PHILADELPHIA – Cristopher Sánchez is more than just a should-have-been National League All-Star.
He’s a real NL Cy Young candidate.
He showed why in Tuesday night’s 4-1 victory over the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Sánchez tossed the third complete game of his career, allowing four hits and one run, striking out 12, walking none and giving the Phils their first series victory since they won two of three from the Reds over Fourth of July weekend.
Complete games are a rarity these days, but performances like this from Sánchez are not.
“I just try to stay in the game,” Sánchez said via the team’s interpreter. “But if it’s there, I’ll take it.”
Sánchez roared when he struck out Red Sox left fielder Rob Refsnyder swinging on a 3-2 changeup to end the eighth inning.
It was his 96th pitch of the night.
“He got me -- he homered off me,” Sánchez said, referring to Refsnyder’s homer in the fourth. “Then I got him twice. Two K’s. So that’s why I showed so much emotion.”
Sánchez could’ve been finished there, but he wasn’t. Phillies manager Rob Thomson checked in with him in the tunnel leading to the Phillies’ clubhouse in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Thomson asked him if he felt OK.
“I’m not tired,” Sánchez told him. “I’d tell you if I was tired.”
Sánchez got a huge ovation when he emerged from the dugout and walked to the mound in the top of the ninth.
“Goosebumps,” Sánchez said. “Super exciting. I love that. That motivates me a lot. That was awesome.”
He needed just 10 pitches to finish the game, striking out Romy Gonzalez swinging on an 0-2 changeup to end it.
It was fitting.
“The changeup was dominant,” Thomson said.
Sánchez is 9-2 with a 2.40 ERA. He is tied for the fourth-most wins in the Majors. He is fifth in MLB in fWAR (3.6) behind Tarik Skubal (5.2), Garrett Crochet (4.5), Paul Skenes (4.2) and Zack Wheeler (3.9). He is fourth among qualified NL pitchers in ERA behind Skenes (1.91), Matthew Boyd (2.20) and Wheeler (2.39). He is sixth in the NL in strikeouts (134), including an MLB-best 85 strikeouts on changeups.
He is one of the best pitchers in baseball.
“Everyone has an opinion on that,” Sánchez said. “I just try to do the best I can on the mound and just compete as much as I can.”
In his first start following the All-Star break, Sánchez showed not only why he should have been an All-Star -- he likely would have been, but he started Sunday’s game before the All-Star break, making him ineligible to pitch -- but why he should receive legitimate NL Cy Young consideration if he maintains this pace.
Skenes and Wheeler are considered the favorites for now, but Sánchez is right behind them.
“I’d love that,” Sánchez said about being in the Cy Young mix. “It’s a dream for me.”
Sánchez signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension last summer. It includes two club options for 2029 and ‘30, which are worth $14 million and $15 million, respectively.
He is one of baseball’s best bargains.
The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to gutsy, heads-up baserunning from Bryce Harper.
After Nick Castellanos hit an RBI single and stole second, the Phils had runners on second and third with two outs. Harper, who was on third, noticed that Red Sox right-hander Richard Fitts’ windup was slow to the plate on the first pitch to Brandon Marsh.
So, when Fitts began his windup again, Harper took off.
Harper was more than two-thirds of the way home (67.2 feet) when Fitts released the pitch.
Harper slid home safely.
Harper stole home, except he hadn’t. That’s because Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez caught the pitch and stepped across home plate to try to tag Harper. By rule, Narváez impeded Marsh’s chance at swinging the bat, which meant Narváez had been called for catcher’s interference and Fitts had been called with a balk.
It was the second catcher’s interference called on Narváez in as many innings in the series. He got called with interference in the 10th inning of the Phillies’ 3-2 walk-off victory on Monday night.
It was the first walk-off catcher’s interference in Major League Baseball since Aug. 1, 1971.
“I just thought, ‘What a good opportunity with two out right there,’” Harper said. “I got a pretty good running lead right there. I thought I was going to be safe either way.”
It was plenty for Sánchez.
“It’s electric stuff,” Harper said. “He’s evolved into an ace for us.”