Baltimore — The game on Sunday at Camden Yards will now be the penultimate of the Phillies’ eagerly awaited series against the Orioles, which is not that it needed any extra significance.
The Phillies lost 6-2 on Saturday afternoon after defeating the O’s in thrilling fashion in 11 innings on Friday night. Unlike the night before, Taijuan Walker was able to keep his team in it by limiting one of MLB’s most potent offenses to three runs over five and a third innings, but Philadelphia was unable to provide a big hit.
“Today was a good day and he threw the ball well [in the London Series against the Mets on Sunday],” manager Rob Thomson remarked. “I kind of like where he’s at right now.”Thomson did point out that Walker still has to improve in two crucial areas: his splitter and his velocity.
Walker, fresh off a strong outing in London, dominated the first two innings of the Orioles game. He kept the damage to just one run even in the third, when an infield single placed runners on the corners with no one out.
But Walker sent a splitter down the middle in the fourth, and Anthony Santander made him pay with his second home run in as many games.
Walker’s main concern is still that pitch, or more precisely, where it is located.
On Saturday, the seasoned right-hander only threw seven splitters. In none of his throws, Walker had thrown fewer than thirteen splitters.
