Taijuan Walker Lit Up Again as Phillies Nearly No-Hit by Astros

In professional wrestling there is a tradition, where in your final match, you go out with a loss as a way of giving back to the sport that gave so much to you.

And while I firmly understand that concept, I certainly do not appreciate that the final post I am writing for Crossing Broad after seven great years at this site came on a day that Taijuan Walker started a game for the Phillies that he never should have to begin with, got torched, and the Phillies were nearly no-hit by Spencer Arrighetti.

That’s one hell of a give back for me.

I won’t bore you with the details of my departure. If you are truly interested, you can click on the X link below where I said plenty.

Hi all – some personal news.
Today was my last day as a contributor for @CrossingBroad.
It was my decision to leave. Everyone at CB and XL Media was awesome about this decision and let me continue writing for nearly three weeks after I told them I was leaving.
I have decided to…

— Anthony SanFilippo (@AntSanPhilly) August 29, 2024

Instead, I will sit here and find it somewhere deep within my sports writing soul to try and come up with a compelling story about the debacle that took place at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday.

Frankly, this reeked of a good ol’ Doc Rivers scheduled loss.

How else can you explain the decision to start Walker against the Astros on Wednesday? Everyone knew what was going to happen. I knew. You knew. Your neighbor knew. Your crazy uncle knew. Your barber knew.

Hell, admit it, your dog walked past your television during the game, stopped when Walker was on the screen, let out a snort, and just kept going.

If every one of us outside the Phillies organization knew, then the Phillies had to know, too.

It’s why they switched his start date from Thursday to Wednesday, to avoid having to use him in a pivotal series against the Atlanta Braves. It’s why they left him in the game long enough to allow six runs and 13 hits while not striking out a single batter over six innings – so they can save their entire bullpen for the Atlanta series.

Taijuan Walker allowed 13 hits and did not record a strikeout in six innings.

It’s the most hits a Phillies pitcher has allowed since Aaron Harang in 2015. It’s the first time a Phillies starter went 6 IP without a strikeout since Ben Lively in 2017.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) August 28, 2024

They had to know.

And after all the effusive confidence in Walker in the dugout on Monday, manager Rob Thomson finally admitted that something needs to change in the rotation going forward.

Oh, he didn’t say that directly. But he said that the organization has to talk about it.

“It was a rough day all the way around in every aspect.”

Rob Thomson and Taijuan Walker discuss today’s difficult outing and what might lie ahead for the Phillies’ starting pitcher. pic.twitter.com/1DVs9X9b3T

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 29, 2024

Rough day? No kidding.

The Phillies did buy themselves some time with this decision. Assuming they move on from Walker – which was the prevailing wisdom after his last start in Kansas City that was equally terrible – the Phillies wouldn’t need a fifth starter until September 7th in Miami thanks to not having to play on Labor Day.

That means they can call up an extra bullpen arm for the next three games against Atlanta, and then add a second one on Sunday when rosters expand for September.

And if that was the strategy, fine – but it still didn’t make sense as the Phillies are now fighting not only for the N.L. East title, but also a first round bye, avoiding a treacherous three-game series in the Wild Card round.

Every game matters now, and giving games away like this makes little sense.

Personally, I felt bad for Walker coming into the game. I have to imagine how hard it is when your career has come to this stage. It’s got to be very trying emotionally.

And I give Thomson credit for saying he feels the same way for Walker.

“I feel bad for him,” Thomson said. “I really do, because I think all of you know how much I respect and love the players and he works extremely hard. He (took) that time on the I.L. to try different things – to gain velocity. To gain action on the splitter. There’s no lack of effort there. So, when guys give effort and it doesn’t work out and you don’t see results, it hurts. It hurts me and it obviously hurts him too.”

Making matters worse was the Phillies looked feeble at the plate for the first time since the finale in Atlanta last week. Arrighetti was pitching a no hitter into the eighth inning. He struck out 11 in 7 1/3, and other than an incredible catch against the left field wall by Mauricio Dubon to keep the no-hitter intact to end the seventh inning, the Phillies didn’t hit him hard at all.

Mauricio Dubón keeps the no-hitter intact with this catch to end the 7th! pic.twitter.com/xnlPofITbv

— MLB (@MLB) August 28, 2024

Yeah. It was bad. It was one hell of a way for me to go out.

Ah, well.

Thanks for reading.

The post Taijuan Walker Lit Up Again as Phillies Nearly No-Hit by Astros appeared first on Crossing Broad.