Walker is afforded the start after impressing Rob Thomson with the three scoreless relief innings he dealt against the Mets in the 6-4 victory Saturday.  I’m not holding my breath: Thomson’s hand is forced to lend Walker another look after unsuccessfully trialing three other pitchers in that No.

Although the MLB regular season finishes on Sunday, September 29. There will be one day between the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason. The postseason will begin with the Wild Card Series on Tuesday, October 1.

It’s a short turnaround to go up against a deep lineup packing plenty of punch. The Phillies have a solid .318 wOBA against right-handed pitchers for the season and a fourth-ranked .332 overall mark since the calendar flipped to September. Severino also served up two homers and a higher-than-usual 37.5% hard-hit rate in that most recent outing.