Mariners Analysis: Taijuan Walker Getting Back to Business

Over the last ten days, Taijuan Walker has reemerged as one of the Seattle Mariners most reliable pitchers.

Before Walker’s June 8th start at Safeco Field against the Cleveland Indians, he had allowed at least three earned runs in four of his previous five outings. Since that game against the Indians, he has had two outings in three starts where he has given up no earned runs- by far the best results he’s had since the early part of the 2016 season.

So this poses the question: is Taijuan Walker returning to his ways of mastery that we saw from him at the beginning of the year? It appears for the moment that he is back and maybe better than ever.

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His return to form came in the way of his second best start of his career- only behind his complete game, one-hitter last year against the Minnesota Twins where he also struck out a career-tying eleven batters- in the aforementioned game against the Indians. On that night at Safeco, Walker struck out Indians’ batters in seven of the eight innings he pitched (the lone non-K inning was the 6th). He has fanned multiple batters in four frames, including his last two (the 7th and 8th) before being replaced by Nick Vincent to start the ninth, further emphasizing his dominance even late in the game.

Having only given up three hits and walking none in this outing, he wowed the Mariner faithful en route to his second shutout start on the year. Most importantly it was the first time he had blanked a team since April 20th, coincidentally against the same Indians squad.

Today, Walker took the mound again, this time on the road, to face the most potent offense in the American League, the Boston Red Sox. He would not allow himself though to be battered as the Red Sox have done to so many clubs this season. While only striking out three in the Sunday matinee, two of them were instrumental to stopping the Red Sox from bringing in runners that were in scoring position.

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The first came in the first with Xander Bogaerts on second base and David Ortiz at the plate. Ortiz, the ultimate hitter with runners on the base paths and in a spot to attack the Mariners early. It was a situation where the odds were stacked against Walker, but he delivered, striking out Ortiz in a seven-pitch duel.

The second clutch-K came in the next frame with Jackie Bradley Jr. at third and Chris Young on second base with Christian Vazquez in the batters’ box and one out. Needing a second out to eliminate the chance of a sacrifice fly, the pressure was on for him to come through, and he did. On a three-two count, Walker confused Vazquez who took the knockout strike looking. He then took care of the next hitter via the groundout to escape the jam. In the end, Walker finished after going five innings, surrendering a scattered six hits and more importantly allowed no runs.

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It would be improper not to mention that in between these two stellar performances, Walker did have a shaky showing against the Tampa Rays, giving up three earned runs on three hits (two home runs), but it was the bookend outings that proves the Walker has regained his composure and his control, reclaiming his position as the number two pitcher in the M’s starting rotation.

Over the last ten days, Taijuan Walker has reemerged as one of the Seattle Mariners most reliable pitchers.

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