How Ryan Walker learned to overcome bad outings and became SF Giants’ closer

SAN FRANCISCO — A former 31st-round draft pick who methodically climbed the minor-league ladder and debuted last May in relative anonymity at 27 years old, Ryan Walker was such an unlikely candidate to become the Giants’ next closer even he had trouble envisioning it until recently.

Walker’s elevation to the closer’s role wouldn’t have been possible without a season’s worth of lights-out performances in increasingly high-leverage situations. But first he had to learn how to deal with the bad ones.