Christian Walker came into Game 3 of the World Series hitting .167 this postseason. Walker was due for a big game, and he hit a double in his first at bat after Diamondbacks fans gave him the Trea Turner treatment -- cheering their struggling star in hopes of encouraging him.
Walker got off to a solid start in his first at-bat. Heck, his teammates have come to his aid time and time again. Yet, when Walker was asked to hold up at third base, he flat-out ignored his third base coach. It came back to haunt Arizona, which could have secured an early lead. Instead, Adolis Garcia threw Walker out with ease.
Tony Perezchica has been the D'Backs third base coach since 2017. The guy knows what he's doing, to say the least. Yet, Walker all but ignored him in the World Series. That won't sit well with Torey Lovullo.
Christian Walker runs through a stop sign, which costs Diamondbacks
KPNX 12News' Cameron Cox asked fans to give Walker an ovation in his first at-bat, and they delivered. Unfortunately, Walker's actions could cause fans to turn on him.
"When Dbacks first baseman Christian Walker steps into the batter's box for the first time, I need you to go crazy. Stand up, scream as loud as you can," Cox said. "Slumps are tough. Slumps are even tougher and they hurt even more in the postseason. Walker has been the backbone of this club now going on five years since they traded away Paul Goldschmidt. They replaced Captain America with a new Captain America. He's always put the team first. He'll do whatever it takes to help them win. Show him you see it with a massive standing ovation. Get him out of his slump."
Walker is out of his slump, but his choice at third base wasn't ideal. The Rangers took the lead shortly thereafter thanks to a two-out single by Marcus Semien.
