Taijuan Walker’s return to the Phillies came under circumstances that would be ideal in a vacuum. A home crowd and a rookie pitcher on the opposing side. But baseball games aren’t played in a vacuum. They’re played in ballparks. And Citizens Bank Park, at this moment, is home to a reeling baseball club and fans caught somewhere between disbelief and apoplectic.
Walker got off to a rocky start, walking the second and third batters he faced. A bloop single by Jonah Bride brought in one run, and another bloop by Otto Lopez brought in another.
His second inning, however, was the opposite of his first: a clean, orderly and fast 1-2-3. Unfortunately, the Phillies hitters could not repeat the feat of reversal, as Valente Bellozo hampered them in only his fifth MLB game. They delivered a second consecutive scoreless inning that looked very similar to the first.
Taijuan’s problems returned in the 3rd inning with a solo hit against Jake Burger. He gave him two strikes and then made an error.
The Phillies seemed to have their breakthrough with a double by Johan Rojas, who hit a ball right past Burger at third base. But Kyle Schwarber flied out and Trea Turner drew a foul that was turned into an out by a superb catch by Vidal Bruján in right, and the frustration continued unabated.
And the bad mood in the stands didn’t seem to be going away. In the fourth inning, Alec Bohm got a walk and Nick Castellanos hit a ball that just touched the free throw line and bounced over the wall, leading to a ground rule double with the closest margin you’ll ever see. But JT Realmuto ended the inning, leaving both of them on the field.
José Ruiz came in to replace Walker at the start of the 5th inning; he allowed one run but otherwise managed a scoreless inning. With the Marlins’ lead stuck at 3, the Fightins had a chance to get back in the game. But their bats remained weak and the hearts of Philly fans remained heavy. Orion Kerkering prevented the Miamis from extending their lead by deftly getting past an E6 by Trea Turner.
But the bullpen’s efforts couldn’t hold the Marlins off for long. Tanner Banks came in for the 7th inning. Xavier Edwards hit a single, stole second base, ran to third, and then sprinted home on a throwing error by Realmuto. 4-0, and it felt insurmountable.
Bellozo finished his night with 7 scoreless innings, 4 hits allowed, 4 Ks and a completely dejected ballpark. A solo hit by Jesús Sanchéz, allowed by Carlos Estévez, didn’t help matters.
The Phillies struggled helplessly and trailing until the bottom of the ninth inning, hoping to salvage something. Bryce Harper was first, Alec Bohm hit a soft grounder into the infield, and Bryson Stott did the same. Another night to forget, as the home score got off to a bad start.
The Phillies are 69-50. Game 2 of the series is tomorrow at 6:40 p.m.
