NEW YORK — Taijaun Walker refused to be outdueled by Justin Verlander in the Mets’ 2-0 loss to the Astros on Wednesday at Citi Field.
Of late, the right-hander’s starts have only been getting better and better, reminiscent of his first-half performance in 2021 that earned him his first career All-Star nod. Walker threw 7 1/3 shutout innings in his best start of the season so far, against an Astros lineup that has given the Mets a lot of trouble. Walker at one point retired nine in a row, matching Verlander’s outing inning by inning in the scoreless game.
As excellent of a performance it was, manager Buck Showalter cut it short in the eighth. Showing a sense of urgency and wanting to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the year, the Mets skipper pulled Walker after he got one out in the eighth, giving the ball earlier than usual to closer Edwin Diaz.
