Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez has not had an ideal start to the season, but Tuesday’s dominant performance against the Athletics served as a reminder of why he finished second in NL Cy Young voting last season.
The Phillies (16-20) defeated the Athletics (18-17), 9-1, in a game defined by Sanchez’s command on the mound and a long-overdue breakout for the offense. For Sanchez, specifically, the Athletics simply had no answer for one of the most talented pitchers in the league.
Sanchez pitched eight strong innings with only three hits allowed, zero earned runs, 10 strikeouts and only one walk. It is his ninth career double-digit strikeout game, but only the second time this season that he has reached the mark.
Christopher Sanchez tosses a gem against Athletics
Even after the Athletics threatened in the seventh inning with a pair of singles in the first two at-bats, Sanchez retired the next three hitters, two of which were courtesy of strikeouts.
Sanchez finished off his dominant night by getting Athletics right fielder Brent Rooker to swing and miss on an 88 mph changeup in the eighth.