Taijuan Walker dominant as Phillies down Rockies

Taijuan Walker logged six scoreless innings as the Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Colorado Rockies with a 3-1 victory Thursday afternoon.

Coming off a season in which he had a 7.10 ERA, Walker (1-0) allowed only three hits and a walk while striking out four in his 2025 debut. Kyle Schwarber homered and J.T. Realmuto recorded three hits for Philadelphia, which has won five of its first six games.

Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela (0-1) allowed just an unearned run, scattering 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings. Colorado has lost five of six to kick off the campaign, scoring a total of 11 runs in the process.

However, the Rockies certainly made things interesting against Phillies closer Jose Alvarado in the ninth. They scored a run and loaded the bases with one out before Alvarado struck out the final two batters to seal the win.

Philadelphia pushed across a run in the fifth inning -- a rally that started when Schwarber reached second on a dropped fly ball by left fielder Mickey Moniak. Schwarber moved to third on a groundout and then came around to score when Bryce Harper doubled to right.

Schwarber doubled the advantage in the seventh when he led off with a 444-foot blast to right-center against Luis Peralta for his fourth homer of the young season.

Realmuto walked in the eighth against Tyler Kinley and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

Senzatela worked around traffic several times early in the ballgame. In fact, that has become a theme with the Rockies right-hander, as he has not given up an earned run in 9 2/3 innings this season despite allowing 19 hits and two walks over that stretch.

Walker escaped a couple of tough situations, as well. Colorado had a baserunner in the first and third innings, and then two on with two outs in the fourth and fifth, but the visitors were unable to score each time.

Walker retired the side in order in the sixth to end his afternoon.

--Field Level Media