"I don't know why I was so nervous," the Arizona right-hander said. "First game back, maybe, but after the first inning, I felt a lot better, more comfortable."
Walker pitched five sharp innings in his return from the disabled list, and the Diamondbacks won their fourth straight game, 2-1 over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.
Arizona scored two runs in the first inning, and that turned out to be all the Diamondbacks needed.
Walker (5-3) allowed a run and six hits in his first appearance since May 19 . He had been out because of a blister on his right index finger.
"I thought Taijuan was very good," manager Torey Lovullo said. "First day back, it was all very encouraging. He got to the pitch count that we wanted him to get to, and gave us five really, really good innings, and the rest of the guys picked it up from there."
Walker was lifted after 82 pitches, then Randall Delgado pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Fernando Rodney struck out the side in the ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances.
Jordan Zimmermann (5-5) allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings.
Arizona is 9-1 in interleague play this season. The lone defeat was at home May 10 against Detroit.
The Diamondbacks took the lead right away against Zimmermann. Gregor Blanco led off the game with a single to left that got past Justin Upton for an error. Blanco went all the way to third on the play and scored on David Peralta's sacrifice fly. Brandon Drury added an RBI single, but Upton redeemed himself by throwing Chris Owings out at the plate.
Detroit was hitless until the third, when Ian Kinsler managed a two-out double and scored on Alex Avila's single.
Walker struck out six and walked one, and Zimmermann was impressive as well. After Chris Hermann's single to start the second, Arizona didn't have another baserunner until the seventh.
"The first inning, I gave up four hits, I believe," Zimmermann said. "A little blooper and three ground balls that got through the hole. Other than that, I felt like my stuff was the best it's been in a Tigers' uniform."
It was the third straight quality start for Zimmermann and the first time this year he had gone more than six innings. He struck out six without a walk and lowered his ERA to 5.35.
IMPRESSIVE PACE
Arizona (41-26) matched the franchise's best start through 67 games and remained a half-game out of first place in the NL West.
"We're winning one-run games on the road, and I think that's what teams do when they play into the end of the season and have meaningful games," Lovullo said. "We're doing a lot of things right. I'm very pleased with that."
WHIFFS
The Tigers struck out 11 times in the game and drew only one walk.
"You feel like you can scrape out a couple runs, but we didn't tonight," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "You feel like you wasted an outing, but there's not much we can do about it."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: After a one-out walk to Avila in the first, Walker committed an obvious balk when he began his motion to the plate but didn't release the ball. It looked awkward, but he was able to continue and there was no sign of an injury.
"My cleat got caught in the ground, and I just lost my footing," Walker said.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: Arizona has Thursday off before starting a three-game series at Philadelphia. LHP Patrick Corbin (5-6) starts Friday night for the Diamondbacks against RHP Aaron Nola (3-4).
Tigers: Detroit begins a four-game series at home against Tampa Bay on Thursday night. RHP Justin Verlander (4-4) takes the mound for the Tigers against RHP Alex Cobb (5-5).
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Arizona - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Blanco singled to left, Blanco to third on error by left fielder Upton. | 0 | 0 |
| Peralta hit sacrifice fly to left, Blanco scored. | 1 | 0 |
| Goldschmidt singled to left. | 1 | 0 |
| Lamb struck out looking. | 1 | 0 |
| Owings doubled to left, Goldschmidt to third. | 1 | 0 |
| Drury singled to left, Goldschmidt scored, Owings thrown out at home. | 2 | 0 |
| 2 Runs, 4 Hits, 1 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Taijuan Walker pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| Kinsler flied out to center. | 2 | 0 |
| Avila walked. | 2 | 0 |
| Avila to second on balk by Walker. | 2 | 0 |
| Cabrera struck out swinging. | 2 | 0 |
| V. Martínez grounded out to second. | 2 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Herrmann singled to right center. | 2 | 0 |
| Iannetta lined out to left. | 2 | 0 |
| Ahmed grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Herrmann out at second. | 2 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Taijuan Walker pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| J.D. Martinez struck out swinging. | 2 | 0 |
| Upton struck out looking. | 2 | 0 |
| Castellanos struck out swinging. | 2 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Blanco flied out to left. | 2 | 0 |
| Peralta grounded out to shortstop. | 2 | 0 |
| Goldschmidt struck out looking. | 2 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Taijuan Walker pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| Romine struck out looking. | 2 | 0 |
