\n\n6 scoreless innings, 1 perfect message \uD83D\uDC99
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 30, 2020
Welcome to the #BlueJays family, @tai_walker! pic.twitter.com/3k9YNnpPvP
“I feel like I was mostly just fastball and changeup,” he said while being introduced as a Blue Jay on Friday. “Now, this year, with all of the new pitching technology that’s out there, I was able to turn my cutter into more of a true slider. I really worked hard with that. My curveball, too, just having more confidence in it. I’m able to throw it for strikes in any counts.”\n\nWalker leaned on that cutter-turned-slider 25 times Saturday, producing four whiffs, and the balance it gave his game plan was evident in the type of contact he allowed. The Orioles averaged an exit velocity of just 76.5 mph against Walker, which is why his six scoreless innings seemed to flow so easily. There were some expected command issues that came and went after his long layoff between starts, but even when the ball was put in play, there was rarely much of a threat.
Walker didn’t feel he had his best curveball and described his changeup as “just OK,” but he had no shortage of praise for catcher Danny Jansen behind the plate. They kept going to those pitches regardless to keep the Orioles off balance, and it paid off. Saturday's performance was a fine way to introduce himself to new teammates, too, even if Walker tried to keep that thought to the side.\n\n“That’s just unwanted pressure,” he said. “It’s still baseball. It’s still the same game. Honestly, I just want to go out there and keep my same game plan and keep the same mentality I’ve had all year so far. I just want to go out there and attack. We’ve got a really good group of guys here. Defensively, offensively and the pitching staff, too. Winning is always fun, so to be able to go out there and help the team win felt good.”
The Blue Jays are starting to flip the script after the early weeks of their 2020 season were weighed down with a steady stream of defensive blunders and fundamental errors. On Saturday night, it was the Orioles making those mistakes and Toronto capitalizing, giving a great example of the “clean” baseball that manager Charlie Montoyo has been begging his club to play.\n\nAnd Saturday's win moves the Blue Jays to 17-14, giving them two games of breathing room on the Tigers for the American League's last Wild Card spot, with the struggling Orioles falling a full 3 1/2 games back.\n\nFew hitters have been more encouraging lately in this charge than