Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
When a team is headed due south on a highway to who knows where, and everyone knows they need to slam on the brakes and do a controlled turn in the opposite direction, the last person they would want behind the steering wheel to make that happen right now is Taijuan Walker.
And yet, the Phillies put him in the driver’s seat on Friday in Kansas City, hoping he wouldn’t fishtail. He didn’t. Instead, he flipped the car, jumped the guardrail, and skidded into a ditch.
At least that’s what it felt like watching it.
Walker lasted all of three innings for the Phillies. He let up six runs on eight hits and one walk. The rest of the game hardly mattered, because it was over once Walker walked away from the wreckage.
Final: Kansas City 7, Phillies 4.
Walker’s performance completely marred the fact that the offense had a solid night. That the Phillies put up 11 runs, hit the ball hard and even had a few loud outs on top of that.
A couple of guys that matter a lot still struggled and missed opportunities to really make it a wild night at Kauffman Stadium, but overall, as a team, the swings were a heck of a lot different than what everyone saw when they were flailing feebly in Atlanta the previous three nights.
But it’s hard to see the good right now when your eyes are swollen almost shut from repeated, self-inflicted black eyes.
Walker (3-5) provided the latest blows with a pitching performance that was just terrible, and he knows it.
“It wasn’t good,” Walker told reporters postgame. “Not throwing the right pitches in the right counts … getting behind in counts still … giving up the home run ball.
“It just hasn’t been good lately, especially, you know, you want to help the team as much as possible. Obviously, I feel like we’re not playing great, but it would be nice for myself to be able to pick the team up. I just haven’t really done that so it’s frustrating.”
However, these words, as honest as they are, ring hollow for every fan in Philadelphia. That’s because they’ve been frustrated with Walker since the second half of last season.
And there always seems to be a reason. His pregame warmup routine needs to change. He has arm fatigue. He has knee soreness. He has a hot spot on his ring finger. Probably all true at some point, but these are things that good pitchers pitch through, Especially guys getting paid $18 million a year.
And yet…
Phillies manager Rob Thomson wouldn’t commit to Walker making his next start, which seems like it would be the opener of a four-game series with Atlanta on Thursday, a four-game series that suddenly looms large with the Phillies lead over the Braves down to five games in the N.L. East.
Frankly, Walker shouldn’t start another game for the Phillies this season. Fans would prefer that extend to the next two seasons as well and would hope that Phillies managing partner signs off on the notion of eating the remaining $36 million of Walker’s contract rather than see him throw another pitch in a Phillies uniform.
That’s going to be an interesting decision at some point in the next six months,
But Walker not even giving his team a chance to win a game in the midst of a complete free fall is enough of a crime for a veteran player to say there are no more chances this season at the very least.
As for the lineup, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto and Brandon Marsh (not a typo) each had two hits in the loss. Castellanos and Realmuto have been going good for a bit, but it was a welcome sight for fans to see Harper and Marsh put together better at bats.
The Phillies still haven’t hit a home run since Sunday, though. Their four-game drought is the longest of the season.
Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, though, continue to scuffle. The top two guys in the lineup were a combined 0-for-10 with six strikeouts on Friday and each missed opportunities to drive runners home in spots that could have gotten the Phillies even closer in the contest.
They were the only two Phillies not to register a hit in the game.
ROSTER MOVES
OF Austin Hays (hamstring) returned to the Phillies lineup Friday. To make room for him, the Phillies optioned OF Cal Stevenson back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
After the game, Thomson announced that in order for LHP Ranger Suarez (back spasms) to be reactivated to pitch on Saturday, the Phillies optioned LHP Tyler Gilbert back to Lehigh Valley as well.
Gilbert made just one appearance while with the Phillies, it was Friday. He pitched two innings in relief of Walker allowing one run on two hits and a walk.
ON DECK
The Phillies welcome back Suarez (10-5, 2.87), who will be making his first start in a month. He will face RHP Brady Singer (9-8, 3.18) who will start for the Royals.
