The Phillies stunk something awful tonight. The offense decided not to show up yet again, a theme that is starting to become a recurring one, but that should course correct in due time.
What isn’t going to course correct itself is that Taijuan Walker again put his team behind in the first inning and then proceeded to make sure they didn’t have a chance to get back in the game in the second inning. When it was over, the Braves had a 6-0 lead and the game was virtually over.
The first inning problems
that Walker has had this year continued unabated when he allowed the first three hitters to reach to load the bases. Hope sprung when he somehow got a strikeout and a groundout that maybe he’d get out of the inning further unscathed, but a single made it 2-0. The Phillies had a golden chance to at least answer back somewhat in their half of the frame when they loaded the bases with one out against Martin Perez, but a pretty rough at bat by Edmundo Sosa snuffed out the rally. In the second, the Braves tacked on four more runs, the biggest blow a three run home run by Austin Riley that essentially sealed the game.
Atlanta got three more runs, but who really cares when the offense decides to bury their heads in the sand in yet another loss at home? Walker ate a few innings for the bullpen, which saw Tim Mayza and Tanner Banks have good outings, Chase Shugart and Orion Kerkering not. The team is struggling badly right now.
The real issue this evening is Walker.
Zack Wheeler is going to make his final start of the rehab process on Sunday, where he’ll hopefully make his next start on the road with the Phillies. The idea is that Walker is going to go to the bullpen to serve as a low leverage long reliever, waiting to jump back into the rotation if/when there is a reason to replace someone, but at this point, what is the actual point? I’ve thought that Walker has done his job admirably these past few years, giving the team a fifth starter that might give a solid start, might not. He’ll at least eat a few innings in each game he pitches, but the regularity with which he puts the Phillies in a hole during his starts warrants a long conversation about his ever returning to the rotation for the Phillies.
It just can’t happen again.
We don’t know their plan for him for real. Maybe he just gets sent packing on his way when Wheeler returns, maybe he does indeed go to the bullpen. Whatever it is, he just needs to get out the spot he currently holds in the rotation for the good of the team.
