Philly fans don't ask for much.
If players take accountability for their mistakes and own up to them — they'll be loved by the city through thick and thin.
The series opener against the Padres started off exactly how the Phillies wanted. They put up eight runs in the first three innings and took a seven-run lead into the fourth frame.
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What came next was less than ideal from Taijuan Walker, allowing three runs. Luckily, with the offense having such an explosive night, Walker got out of the inning still maintaining a four-run lead.
With the help of Kyle Schwarber's 40th home run of the season in between his appearances, Walker came out for one more inning and found some redemption. He allowed a single from Manny Machado but other than that, he walked away unscathed.
It was a nerve-wracking few innings to end the game, but the Phillies still came out on top, 9-7. Yes, it was a too-close-for-comfort situation and the collective sigh across the city was probably heard all the way in San Diego … but it was over. The Phillies held on to take the first game in the series.
Phew.
Philadelphia Phillies
"I feel good," Walker said following the game. "Body-wise, everything feels really good. It was just one of those games where I was kind of searching for mechanics, just doing a bunch of things that I didn't really need to do.
"They have a really good lineup, so I can't just lay the ball in there, but I had to throw more strikes in that situation."
Tuesday afternoon rolled around and it was apparent Walker still wasn't too pleased with his outing from the night before. He shared this message on his social media:
Even after a win, he wanted to send a message to his team and fans about the expectations he has for himself.
Take a moment to scroll through the replies — you won't be disappointed.
Like I said, Philly fans don't ask for much.
Walker gets it … and Philly most certainly has his back.