Phillies Cristopher Sanchez shows he has come a long way with a complete-game victory
He was also trying to establish himself, at both levels, as a starting pitcher, one who has now not only has shown an affinity for pitching for length, but pitching as effectively as anyone in baseball.
The 28-yeaer-old Sanchez showed his stuff again Tuesday night, pitching a complete game, 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. In the course of a 106-pitch gem, he allowed a fourth-inning home run to Rob Refsnyder and also struck out 12 batters and induced 13 ground ball outs.
While only becoming a regular starter late in the 2023 season, Sanchez wiped away his early career inconsistency and became an All-Star last season, and probably should have been one this season. He is 9-2 with a 2.40 ERA, has gone six innings or more over his last nine consecutive outings.
'That just tells me that the work we've been doing since the offseason is working,' Sanchez said of his consistency. 'And that's something I take a lot of pride in.'
With a vulnerable bullpen and usual second-starter Aaron Nola suffering a bad season start before going down with an injury, Sanchez's growth is something the Phillies desperately needed. He has responded with a cool demeanor and an arsenal that includes a high-90s fastball often tempered with a killer change-up.
'He has electric stuff,' Bryce Harper said of Sanchez after the Phillies improved to 58-43. 'He's done a great job for us. Just throws strikes. He's kind of evolved into an ace for us.'
Sanchez also has an understanding with manager Rob Thomson … he isn't usually a pitcher who asks to come out of a game. Hence, when Sanchez kicked into an unusual celebration after striking out Refsnyder for the second time in the game to end the eighth inning, it turned out this show still had an inning to go.
'No, I always wait for the manager to tell me I'm done,' Sanchez said. 'I wait for him to come to me.'
Thomson went to his second ace starter after the eighth, 'just to see if he was OK.
'He said, 'No, I'm not tired, I'd tell you if I was tired,'' Thomson said. 'So we sent him back out.'
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
It took only 10 pitches in the ninth for Sanchez to finish out his third career complete game. With it will come yet more recognition that this guy is on the list of potential National League Cy Young Award candidates.
That's a long way from the hopeful pitcher splitting time between the minors and majors just a few seasons ago.
'That was very hard, but I never gave up,' Sanchez said. 'I was staying strong, both mentally and physically, and I was always ready for the opportunity whenever it came.'
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Summer McIntosh goes for her second gold on Day 2 at the swimming world championships
SINGAPORE (AP) — It's Day 2 at the swimming world championships in Singapore. That means it's a chance for Summer McIntosh to add her second gold medal after winning the 400 freestyle on the opening day. The 18-year-old Canadian is trying for five individual golds across the eight-day event in Singapore. On Monday she's a strong favorite to get her second gold, this time in the 200-meter individual medley. She set the world record of 2 minutes, 05.70 seconds at the Canadian trials a few months ago. McIntosh is expected to be challenged by American Alex Walsh. Also in the field is 12-year-old Chinese Yu Zidi, whose age and astounding times are the talk of global swimming. The women's 100 butterfly is another eye-catching race. American Gretchen Walsh — Alex's older sister — is the favorite and set the world record of 54.60 earlier this year. Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium and Australia's Alexandria Perkins will push Walsh. Two more finals are set. Qin Haiyang of China and Nicolo Marinenghi of Italy are the favorites in the 100 breaststroke. The Italian is the Olympian champion from Paris, and Qin won this event two years ago at the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. The 50 fly final is wide open, but the quickest qualifiers were Maxime Grousset of France and Noe Ponti of Switzerland. There are also three semifinals Monday — the men's 100 backstroke, the men's 200 free, and the women's 100 backstroke. ___ AP sports:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Dwight Muhammad Qawi, boxer who went from prison to champion, dies at 72
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the Hall of Fame fighter who took up boxing in prison and became a two-weight world champion, has died. He was 72. Qawi's sister, Wanda King, said he died Friday following a five-year battle with dementia. Born Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Qawi grew up in Camden. He competed in the boxing program at Rahway State Prison while serving a sentence for armed robbery, and turned professional at age 25 soon after his release in 1978. In December 1981, Qawi — who legally changed his name in 1982 following his conversion to Islam — stopped Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 10th round to win the WBC light heavyweight belt. Qawi stopped Saad again eight months later, taking six rounds. After a loss Michael Spinks, the 5-foot-7 Qawi — called 'The Camden Buzzsaw' — moved up in weight and took the WBA cruiserweight title from Piet Crous in July 1985. Qawi lost the title to future heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a 15-rounder in July 1986. Qawi later fought as a heavyweight, with George Foreman stopping him in seven rounds. Qawi retired in 1998 at age 46 with a 41-11-1 record and 25 knockouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. After his retirement from the ring, he worked as a boxing trainer, youth advocate and drug and alcohol counselor. ___ AP sports:
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Mauricio and Soto lead Mets past Giants 5-3 for 7th straight win
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ronny Mauricio and Juan Soto homered in the seventh inning, and the New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Sunday to match a season best with their seventh straight win. Mauricio had a career-high four hits, going 4 for 4 with two doubles and a tying homer from the bottom spot in the batting order. Jeff McNeil doubled twice to help the Mets complete a three-game sweep and extend their NL East lead to 1 1/2 games over Philadelphia. Matt Chapman homered twice and drove in all three runs for the Giants, who loaded the bases in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter. Edwin Díaz struck out Willy Adames and Chapman to end it. The Mets, who also had a seven-game winning streak in April, trailed 3-2 following Chapman's second homer, a two-run drive off starter Kodai Senga in the fifth. Mauricio tied it when the rookie drove a 1-0 slider from reliever Randy Rodriguez (3-2) into McCovey Cove leading off the seventh. After Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor struck out, Soto hit his team-leading 25th home run to left, giving the Mets a 4-3 lead. They added an insurance run in the ninth on consecutive doubles by Mauricio and Nimmo. José Buttó (3-1), the second of four Mets relievers, retired three batters for the win. Gregory Soto pitched a perfect seventh in his New York debut, and Díaz worked the ninth for his 23rd save. Senga walked five in five innings. He allowed three runs and four hits. Key moment Mauricio shut down a potential Giants rally when he fielded Adames' slow grounder in front of third base and then quickly reversed direction to tag out Heliot Ramos trying to advance from second. Key stat Rodriguez had allowed only one home run all season before the Mets got to him twice in one inning. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Up next Mets RHP Frankie Montas (3-1, 4.62 ERA) faces the Padres in San Diego on Monday. Carson Whisenhunt, the Giants' top pitching prospect, will make his major league debut Monday against Pittsburgh. ___ AP MLB:
