Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Walker battles into seventh as Phillies overtake Marlins for Wild Card spot

Taijuan Walker allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings Monday. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire)

The Phillies were in a dire spot early. They’d put two runners on in the top of the first and failed to score. Taijuan Walker’s velocity was down — way down — and Jorge Soler had sent a ball into space. Twenty pitches in, Walker had allowed three hits and two runs, and the Phillies’ taxed bullpen was in no place to pick up the slack.

Fast-forward eight innings, and the “2” in the Marlins’ runs column of the scoreboard hadn’t changed. What had: The Phillies were back in a playoff spot.

That’s because Walker, whose first-inning struggles were primarily responsible for that dire early outlook, flipped a switch. The Phillies’ righty allowed just three hits from the second inning on, with three straight 11-pitch innings and a slight uptick in the velocity department allowing him to work deep into the seventh.

He didn’t have his best stuff, to be sure, but Walker surrendered just two runs in 6 2/3 innings to open what could wind up as a crucial four-game series in Miami.

The Tuesday 6 p.m. ET trade deadline is less than 24 hours away, and atop the Phillies’ wish list is a right-handed bat. Nothing the Phillies could’ve done on Monday would’ve changed that approach, but if anything could’ve, the offense’s showing against Edward Cabrera certainly wasn’t it.

Cabrera walked six batters in his three-plus innings of work, but when he departed in the fourth, the Phillies hadn’t been able to break through.

With Steven Okert on in relief, Johan Rojas — who’s been a spark plug since his unexpected call-up July 14 — finally did.

That score held until the seventh, when Alec Bohm — in the two hole with Nick Castellanos getting a much-needed respite — gave the Phillies a prime scoring opportunity by doubling Kyle Schwarber over to third with no outs, and Bryson Stott gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly.

Bohm was at the center of the action again when the Phillies doubled their lead the following inning. Two more walks — both with two outs — put a runner in scoring position for the Phillies’ third baseman, who seemingly always comes through in those situations. He upped his average with RISP to .358 by singling the other way to drive in Rojas.

The Phillies had to patchwork the final seven outs after using six relievers in Sunday’s loss. Matt Strahm relieved Walker in the seventh, allowing Luis Arráez’s third hit of the day before retiring Soler to end the threat.

Strahm and Jeff Hoffman combined for a scoreless eighth before Craig Kimbrel closed the win out with a painless, stress-free, 1-2-3 ninth inning.

The win moves the Phillies to 57-49 on the season, wrapping up July at 14-11.

And, more importantly, they’ve overtaken Miami for the second Wild Card spot with 56 games to go.

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