In the world of sports, few things are more defining than the roar or the grumble of a home crowd. Taijuan Walker, the Phillies' solid starter, knows this all too well.
This spring at BayCare Ballpark, the boos echoed whenever he took the mound, a tough pill for any player to swallow. Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park wasn't any more forgiving.
And when he was announced for Thursday's series finale against the Rockies, it was the same story.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson understands the weight a chorus of boos can carry. "It would affect anyone, really," he said before the game. "But I think he handles it really well."
Yet, by the end of the sixth inning, Walker flipped the script. As Philly looked poised for their inaugural sweep of the season, Walker celebrated striking out Hunter Goodman with a walk to the dugout.
But this time, no boos. Instead, 34,097 fans rose in applause, recognizing Walker’s stellar six-inning effort: three hits, four strikeouts, and a mere 74 pitches.
Final tally: Phillies 3, Rockies 1.
For Walker, it ended a victory drought stretching back 327 days to May 11 last season. Through 16 starts, the win eluded him.
"He's a great teammate," Thomson remarked. "He's always on the top step when he's not pitching, cheering on his team.
He competes. I'm just so happy for him."
Walker’s performance was a bright spot on an otherwise quiet day for the offense. At 32, snagging his first win of the season hints at a hopeful restart.
"It feels good," Walker reflected. "My mom was here today, and I know she loved that.
Made her feel good...she texted me a billion times, just super proud, super happy."
In the strange theater of the diamond, the Phillies found themselves with bases loaded early on, courtesy of Rockies’ infield mishaps. Yet, just like the day before, no runs crossed home plate. Max Kepler's attempt to change the narrative on a fielder's choice ruled him safe momentarily—until the review overturned it.
With drama continuing in the fourth inning, J.T. Realmuto got his second single of the day. Bryson Stott followed with a hit that could've advanced them, if it hadn’t clipped Realmuto on the base path.
Third time lucky though? Perhaps.
In the fifth inning, Kyle Schwarber unexpectedly found himself on base after a routine pop-up was fumbled by Mickey Moniak, a former Phillie now left fielder for the Rockies. Schwarber’s touchstone moment led to a Bryce Harper double bringing him home.
Schwarber, undaunted, didn’t stop there. His 444-foot home run was a stunner to the second deck, marking his longest hitting streak to open a season and boosting his tally to four homers.
Winning games like these is crucial for the Phillies. Back-to-back series victories, including a sweep, are must-haves against teams like the Nationals and Rockies.
Now sitting at a 5-1 record, they face their first serious challenge this weekend against the undefeated, reigning World Series champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers, gleaming at a perfect 8-0 record and riding the momentum of a walk-off win against the Braves, are certainly a daunting prospect.
Are the Phillies ready to challenge the champions?
"I heard they were unbeatable, so …" Realmuto remarked with playful confidence. "We want to win every game, every game is important.
Obviously they're a great team over there, so we're excited for the challenge. It's going to be fun."
The stage is set. Now, let's see if Philly can shine against the league's best. As always, stay tuned because in baseball, anything can happen.
