WASHINGTON — Cade Cavalli and the Nationals silenced the Phillies’ offense Saturday.
Taijuan Walker delivered another strong start, but the Phillies fell to a 2-0 loss at Nationals Park. They’ll try to split their four-game series in D.C. on Sunday.
Cavalli pitched seven shutout innings and notched his first MLB win. He scattered seven hits, struck out five and walked none.
Walker logged 6 and 2/3 innings and allowed six hits, two walks and two runs. Across his last three starts, he’s thrown 18 and 2/3 innings and given up only three runs. Walker’s season ERA is down to 3.34.
The Phillies had a baserunning miscue in both of the first two innings. Trea Turner doubled down the right-field line to lead off the game and then tried to steal his third base in two days. Cavalli caught him before throwing a pitch to Kyle Schwarber, stepping off the rubber and easily throwing Turner out at third.
With Brandon Marsh on second base in the second inning, Cavalli fielded Harrison Bader’s hard grounder up the middle and Marsh was unsuccessful in his dash for third. Max Kepler followed by flying out to the left-center warning track.
The Phils also came up short with runners in scoring position the next two innings. Kepler grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on the corners in the fourth.
Walker was efficient out of the gates, ceding just one baserunner over the first three innings and throwing 30 pitches.
He hit his spots well and followed sound game plans for each hitter. Walker turned to his splitter more than usual, got regular ground balls and looked comfortable.
The 33-year-old righty’s day veered off course in the fifth inning. Dylan Crews reached on a one-out walk and Brady House hit a seeing-eye single into center field. Walker struck out Jacob Young, but James Wood gave Washington the lead by lacing a Walker splitter into the right-center gap for a two-RBI double.
“I had an opportunity to get out of that one,” Walker said. “I had an open base and Wood is obviously a really good hitter. I’ve just got to get that split a little more off. If I walk him, there’s an open base, and just try to get (CJ) Abrams. I just left it too much over the plate.”
Walker’s outing ended after Jacob Young lined an opposite-field single with two outs in the sixth. Jordan Romano came in to face Wood and struck him out.
“He got a lot of soft contact,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Walker….