Fly Tai Walker Looks To Bounce Back After Rough Atlanta Start

Fly Tai Walker Looks To Bounce Back After Rough Atlanta Start

by | Aug 10, 2022 | THE LEAD OFF

Taijuan Walker has had an impressive season so far for the New York Mets.

Coming off a season where he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, he was ready to have more success this season. And he already has more wins than he did last year.

 

Walker, who has nine wins on the season, ranks third on the team in that category and has had multiple outings where he dominated opposing teams.

Today, he’ll look to secure his 10th win of the season against the Cincinnati Reds.

Hopefully he will not have an outing like he did against the Atlanta Braves.

It was not Walker’s night on August 5 against the reigning World Series champs, Atlanta Braves.

The Braves got to Walker quick in the first inning, scoring eight runs and hitting two home runs to secure a 9-6 victory.

Walker only lasted one inning and after the game he admitted he did not have his best stuff out there.

“It wasn’t a good day for me,” Walker said in an article from The New York Post. “I don’t want it to happen in a big series like this, but it did and I’m going to move on from it. … My velo wasn’t very good today either and I was leaving too many balls over the middle of the plate. I didn’t do my job today and the bullpen had to wear it, which I’m not proud of at all.”

“I just didn’t have command of my fastball today,” he said. “My splitter was up, didn’t land any sliders for strikes and I left balls over the middle of the plate and they hit me hard.”

Walker snapped a streak of 15 straight starts in which he allowed four runs or fewer.

Going into that game, Walker won his two previous starts coming against the Miami Marlins and the New York Yankees.

Despite that disastrous outing against the Braves, Walker’s numbers this year are still impressive.

 

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Through 19 starts, he has a 3.45 ERA with 80 strikeouts.

Prior to the start against the Braves, the most runs Walker allowed this season was six and that was back in May against the Philadelphia Phillies.

This will be an opportunity for Walker to redeem himself and get back to showing how effective he can be on the mound.

Walker has had success against the Reds this season. Last month he made a start against Cincinnati and picked up the win, going six innings while striking out nine and giving up three runs.

With the Mets being in a good position to make the postseason, Walker will play a key role, especially toward the end of the season.

And Walker has that competitive edge to himself where he wants to win at all cost.

Expect him to be on his A game against the Reds and throughout the remainder of the season.

Taijuan Walker Was Catching Bodies In His First Mets Start

Taijuan Walker Was Catching Bodies In His First Mets Start

by | Apr 9, 2021 | THE LEAD OFF

Taijuan Walker earned every penny of his two-year, $20 million dollar deal he inked with the Mets in February. The 6-foot-4 Walker was dominant for 6 innings in his Citifield debut. 

 

He didn’t get the decision, but his energy and quality start paced the Mets to a controversial walk-off win in their home opener.

The lights are always brighter in New York, especially when fans haven’t seen baseball live since 2019 when Walker’s teammate and fellow MLB Bro Dominic Smith hit a walk-off homer in the team’s season finale.

 

 

The 28-year-old native of Shreveport, Louisiana wasted no time as he attacked the zone from the first pitch.  He threw three fastballs at 96, 96, and 97 to strike out the leadoff batter on consecutive pitches. He then fielded a comebacker and picked off Starling Marte after walking him.  

You knew from the gitty that he didn’t lace up cleats this morning to mess around. 

 

 

Walker went 4 ⅓ innings without allowing a hit in his first game in a Mets uniform. It was the second-longest a Mets pitcher has gone without allowing a hit in their team debut.  He finished his day going six innings, striking out four and allowing four hits. 

He had a 1-0 lead for a majority of the game but ended up giving up two runs in the 6th, putting him in line for the loss.  His teammate Jeff McNeil hit a 9th inning home run to get Walker off the hook. The Mets ended up winning the game with a walk-off, hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded.

The former 43rd pick of the 2010 draft has bounced around a few times in his young career, but the team remains excited by his potential. He began in Seattle and was sent to the Diamondbacks in 2016.  After having Tommy John surgery, he ended up back with Seattle for a second time before being traded to the Blue Jays last season.  

 

 

 

 

Walker became a key part of a rotation that bolstered a late Blue Jays playoff push in the American League last season. He had a 1.37 ERA in six games with Toronto striking out 25 in over 26 innings pitched, easily the best stretch of his career. 

Walker is a part of only two pitching rotations with multiple black starters in the Major Leagues, the other being his former team the Seattle Mariners (Justus Sheffield & Justin Dunn). 

Walker and No. 2  starter Marcus Stroman have been lights out in consecutive wins for the Mets. They have combined to go 12 innings allowing 3 runs and striking out 7.

 

 

 

It looks like Walker is ready to piggyback off his strong 2020 campaign and be a golden-armed force in the Mets owner’s promise to bring a World Series Championship back to the city.