PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES NOTES:
RHP Domingo Germán will make his 20th start of the season in tonight’s series opener vs. Tampa Bay…the 30-year-old will start on extended five days’ rest due to the team off day on Thursday…last pitched on Tuesday vs. New York-NL and took the loss after allowing 6ER over 6.0IP (7H, 1BB, 9K, 3HR)…his .210 opponents’ BA (81-for-385) ranks eighth in the Majors (fifth in AL) this season (min. 100.0IP)…threw the 24th perfect game in Major League history and the fourth in franchise history on 6/28 at Oakland (9.0IP, 9K)…was the first Major League pitcher to throw a perfect game since Seattle’s Félix Hernández on 8/15/12 vs. Tampa Bay…was the first Dominican-born pitcher to throw a perfect game…has allowed 2ER-or-fewer in nine of his last 14 starts…allowed 2R-or-fewer in four straight starts from 5/1-16, tying the longest such streak of his career (also four straight starts from 7/27-8/12/22 and from 5/9-27-G1/21)…in 2022, went 2-5 with a 3.61 ERA (72.1IP, 65H, 31R/29ER, 19BB, 58K, 11HR) in 15 games (14 starts) with the Yankees…allowed 3R-or-fewer in a career-high 12 consecutive starts from 7/27-9/30/22…missed the first 93 games of the season with right shoulder impingement syndrome…in six seasons with the Yankees, is 31-28 with a 4.45 ERA (517.1IP, 256ER) and 539K in 111 career games (89 starts)…was signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent on 12/11/15…was originally acquired by the Yankees from the Miami Marlins along with RHP Nathan Eovaldi and INF Garrett Jones in exchange for RHP David Phelps and INF Martín Prado on 12/19/14.
LAST TIME OUT: Made his 19th start of the season on Tuesday vs. New York-NL and took the loss after allowing 6ER over 6.0IP (7H, 1BB, 9K, 3HR)…surrendered an RBI single to Pete Alonso in the first inning, a three-run homer to Alonso in the third and back-to-back solo HRs to Alonso and Daniel Vogelbach in the sixth. Allowed 3HR-or-more in a game for the third time this season (also 4HR on 6/22 vs. Seattle and 3HR on 4/26 at Minnesota).
Has allowed 11R over his last two games after allowing just 5R/3ER over his previous three starts from 6/28-7/9.
Has recorded at least 9K in three consecutive starts for just the second time in his career (also recorded at least 9K in three straight starts from 6/9-19/18)…has recorded 9K in four of his last five starts (since 6/28).
VS. TAMPA BAY: Is 3-3 with a 5.04 ERA (55.1IP, 31ER) and 55K in 13 career games (11 starts) vs. the Rays.
Has made two starts vs. the Rays this season (5/6 at Tropicana Field and 5/11 at Yankee Stadium), going 0-1 with a 2.53 ERA (10.2IP, 7H, 4R/3ER, 5BB, 8K, 0HR, 1HP)…tossed at least 5.0IP with 2ER-or-fewer allowed in each start.
Is 2-1 with a 4.25 ERA (29.2IP, 14ER) in seven career appearances (six starts) vs. the Rays at Yankee Stadium.
Tossed his first career double-digit strikeout game vs. Tampa Bay on 6/14/18 at Yankee Stadium (10K).
HOME SWEET HOME: Is 2-5 with a 4.61 ERA (56.2IP, 29ER) and 66K in 10 home starts this season.
Has gone 14-13 with a 4.02 ERA (251.0IP, 199H, 122R/112ER, 84BB, 280K, 51HR) in 54 career games (43 starts) at Yankee Stadium…has allowed 3ER-or-fewer in 36 of his 43 home starts.
Has held opponents to a .212 BA (199-for-938) at Yankee Stadium in his career, compared to a .244 BA (253-for-1,036) on the road.
Has allowed 3R-or-fewer in 15 of his last 19 starts at home (since 6/30/21), including 10 starts with 2R-or-fewer allowed.
His 12 wins at Yankee Stadium since 2019 are the third-most by any pitcher at the venue during that span, trailing only Jameson Taillon (13) and Gerrit Cole (21).
2023: Will make his 20th start of the season tonight…is 5-7 with a 4.77 ERA (103.2IP, 55ER) and 110K in 19 starts this season.
His .210 opponents’ BA (81-for-385) ranks eighth in the Majors (fifth in AL) this season (min. 100.0IP).
Has allowed 1ER-or-fewer in nine of his 19 starts…are tied for the sixth-most such starts in the AL this season.
On 6/28 at Oakland, threw the 24th perfect game in Major League history and the fourth in franchise history (9.0IP, 9K), joining David Cone (7/18/99 vs. Montreal), David Wells (5/17/98 vs. Minnesota) and Don Larsen (1956 World Series Game 5 on 10/8/56 vs. Brooklyn)…marked his first career complete game…struck out Brent Rooker swinging in the first inning for his 500th career strikeout.
