Mickey Moniak homers twice as Taijuan Walker struggles again in Phillies loss

The Phillies selected Mickey Moniak with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, but he ultimately homered just one time in 47 games with the Phillies. 

Sunday, Moniak doubled that home run total with Taijuan Walker on the mound for the Phillies, helping the Rockies to avoid being swept at Coors Field.

Walker retired the first two Colorado batters of the game, but then served up a 92-mph center-cut fastball to Moniak that was hit 433 feet: 

HEY MICKEY! HEY MICKEY! pic.twitter.com/iK41nc8sQe

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 5, 2026

Two batters later, TJ Rumfield extended the lead with a two-run homer: 

Go TJ, that’s our TJ 🫶 pic.twitter.com/WGTGKP9k73

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 5, 2026

Adolis García did cut into the lead with an opposite-field bomb off of Tomoyuki Sugano in the top of the second: 

Adolis García gets the Phillies on the board with a blast! 💥

(Via @aokstott) pic.twitter.com/WGEqVL3ySi

— OnPattison (@OnPattison) April 5, 2026

Moniak re-extended the lead to three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with his second home run of the day off of Walker, giving Colorado the 4-1 lead they would ultimately win the game by: 

MICKEY x 2⃣ pic.twitter.com/NcHsBd8X1v

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 5, 2026

Across five innings of work, Walker allowed seven hits and four runs, while walking two. He's got an unsightly 9.31 ERA after two starts this season. Zack Wheeler didn't fare particularly well in his most recent rehab start, but obviously Walker's struggles will only up the ante for how much Phillies fans want to see the ace return to the rotation, which will almost certainly bump Walker out of a regular role as a starter. 

In the top of the ninth inning, the Phillies did threaten against Rockies closer Victor Vodnik, but Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and Rafael Marchán ultimately all struck out to end the game. 

The Phillies will continue their roadtrip Monday in San Francisco, when Andrew Painter makes his second career MLB start, facing off with Tyler Mahle and the Giants at Oracle Park. 

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