If you were looking for the next great Phillies pitcher to make a run at October glory, you probably didn’t circle Cristopher Sánchez’s name back in March. But here we are, the first Friday of September, and the left-hander with the changeup from another planet is the guy carrying Cy Young whispers into Miami.
The Phillies and Marlins open a weekend set tonight at loanDepot Park.
Sánchez takes the ball against the Marlins with an 11–5 record, a 2.66 ERA, and an arsenal that has turned the Braves, Brewers, and just about everybody else in the National League into late-summer guessers. His last outing? Seven innings. One run. Eight strikeouts against Atlanta.
If the Marlins are tired of seeing him, they have a point. In five career appearances against Miami, Sánchez has a 1.27 ERA. In June, he went eight innings in Miami, gave up one run, and walked off the mound with a win and a knowing look.
The Phillies? They’re rolling again, winners of five of their last seven after taking two of three in Milwaukee.
Thursday’s clincher looked like the kind of September game they’ll need to win to finish off this NL East chase: Trea Turner and Bryson Stott driving in just enough, Ranger Suárez throwing six scoreless, and the bullpen slamming the door.
“I think our attitude is just keep pushing and keep competing,” Turner said. “You’ve got to win games like that.”
And now it’s Miami. A Marlins team that just got swept by the last-place Nationals and gave up 17 runs in three days. A Marlins team handing the ball to Valente Bellozo, a 24-year-old right-hander who’s made more relief appearances this season than starts. He’s shown flashes — including seven shutout innings against the Phillies last year — but this September is a long way from that rookie moment.
The Phillies have bigger plans than just another series win. They see the standings. They also see a chance after this series in Miami to ride into a pivotal homestand with momentum.
And now it’s Miami. A Marlins team that just got swept by the last-place Nationals and gave up 17 runs in three days. A Marlins team handing the ball to Valente Bellozo, a 24-year-old right-hander who’s made more relief appearances this season than starts. He’s shown flashes — including seven shutout innings against the Phillies last year — but this September is a long way from that rookie moment.
The Phillies have bigger plans than just another series win. They see the standings. They also see a chance after this series in Miami to ride into a pivotal homestand with momentum.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: LHP Cristopher Sanchez (11-5, 2.66) vs. RHP Valente Bellozo (1-3, 3.91)
Saturday: LHP Jesus Luzardo (12-6, 4.05) vs. RHP Sandy Alcantara (8-11, 5.66)
Sunday: RHP Taijuan Walker (4-7, 3.92) vs. TBA
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