.5%) in his last two outings.
Offensive Struggles
Missed Opportunities
The Phillies’ issues were not limited to the mound. They went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded six runners. Bryce Harper grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end a bases-loaded threat in the seventh inning. Earlier, he failed to tag up from second with zero outs on an Alec Bohm fly out that required a leaping catch at the right-field wall.
“We had a couple chances, really,” Thomson said. “Bryce leads off with a double, we don’t score. He probably should be tagging on that ball with nobody out — and he knows that. We had some chances, just didn’t come through.”
Conclusion
For Walker, the clock is ticking. “Obviously, I’m busting my butt,” Walker said. “But I know I’ve got to clean my [stuff] up.”
