Walker fighting command in 'up and down' season

LOS ANGELES -- Taijuan Walker said Monday night at Dodger Stadium that he felt better than he has all season.

But something was not right. Walker allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings in a 13-4 loss to the Dodgers. It was just the third time in Walker’s 11-year career that he allowed eight or more earned runs in a game. His ERA jumped from 4.97 to 6.91.

“It’s just kind of up and down,” Walker said about his season to this point. “Today was really bad. The team has been playing really well. I feel like we’ve started clicking, and today wasn’t a good day for me. I’ve just got to be better. The last two starts weren’t very good.”

Walker left his last start last Wednesday against the Mariners after four innings because of tightness in his right forearm. The Phillies said the next day that Walker was fine.

Walker reiterated Monday that he is healthy.

Walker’s velocity Monday was better than his season average. His four-seam fastball averaged 94.2 mph, compared to 93.2 mph in his previous five starts. But something was off. He allowed a solo home run to Will Smith in the first inning. He walked James Outman and Miguel Vargas to start the second.

Walker entered Monday with a career-high walk rate (13 percent), nearly double his career average (7.7 percent).

He has walked at least three batters in half of his starts.

“I’ve just been getting behind, honestly,” Walker said. “I’m not really attacking the zone right now. I’ve just been getting behind a lot of hitters. I’m just leaving stuff over the middle of the plate right now. I don’t really feel off [with mechanics]. I think I’m just trying to be too cute and not really trusting my stuff in the zone and just letting it work.”

David Peralta followed Walker’s two free passes in the second with a three-run home run to hand Los Angeles a 4-0 lead that it wouldn't relinquish.

“I don’t know what it is,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s walked a lot more than he normally does. I thought his stuff was actually decent. His fastball velocity was up. His split was good. He was just getting beat on his breaking balls. We’ve got to go back to work.”

Walker allowed a homer to Jason Heyward in the third to make it 5-0. The three homers allowed tied Walker’s career high. Walker allowed three more runs in the fourth to make it 8-1.

The game spiraled from there. Kody Clemens recorded the final two outs in the eighth inning for the Phillies, who hope for better Tuesday. Left-hander Matt Strahm (2-2, 2.31 ERA) is on the mound, and Bryce Harper will be back in the lineup, if all goes according to plan.