Zack Wheeler is gone for now. Aaron Nola is still searching for himself. And yet, the Phillies don’t have to wonder who looks like their ace at this moment.
On Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, Cristopher Sánchez stood tall, built his own Cy Young case, and reminded everyone that this rotation still has a rock. He struck out 12 Mariners — tying his career high — and carried the Phillies into the seventh inning of a 6–4 win.
When Sánchez is on, hitters don’t just miss. They disappear. The Mariners swung 46 times against him. They missed nearly half of them — 22 whiffs, 11 of 12 strikeouts on swings, and seven of those strikeouts coming on his best pitch: that floating, devastating changeup.
Seattle swung at it 21 times. They connected just 10.
But maybe the most staggering number? First-pitch strikes. He faced 27 hitters. He landed strike one against 26 of them. According to MLB.com, that’s the best rate by any Phillies pitcher since the stat was first tracked in 2000.
He gave up a run on back-to-back doubles in the second, and he watched Dylan Moore trot to first on a disputed walk in the seventh that ended his night. Manager Rob Thomson pulled him at 96 pitches, and Sánchez left to a standing ovation, cap raised.
Seattle made things messy in the seventh. Orion Kerkering followed Sánchez and couldn’t find the zone. A couple walks and hits later, the lead shrunk to one.
But this game belonged to the Phillies’ lineup in the late innings. Bryson Stott had already gone deep. Kyle Schwarber had already launched his 44th homer — leading the National League in long balls and the majors in RBIs with 104. Bryce Harper chipped in with a sacrifice fly.
And then came J.T. Realmuto in the eighth. First pitch from Matt Brash. One swing, and the ball was soaring into the left-field seats. A two-run no-doubter, his ninth of the year, and a dagger for Seattle. Realmuto reached base three times, drove in three, and even got on with the strangest play in baseball — catcher’s interference. For the third time this month, no less.
David Robertson, back in a Phillies uniform at home for the first time since Game 5 of the 2022 World Series, worked a clean eighth and collected the win. Jhoan Duran closed it down with a perfect ninth for his 22nd save — his sixth since arriving at the trade deadline.
For Seattle, there was little joy. Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Suárez doubled in runs. Cal Raleigh doubled and walked twice, inching one homer shy of tying the all-time record for catchers. But Bryce Miller, fresh off the injured list, gave up four runs in five innings. The Mariners have now lost four straight, six of seven.
Since June 1, Sánchez owns a 1.94 ERA across 14 starts — the best in the National League. On the season, he’s carrying a 2.46 ERA in 25 starts, with 169 strikeouts in 157 innings, ranking top-five in FanGraphs WAR for pitchers.
So, on a night when the Phillies needed proof that someone can carry this rotation, Sánchez didn’t just give them a win. He gave them an ace. And maybe more.
Loading Phillies schedule...
Loading NL East standings...
Support the Mission. Fuel the Movement.
You’re not just funding journalism — you’re backing the future of youth baseball in Philly.
👉 Join us on Patreon »