| Iglesias grounded out to first. | 2 | 0 |
| Kinsler doubled to left. | 2 | 0 |
| Avila singled to left, Kinsler scored. | 2 | 1 |
| Cabrera grounded out to first. | 2 | 1 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Lamb lined out to first. | 2 | 1 |
| Owings struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| Drury grounded out to third. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Taijuan Walker pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| V. Martínez grounded out to second. | 2 | 1 |
| J.D. Martinez singled to left. | 2 | 1 |
| Upton singled to right center, J.D. Martinez to second. | 2 | 1 |
| Castellanos flied out to center, J.D. Martinez to third. | 2 | 1 |
| Romine struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Herrmann grounded out to first. | 2 | 1 |
| Iannetta struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| Ahmed flied out to right. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Taijuan Walker pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| Iglesias singled to center. | 2 | 1 |
| Kinsler flied out to center. | 2 | 1 |
| Avila grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Iglesias out at second. | 2 | 1 |
| Cabrera doubled to right center, Avila to third. | 2 | 1 |
| V. Martínez flied out to left. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Blanco popped out to shortstop. | 2 | 1 |
| Peralta grounded out to third. | 2 | 1 |
| Goldschmidt struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Randall Delgado pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| Delgado relieved Walker. | 2 | 1 |
| J.D. Martinez flied out to right. | 2 | 1 |
| Upton lined out to right. | 2 | 1 |
| Castellanos struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Lamb singled to left center. | 2 | 1 |
| Owings fouled out to first. | 2 | 1 |
| Drury lined out to center. | 2 | 1 |
| Herrmann grounded out to second. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| Randall Delgado pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| Romine grounded out to shortstop. | 2 | 1 |
| Iglesias grounded out to first. | 2 | 1 |
| Kinsler flied out to right. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Jordan Zimmermann pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Iannetta struck out looking. | 2 | 1 |
| Ahmed popped out to shortstop. | 2 | 1 |
| Blanco grounded out to shortstop. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| Randall Delgado pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| Blanco in left field. | 2 | 1 |
| Fuentes in center field. | 2 | 1 |
| Avila flied out to left. | 2 | 1 |
| Cabrera singled to left center. | 2 | 1 |
| V. Martínez grounded into fielder's choice to third, Cabrera out at second. | 2 | 1 |
| Mahtook ran for V. Martínez. | 2 | 1 |
| J.D. Martinez struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Arizona - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Shane Greene pitching for Detroit | ARI | DET |
| Greene relieved Zimmermann. | 2 | 1 |
| Peralta struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| Goldschmidt walked. | 2 | 1 |
| Lamb grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Goldschmidt out at second. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Bottom of 9th | SCORE | |
| Fernando Rodney pitching for Arizona | ARI | DET |
| Rodney relieved Delgado. | 2 | 1 |
| Upton struck out looking. | 2 | 1 |
| Castellanos struck out looking. | 2 | 1 |
| Romine struck out swinging. | 2 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
Arizona Diamondbacks
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanco CF-LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | .265 | .371 | .373 |
| Peralta DH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 | .314 | .362 | .471 |
| Goldschmidt 1B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19 | .323 | .448 | .596 |
| Lamb 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | .279 | .374 | .558 |
| Owings RF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | .296 | .329 | .465 |
| Drury 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .297 | .342 | .502 |
| Herrmann LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | .170 | .278 | .394 |
Fuentes CF
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .226 | .250 | .306 |
| Iannetta C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | .235 | .306 | .531 |
| Ahmed SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | .262 | .297 | .426 |
| Totals | 29 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 126 | |||
| BATTING 2B: Owings (16, Zimmermann) RBI: Peralta (19), Drury (29) SF: Peralta 2-out RBI: Drury GIDP: Ahmed, Lamb Diamondbacks RISP: 1-1 (Drury 1-1) Team LOB: 2 | ||||||||||
Game Information
| Stadium | Comerica Park, Detroit, MI |
| Attendance | 26,134 (62.9% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 2:45 |
| Weather | 82 degrees, clear |
| Wind | 12 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Tom Woodring, First Base - Mike Estabrook, Second Base - Marvin Hudson, Third Base - Jerry Layne |
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