Recorded at least 9K in three consecutive starts for just the second time in his career from 7/9-25 (also recorded at least 9K in three-straight starts from 6/9-19/18).
Allowed 1R-or-fewer in two straight starts from 6/4-10, marking the fifth time in his career he’s recorded consecutive such starts.
Allowed 2R-or-fewer in four straight starts from 5/1-16, tying the longest such streak of his career (also four straight starts from 7/27-8/12/22 and from 5/9-27-G1/21).
Was ejected on 5/16 at Toronto prior to the bottom of the fourth inning for violating MLB’s prohibitions on foreign substances and served a 10-game suspension from 5/17-27.
Earned his first win of the season on 4/15 vs. Minnesota after recording a career-high 11K (6.1IP, 3H, 1ER, 0BB)…marked his third career double-digit strikeout game (also 10K on 7/25/21 at Boston and 6/14/18 vs. Tampa Bay).
TONIGHT’S STARTER – TAIJUAN WALKER • RHP #99
2023: 11-4, 4.06 ERA Career: 65-54, 3.91 ERA
LAST START: 7/25 vs BAL: ND, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO … Walker vs Gibson … The Phillies defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3, in walk-off fashion at Citizens Bank Park … Down 2-1 in the 6th, Bryce Harper homered to tie the game before Baltimore scored a run in the top of the 8th to retake the lead … Down 3-2 with 2 outs in the 9th, Bryson Stott laced a double to right that scored Harper from 1st base – J.T. Realmuto then legged out an infield single to extend the inning (29.3 ft/s print speed) before Alec Bohm singled home Stott to end it
TONIGHT’S START:
- On the Road Again: In his last 3 road starts, Walker holds a 3-0 record and a 2.57 ERA (6 ER, 21.0 IP) … He has made 4 career starts at loanDepot Park and has a 3-1 record with a 4.07 ERA (11 ER, 24.1 IP)
- 2 or Fewer: Walker has 12 starts this year in which he’s allowed 2 or fewer ER … Walker is 9-0 in those starts and the Phillies are 11-1 … He has accomplished this in his 7 of his last 9 outings, allowing just 15 ER in that span
- That’s Just the Way We Roll: Walker was the 1st Phillies starter to reach 11 wins this season, a mark tied with 6 others for 1st in MLB … He has recorded double-digit victories in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career … Walker went 5-0 at CBP to start the year (8 games) and was the 1st starter since Zack Wheeler (2020-21) to begin ones Phillies career without a loss in their first 8+ starts at home; Wheeler was 7-0 through his first 13 starts at home for the Phillies
- Hold On: Walker’s 4 pickoffs in 2023 are tied with 6 others for 2nd in MLB … His 22 successful pickoff attempts since the start of the 2015 season are 6th-most among active major league pitchers in that span and 3rd-most among active righties
- Much Better: Walker has used his splitter 34.4% of the time in 2023, the highest rate of his career (previous: 27.6% in 2022) … 48 of his 98 strikeouts have come via the splitter and his 25% strikeout % and 26.0% whiff % with the pitch are the 7th and 8th-best marks in the NL, respectively (min. 50 PA)
- Pitch Usage: Splitter (34.4%), Sinker (24.6%), 4-Seam Fastball (17.3%), Cutter (16.1%), Sweeper (3.8%), Curveball (3.8%)
- vs NL East: 11-9, 3.70 ERA (83 ER, 201.2 IP) in 39 games (38 starts)
ROAD:
- 2023: 6-3, 5.25 ERA (34 ER, 58.1 IP) in 11 starts
- Career: 36-32, 4.11 ERA (235 ER, 515.0 IP) in 98 games (96 starts)
2023 SEASON:
- Registered a career-high 7-game winning streak from 6/6-7/15 and became the 9th Phillie in the modern era (since 1901) to win at least 7 straight starts in a single season (last, Cliff Lee, 7/30-9/5/11)
- His 1.50 ERA in June was 6th-lowest among starters for the month, while he was the only ML pitcher to tally 5 wins. He is the 1st Phillies pitcher since Zach Eflin (5 in 2018) with 5 wins in the month of June
- Allowed 1 run or less in a career-high 5 straight starts from 6/6-29. Tossed consecutive scoreless starts of at least 5.0 IP on 6/6 and 6/11 for the 1st time in his career
- Threw a career-high 14.0 scoreless innings from 6/6-16, surpassing 2 scoreless 13.0-inning stretches from 7/4-16/22 and 6/26-7/7/15 … Completed 8.0 innings on 6/16 for the 1st time since 4/27/17 vs SD while with ARI
- On 5/21 vs CHI, Walker made his 1st career start on 3 days rest
- Made his Phillies debut on 4/3 at NYY after signing a 4-year contract with the club in December
- Pitched for Team Mexico in the 2023 WBC, making 1 start in Pool Play against Great Britain … He threw 4.0 scoreless IP with 2 baserunners allowed and recorded 8 of his 12 outs via strikeout
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
No team release available.
