Taijuan Walker gets back on track, Bryson Stott delivers pinch-homer in 2-1 win over Cubs

Taijuan Walker stood on the top step of the dugout and waited. He had put a runner on first base with one out in the sixth inning of a scoreless game Sunday, and Seranthony Domínguez bailed him out.

It was worth at least a handshake.

Really, though, this was nothing. Not when you consider how hard the bullpen worked in most of Walker’s previous starts. So, the Phillies were thrilled to get 16 outs from Walker — on three days’ rest, no less — and hand over a scoreless game to the relievers.

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Bryson Stott ended the stalemate in the seventh inning. His first career pinch homer, a two-run shot into the front row of the right-field seats, propelled the Phillies over the Cubs, 2-1, in the series’ rubber match at sold-out (again) Citizens Bank Park.

But don’t be mistaken. Walker’s 5⅓ clean innings were the most important thing that happened to the Phillies, maybe all weekend.

“Honestly, I just wanted to attack the zone today,” Walker said. “My last outing I didn’t really attack the zone too much, got behind a lot. This time, I just really wanted to fill it up.”

Four days earlier, Walker got yanked with two out in the first inning after throwing 40 pitches to eight batters in San Francisco. He was unable to command his fastball, which enabled Giants hitters to sit on his signature splitter. It was his shortest start since July 18, 2021, with the Mets.

Walker said then that he suspected a mechanical glitch was at the root of his control problems. He characterized it as a “small fix.” He figured he would be better in his next start.

The Phillies didn’t give him much time to tinker. In need of a plan to fill the vacant fifth spot in the rotation, they could buy two extra days if Walker was able to start on three days’ rest. Manager Rob Thomson approached him about it last Friday.

Walker figured it was the least he could do.

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“I threw 40 pitches [last Wednesday] and felt like I really didn’t do much,” he said. “It was one of those games that I really wanted to flush quickly and have the opportunity to come out here on short rest and compete again.”

But not before fixing his mechanics. In his bullpen session Friday, Walker focused on his posture. He thought he was “too hunched over,” and it was affecting his command.

“Today I was kind of standing more tall, like I was previously, and was able to stay on line more,” he said. “It was a very, very small thing. I was able to fix that.”

There were still blemishes. Walker walked three batters, including Nico Hoerner with one out in the sixth inning. But he also threw a first-pitch strike to the first 11 batters and 16 of 19 batters overall.

Walker also gave up only two hits (both singles) and erased one baserunner on a pickoff throw to first base. J.T. Realmuto cut down another with a pickoff from behind the plate.

“The strike-to-ball ratio was really good, and he got a lot of soft contact,” Thomson said. “He was really good.”

But the Phillies thought Walker had figured out his problems earlier this month when he posted back-to-back six-inning, walk-free starts against the Red Sox and Rockies. Then came the first-inning debacle against the Giants.

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Perhaps that start in San Francisco was a blip.

Regardless, the Phillies need Walker to be more consistent. It’s one thing to have a fifth-starter problem. A lot of teams are mixing and matching. The Braves and Rays, two of the best teams in baseball, are trying to figure out the last spot in the rotation.

But the Phillies signed Walker to a four-year, $72 million to stabilize the middle of the rotation, which means they’re paying for more starts like this.

“He was going right at them,” said Stott, who didn’t start against tough Cubs lefty Justin Steele before coming through against right-handed reliever Adbert Alzolay. “Coming back on three days’ rest, it says a lot about him and how much he wants to win. That was big for us. We all like playing behind him.”

Stott leads the majors with 29 two-strike hits, including the homer against Alzolay.

What’s the secret?

“Just try not to expand [the strike zone],” said Stott, who has an eight-game hitting streak in which he’s 11-for-32. “Just step out and try to calm myself down and just get back to my zone and my approach and hopefully they make a mistake.”

» READ MORE: Two saves from milestone, Phils’ Craig Kimbrel still gets fired up

Craig Kimbrel notched his 399th career save despite allowing a solo homer to Phillies-killing Christopher Morel and a two-out walk to Trey Mancini in the ninth inning.

With his next save, Kimbrel will become only the eighth pitcher to record 400, joining Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), Lee Smith (478), Francisco Rodriguez (437), John Franco (424), Billy Wagner (422), and Kenley Jansen (400).

Nick Castellanos ran the Phillies out of a potential run in the sixth inning when he got thrown out at third base with one out.

After lining a leadoff double against Steele, Castellanos tried to tag from second on Bryce Harper’s medium-depth fly to right field. Seiya Suzuki chucked a one-hopper to third base, easily nabbing Castellanos.

It marked the Phillies’ 15th baserunning out, not including pickoffs or caught stealings. Four of those outs have come at third base.

Zack Wheeler (3-3, 4.06 ERA) will start the series opener Monday night against Diamondbacks lefty Tommy Henry (1-1, 5.00). The Phillies will face Arizona ace and Bishop Eustace grad Zac Gallen (6-2, 2.95) in the finale Wednesday.