Walker's rough outing puts Phillies' celebration on hold for at least one more day

NEW YORK — 2024 will most likely be a season Taijuan Walker flushes once it comes to an end. 

Good thing the fifth spot in the rotation only has one more start in the regular season.

For the second consecutive night the Phillies had one goal — win the game, clinch a spot in the postseason. Neither happened Thursday as the club dropped their series-opener to the Mets, 10-6, at Citi Field. 

The magic number for a playoff spot remains at one. 

The magic number for winning the NL East remains at four. 

And luckily for the Phillies, while the Dodgers won (and by won, I mean absolutely demolished the Marlins, 20-4) and tied them for the top spot in the National League, the Phillies hold the tiebreaker having won the season series. So, there’s a sigh of relief.

In terms of relief though, that's pretty much where it starts and ends.

The scene was, unfortunately, set early — a feeling known all too well when Walker takes the mound.

Walker gave up back-to-back home runs to Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso to give the Mets an early lead. Vientos’ solo shot came on a first-pitch 85.3 mph sweeper that had an exit velocity of 113.2. 

The Phillies and Mets traded a pair of two-run shots in the third inning. Trea Turner had his 19th of the season off Luis Severino to briefly tie the game before Brandon Nimmo returned the favor. 

"It was a down game the whole game," said manager Rob Thomson. "Every time we scored, they answered. We were constantly down."

Down two once again, the Phillies went back to work and found some contribution at the bottom of the lineup. Nick Castellanos singled, J.T. Realmuto worked a walk and Brandon Marsh singled down the leftfield line to drive in a run. 

The Phillies were only down a run — it felt more than doable for them to keep pecking away at the Mets' lead and possibly flip the script.

Walker didn’t even register an out in the bottom of the inning before that hope was squandered. 

Francisco Alvarez launched the Mets’ fourth home run of the night in as many innings — only this time it was a dagger three-run shot to put the Phillies in their biggest deficit of the night. 

The inning fell apart quickly but the decision to keep Walker in and face a few more batters was also a result of wanting to save bullpen arms.

"We've got a game tomorrow, we've got a game six days in a row," Thomson said. "So you start using all those guys up then what happens tomorrow if you get down?

"It just didn't work out. My fault, I'll wear it."

In Walker’s eight appearances since being activated from the injured list August 13, he’s given up 12 home runs. In the 15 games he’s started this season, he’s given up 22. 

Walker’s night ended after 3.1 innings. He allowed six hits, eight runs, walked three, hit J.D. Martinez with a pitch … and allowed the four home runs. 

"It hasn't been a good year for me," Walker said after the loss. "I mean, that's what it comes out to. I've been working hard and doing everything I need to do and the results just ain't coming for me right now.

"I thought there was a little bit more uptick today, but didn't execute, didn't get ahead. When I got two strikes, I didn't put guys away. Just not getting it done right now at all."

The four home runs is the most he’s allowed in a single game in his career. 

Jose Ruiz couldn't stop the bleeding when he came in to relieve Walker, either. Two more runs crossed the plate and that once close one-run deficit leaped to six.

Aside from Turner's home run, one of the only other bright spots was Brandon Marsh, who had two singles and an RBI.

Bryce Harper had a two-out double that brought the fifth and sixth runs across the board for the Phillies. On a night where many things didn't go right — five of their six runs happened when there were two outs.

There’s always tomorrow, right? 

It’ll be a rematch of last week’s lefties Cristopher Sanchez (10-9, 3.24 ERA) and David Peterson (9-2, 2.85). Sanchez allowed one run in seven innings in the Phillies’ narrow 2-1 win. 

Get ‘er done. 

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