Cristopher Sanchez K’s 10 in Toronto, Phillies win 5-2
The scoreless streak is over but Cristopher Sanchez hasn’t slowed down even slightly. Seven innings, two earned runs, four hits, one walk, 10 strikeouts on 107 pitches Monday night at Rogers Centre.
The Phillies beat the Blue Jays 5-2 to open the series in Toronto. Sanchez’s fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season. His seventh consecutive start throwing at least seven innings dating back to May 5th. His ERA sits at a league-best 1.46 and the Cy Young campaign is in full swing.
The scoreless streak ending last Wednesday in San Diego was supposed to be the moment where Sanchez came back to earth. Two runs against the Padres. Then two more against the Blue Jays. Four earned runs in his last 14 innings.
By any normal standard, those are elite numbers. By the standard Sanchez set during the 50 2/3 scoreless innings streak, people are going to overreact and say he’s regressing. He’s not. The man struck out 10 Blue Jays and escaped two of the most dangerous situations he’s faced all season. He’s fine. He’s more than fine.
The Sixth Inning Was the Moment of the Game
Piñango led off the sixth with a double. Garcia bobbled the ball in right field and Piñango ended up on third. Runner on third, nobody out. The Blue Jays were about to cut into a 5-1 lead with momentum building.
Sanchez struck out George Springer. Struck out Nathan Lukes. Then struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Three punchouts with a runner 90 feet from home and nobody out. He walked off the mound pumping his fists. That’s a pitcher who is completely locked in. That’s a guy who has so much confidence in his stuff right now that a runner on third with nobody out doesn’t even rattle him. He just struck out the side and got off the field.
The seventh was tense too. Runners on first and second with two outs. Sanchez was at 100-plus pitches and looked over at Mattingly like he was asking to stay in the game. Mattingly let him. Sanchez got Valenzuela to ground out to Turner at short. End of the inning. 107 pitches. Seven full innings. Two runs. Done.
That’s the competitiveness that separates Sanchez from everyone else in the rotation. The man wanted the ball in the seventh with over 100 pitches on his arm, runners on base, and the game still within reach. He didn’t want to hand it to the bullpen. He wanted to finish what he started. Mattingly trusted him and Sanchez delivered. Again.
Seven Innings in Seven Straight Starts
The length has been as impressive as anything else Sanchez has done this season. Seven consecutive starts going at least seven innings. That’s over a month of Sanchez handing the ball to the bullpen with seven frames already in the books. The Phillies’ bullpen has been good under Mattingly but it’s been protected by Sanchez eating innings every fifth day. When your ace gives you seven every time he takes the mound, the relievers stay fresh, the high-leverage arms get rest, and the overall staff benefits.
The rotation behind Sanchez gave up 16 earned runs during the White Sox series over the weekend. Luzardo struggled. Nola walked four guys. Painter threw 42 pitches in the first inning. The rotation needed a stopper Monday night and Sanchez did exactly what an ace does. Stopped the bleeding. Pitched deep. Gave the bullpen a break. Keller threw a scoreless eighth and Duran nailed down his 16th save in 16 opportunities.
Garcia Keeps Hitting
Adolis Garcia hit his seventh homer of the season off Patrick Corbin in the second inning to put the Phillies ahead. That’s his third homer in five games. After spending most of the season as one of the worst hitters in baseball at .195 with a .578 OPS, Garcia is showing signs of life at the plate at exactly the right time.
Adolis Garcia RING IT
I wrote last week that the bat flip on the 429-foot bomb against the Padres might be the start of something. Two games later he went deep again against the White Sox. Now another homer in Toronto. Three in five games from a guy who went a month without hitting one. The swing looks better. The confidence is building. Mattingly said he sees more rhythm in Garcia’s at-bats. The results are starting to follow.
The Phillies desperately need Garcia producing from the right side. If the last five games are the beginning of a real turnaround and not just a hot week, the lineup gets deeper and the trade deadline conversation around a right-handed bat becomes less urgent. If Garcia can give you 20 homers and league-average production from the right side, the Phillies can focus their deadline resources on other areas. That’s a big “if” based on a five-game sample but the direction is encouraging.
Phillies Offense – Love It
Phillies are 36-29 and rolling…
The Phillies are 36-29. Seven games over .500. Nine wins in the last 13. In control of a Wild Card spot. The pitching continues to be the best in baseball. The offense has scored 19 runs in the last three games after averaging 2.46 per game during the 13-game drought. Sanchez keeps dealing. Duran keeps saving. Garcia is hitting homers again.
Two more in Toronto and then three in Milwaukee. The schedule doesn’t let up but the Phillies are playing their best baseball of the season right now and the timing couldn’t be better with the All-Star break approaching and the trade deadline on the horizon.
Sanchez struck out 10 Monday night and wanted to stay in the game with 107 pitches on his arm. That’s the guy leading the Phillies’ charge. That’s the best pitcher in baseball.
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