'I'm better than this': Walker's woes worsen for struggling Phils

KANSAS CITY -- Taijuan Walker witnessed Friday night what a lot of American League pitchers have seen all season. When you’re trying to navigate through the heart of the Royals’ batting order, proceed with caution.

Walker was unable to hold Kansas City down early and lasted just three innings in the Phillies' 7-4 loss at Kauffman Stadium. It was the third inning, in particular, that did Walker in.

With the game tied at 1-1, six of Kansas City's first seven batters in the frame recorded a hit. The only out in that stretch was Bobby Witt Jr.’s wicked groundout to shortstop, which came off his bat with an exit velocity of 114.6 mph. There was also a pair of two-run homers -- one apiece by Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe -- as the Royals used that five-run inning as their springboard to a series-opening victory.

Walker was charged with six runs off eight hits in his three innings and the Philadelphia offense didn’t have the firepower for a big comeback.

“It wasn’t good,” Walker said. “Getting behind [in counts], giving up the home run ball -- it just hasn’t been good lately. I want to help the team as much as possible. Obviously, we aren’t playing great. It would be nice if I could pick the team up, and I haven’t really done that. So it’s frustrating.”

With the Phillies’ loss and the Braves' win over the Nationals, Philadelphia's lead in the National League East is down to five games.

Manager Rob Thomson said he was encouraged by an uptick in Walker’s velocity, but noted that command issues were the latest factor to hold back Walker.

For the most part, opposing hitters have been able to lay off Walker's splitter -- easily his best pitch in past years -- when it finishes out of the strike zone. And when he pitches behind in the count, an inning such as Friday’s troublesome third can spiral quickly.

“He gets behind and then he has to come to the middle,” Thomson said. “That’s when it gets him. The split was OK, but a lot of times, they take it and it’s out of the zone. He has to get that in the zone.”

Walker threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of the 18 batters he faced. While that's on par with the league average, he said he’ll continue to work on not putting himself in 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 counts.

“I know that I’m better than this,” Walker said. “I’ve proven it before. I just have to keep my confidence and know it’s going to turn around.”

Walker’s ERA jumped to 6.26, including 9.76 in three starts since returning from the IL. The Phillies have lost each of his past eight starts. Asked if Walker will make his next scheduled start, Thomson said, “We haven’t talked about it yet.”

The Phillies had a golden opportunity to take a lead in the third. They had tied the game on an RBI single by Brandon Marsh and had runners at first and third with nobody out and the top of the order coming up. But Kansas City starter Michael Wacha struck out Kyle Schwarber before getting Trea Turner to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Philadelphia got at least one hit from the last seven hitters in its lineup. But at the top, Schwarber and Turner were a combined 0-for-10 with six strikeouts. That comes after the Phillies managed just six runs in their three-game series in Atlanta earlier this week.

“I thought our at-bats were a lot better tonight,” Thomson said. “I didn’t think we chased as much. We used the field and tried to manufacture runs.”

With a 13-22 record since July 11, the Phillies will welcome back left-hander Ranger Suárez on Saturday in the hope that the All-Star left-hander can provide a boost. Meanwhile, Walker will go back to working on the command issues that have plagued him all season.

“You see him out there in the bullpen between outings working on things,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “He’s working to find the command and get back on the attack.”