Watch: D-Backs' Walker crushes 1st career HR 455 feet
Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports
This one's for you, sonny boy.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Taijuan Walker welcomed his first child, Zayden, to the world earlier this week. On Tuesday, in his first start since coming off the paternity list, the proud papa helped his own cause by absolutely demolishing Mike Foltynewicz's fifth-inning offering very deep into the desert night for his first career home run, tying the game at 1-1.
Walker's blast, which left the bat at an exit velocity of 109.9 mph, was the second-longest home run hit by a pitcher since StatCast began tracking homers in 2015. He's the third pitcher to hit a blast more than 440 feet this season, joining Jeff Samardzija (446) and Jon Gray (467).
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