Mariners appreciate Walker’s aggressive effort

CHICAGO — He didn’t get a win to show for his efforts, but Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker proved a few things in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the White Sox.

Pitching with an aggressive approach, Walker allowed just four hits in 7 1/3 innings and looked far more like the youngster who dazzled the American League for the first six weeks of the season before foot troubles and a stint back in Triple-A derailed his progress.

Walker took the loss in part because he didn’t get much help from his offense and because two well-placed balls fueled the White Sox two-run fourth, which was the only inning he allowed hits until the eighth.

“I thought he threw the ball outstanding,” manager Scott Servais said. “That was a really good effort, good stuff. He was on top of his game, about as good as we’ve seen him since early in the year.”

Servais noted that Walker had been “in a little different frame of mind — a little more quiet, subdued, focused, whatever you want to call it” leading up to this game. The Mariners sent the 24-year-old to Tacoma earlier this month, a message that they weren’t happy with his approach, and he clearly has returned with a bit of an edge.

On Sunday, Walker carried that out on the field, and the result was an outing tied for his second longest of the season, not to mention three …

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