The Philadelphia Phillies continue to receive dominant performances from left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, and now he enters Wednesday night’s matchup with a chance to move even closer to franchise history. Over the past month, Sanchez has transformed from an excellent starting pitcher into one of MLB‘s most untouchable arms.
The numbers during his current stretch are becoming difficult to believe. After another brilliant outing in his last start, Sanchez now has an opportunity to place his name alongside one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history.
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Nearly a Month of Dominance
Sanchez was outstanding in his most recent appearance, shutting out the Cleveland Guardians across eight innings and extending his scoreless innings streak to 37 2/3 innings.
To put that in perspective, Sanchez has gone nearly an entire month without allowing a run.
The remarkable run now stands as the second-longest scoreless innings streak in Phillies history, an accomplishment that becomes even more impressive considering the long list of elite pitchers who have worn the uniform over the years.
Now there is only one name left above him. Sanchez needs just four more scoreless innings to pass Grover Alexander and establish a new franchise record.
Matchup Appears Favorable
The timing of Sanchez’s next start may work in his favor.
Wednesday’s matchup comes against a San Diego Padres lineup that has struggled significantly against left-handed pitching this season. The Padres enter the game with the second-lowest OPS in baseball against southpaws.
Even more telling, no team in the league has scored fewer runs against left-handed pitching. Of course, records and trends do not guarantee anything in baseball, but on paper, it creates an opportunity for Sanchez to continue his remarkable run.
Phillies Getting Even More Than Expected
Sanchez entered the season viewed as the Phillies’ ace, carrying major expectations for a team with championship aspirations.
So far, he has delivered everything Philadelphia hoped for, and perhaps even more. Now fans will be watching closely to see whether history arrives Wednesday night.
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