Cristopher Sánchez is friends with fellow Dominican Republic native Marcell Ozuna, so it was only natural they trash talked each other before their most recent game.
Sánchez was assured by the Pirates’ designated hitter that he would take him deep.
Sánchez instead struck him out — four times, and the Phillies’ ace struck out 13 overall in the May 16 shutout victory.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto laughed and remarked, “It wasn’t a very good idea to piss him off.”
In an incredible scoreless May, Sánchez dominated almost every batter with his superior sinker-slider-changeup combination, which has made him one of baseball’s top pitchers.
In May, Sánchez broke a 115-year-old franchise record by going 4-0 and striking out 45 batters in 39 innings with just three walks. Before starting on Wednesday against San Diego, Sánchez had pitched 44 2/3 consecutive shutout innings, surpassing Grover Cleveland Alexander’s record of 41 innings from 1911.
Up ahead, a shot at the major league record held by former Los Angeles Dodgers great Orel Hershiser, who threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings for the World Series champions from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28, 1988.
Hershiser remarked, “I’m pulling for anybody to have a life-changing moment.” “’88 and the 59 scoreless changed my life. When he’s pitching against the Dodgers is the only occasion I won’t support him.
The Dodgers are currently 21-10 under temporary manager Don Mattingly after Sánchez missed their series during the Phillies’ 4-2 road trip.
Other than perhaps a lot of bats, he hasn’t missed anything else.
Through an interpreter, Sánchez stated, “It’s something special.” “There’s something incredibly significant. This is something I never would have thought of. I’m therefore really pleased and proud of myself.
Only six pitchers are ahead of Sánchez on the list of consecutive shutout innings dating back to the beginning of the Live Ball Era in 1920. Sánchez has thrown at least seven shutout innings in five straight starts; he would need to reach that minimum in two more starts plus one inning to surpass Hershiser.
The only other active pitcher who can relate to Sánchez’s feelings during a protracted scoreless streak is Zac Gallen of Arizona. Gallen, who was only surpassed by Sánchez, finished 2022 with 44 1/3 innings pitched overall and six consecutive scoreless starts of six or more innings.
“When you’re on a streak like that, it’s fun,” Gallen said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s like walking around on eggshells because you never know when this thing is going to end.” However, it’s enjoyable when you’re in a state of flow and the zeros begin to accumulate. Thus, it’s fantastic for him. I’m hoping he can erase the record.
Sánchez is 6-2 overall and has an MLB-low 1.47 ERA going into his start on Wednesday against the Padres, whom he defeated last week with seven outstanding innings. If Sánchez starts the game with three scoreless innings, he would surpass Bob Gibson, Carl Hubbell, Zack Greinke, and Sal Maglie on the list of scoreless streaks.
Hershiser and Don Drysdale would be the only ones remaining.
Hershiser remarked, “What I do watch, he’s very, very special.” “His athleticism, his ability to switch speeds to both sides of the plate, and his changeup. I just think he’s a real special pitcher. If you don’t repeat your mechanics, use some deceit, and make a lot of excellent pitches, you can’t do what he does. He’s assembling everything.
Sánchez has the third-longest scoreless streak in ballpark history, only surpassed by Roy Halladay in 2010 (33 innings) and Cliff Lee in 2011 (29 innings), with each of his last 28.2 innings at Citizens Bank Park being scoreless.
For the past two seasons, the 29-year-old Sánchez has edged closer to greatness.
He was the NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2025 when he went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA and struck out 212 in 202 innings. In March, Sánchez was rewarded with a six-year contract for $104 million through the 2032 season, which includes $20 million in deferred money payable from 2035 to 2044.
The Phillies invested a lot of money in Sánchez, and the early results have been noteworthy. He made his first start on opening day, which may result in the lanky lefty starting on his home mound as an All Star in July.
Sánchez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in 2013 and was traded to the Phillies six years later for infielder Curtis Mead in a few-cared winter transaction. Mead is batting but never gained popularity as a regular player.242 in 45 games this season with the Washington Nationals.
Sánchez and Zack Wheeler have created a powerful 1-2 punch in the rotation, helping the Phillies overcome a 9-19 start and return to wild card contention. Sánchez throws a changeup that averages 86.5 mph and holds batters to a.153 average.
Since he last let up two runs in the first inning of a 3-2 Phillies victory against the Giants on April 30, Sánchez has pitched only to weak contact, and the scoreless streak has never been really threatened.
The defensive highlight of his run came in his last start when centerfielder Justin Crawford raced after Manny Machado’s deep drive and crashed into the wall to make the catch.
Sánchez praised the effort while standing on the mound.
Hershiser will also go scoreless if Sánchez reaches 60.
“It would be an honor to be mentioned if Cristopher broke it, and I would treat him the same (respectful) way that Don Drysdale treated me,” he declared.
