They did not escape Zack Wheeler.
Less than 24 hours after Sánchez's franchise-record scoreless innings streak ended at 50 2/3 innings, Wheeler carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and powered the Phillies to a 6-4 victory Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
The win completed Philadelphia's second sweep of San Diego in eight days and offered another reminder that the Phillies' rotation remains the club's greatest strength.
Wheeler needed just 104 pitches — 69 of them strikes — to navigate seven dominant innings. Until the seventh, the Padres spent most of the afternoon searching for solid contact against a fastball that consistently got ahead in counts and a secondary mix that generated eight strikeouts.
After retiring the first 18 hitters he faced, Wheeler carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Bryce Johnson blooped a single into left field. It would be one of just two hits allowed by the veteran right-hander, who finished with seven innings, two runs, three walks and eight strikeouts.
For much of the afternoon, it appeared one run might be enough.
The Phillies finally broke through in the fourth inning when Bryce Harper opened the frame with a walk and Brandon Marsh followed with a single. Two batters later, Bryson Stott lined an RBI single to center field, giving Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.
They added breathing room an inning later.
Adolis GarcÃa launched a solo home run in the fifth inning to double the advantage. Justin Crawford then ignited another rally with a double and moved to third on a Trea Turner fielder's choice. Moments later, Crawford raced home when Padres reliever Yuki Matsui fired an errant pickoff throw to first base while attempting to catch Turner leaning.
That extra insurance proved valuable in the seventh.
After cruising through six scoreless innings, Wheeler finally encountered trouble when Gavin Sheets drew a leadoff walk. Manny Machado followed by driving a two-run homer into the left-field seats, suddenly trimming Philadelphia's lead to 3-2 and providing the Padres with their first real sign of life all afternoon.
The Phillies responded immediately.
Crawford worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh and once again created havoc on the bases. An errant throw on his stolen-base attempt allowed him to advance all the way to third. Turner then lined an RBI single to right field, restoring a two-run cushion.
Philadelphia added two more runs later in the inning. Marsh bounced a ball to first base with the infield drawn in, allowing Turner to beat the throw home with a headfirst slide. Harper later scored in the frame as the Phillies stretched the lead to 6-2.
The offensive outburst may not sound significant, but for this Phillies lineup it represented a notable step forward. Philadelphia's six runs marked the first time the club scored more than four runs in a game since a 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh on May 18.
Fortunately for the Phillies, offense has often been optional lately when either Sánchez or Wheeler has taken the mound.
Sánchez's remarkable scoreless streak finally ended Wednesday night after reaching 50 2/3 innings, the longest streak in franchise history and the fifth-longest in Major League history.
Since Wheeler returned to the rotation in late April, the Phillies have received ace-level production from both ends of their one-two punch. Over that span, Sánchez and Wheeler have combined to throw 103 1/3 innings while allowing just 16 earned runs, good for a sparkling 1.39 ERA.
It is the kind of sustained dominance that can alter the course of a season.
"[Sanchez] has came a long way, and it was pretty special to watch him continue that [streak], but I'm just trying to match him or do better," Wheeler said. "That's our game plan every time. I'll just just try to beat the person before you and I got a tough guy to beat."
The Phillies completed a second consecutive sweep of the Padres on Thursday, having already swept San Diego at Petco Park last week. Those six victories against a club expected to be in the National League postseason picture could prove meaningful months from now when playoff positioning and tiebreakers come into play.
For one more afternoon, however, the story belonged to Wheeler.
A day after Sánchez's remarkable run finally ended, Wheeler spent six innings flirting with history of his own. He ultimately fell short of a no-hit bid, but he accomplished something nearly as important.
He made sure the Padres never had a chance to breathe.
The Phillies completed a second consecutive sweep of the Padres on Thursday, having already swept San Diego at Petco Park last week. Those six victories against a club expected to be in the National League postseason picture could prove meaningful months from now when playoff positioning and tiebreakers come into play.
For one more afternoon, however, the story belonged to Wheeler.
A day after Sánchez's remarkable run finally ended, Wheeler spent six innings flirting with history of his own. He ultimately fell short of a no-hit bid, but he accomplished something nearly as important.
He made sure the Padres never had a chance to breathe.
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