PHILADELPHIA — Cristopher Sánchez unleashed a slider for a first-pitch strike in the second inning and called for a trainer.
Uh-oh.
Three words the Phillies never want to see in the same sentence: “Cristopher Sánchez” and “trainer.” But there they were Tuesday night, and well, Citizens Bank Park held its collective breath.
Sánchez, it turned out, had a scrape, the evidence of which was a blood stain between the red pinstripes on his white pants. He smiled, even chuckled with a few teammates, and a few drops of glue later, the ace lefty was firing again.
Crisis averted. Sánchez went on to allow three hits in seven scoreless innings. (He even threw more sliders without incident.) And the Phillies cakewalked, 8-0, over the Pirates to move with three games of the first-place Braves, pending the outcome of Atlanta’s game.
Oh, and postgame fireworks went off as planned for the 41,710 paying customers.
Scrape? What scrape?
Justin Crawford gave Sánchez a 2-0 lead by lacing a two-out single inside the third-base line. It was up to Sánchez to keep it that way because the Phillies didn’t break it open until the three-run seventh inning and three-run eighth.
But that momentary pit-of-their-stomach feeling as assistant athletic trainer Christian Bermudez went out to see Sánchez underscores the precariousness of this entire thing.
There isn’t any replacing Sánchez — or his 2.00 ERA, second-best in the majors behind the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski (1.45) — atop the rotation. But the Phillies lack the organizational pitching depth to cover for any of their starters if they miss even a turn or two.
The Phillies already have back-of-the-rotation worries, with Aaron Nola’s 6.04 ERA and Andrew Painter’s return to Triple-A. The fifth-starter spot is being held by Alan Rangel, who has twice been used behind an opener.
Injuries can’t be part of the equation.
Sánchez hasn’t previously reported scrape issues. But he’s been spinning more sliders lately, including 26 in his last start and six out of his first 19 pitches against the Pirates.
No matter what he throws, Sánchez owns the Pirates. Six weeks ago, he struck out 13, a career high, in a six-hit shutout in Pittsburgh. This time, he didn’t give up a hit until Nick Gonzales punched a two-out single in the fourth inning.
It marked Sánchez’s last home start before the All-Star break. He’s lined up to pitch Monday in Kansas City and July 11 in Detroit, the closing arguments in his case to start three days later (it would be his bullpen day) for the National League in the All-Star Game.
As you may have heard, it will be held in South Philly.
Symbolically and strategically, Sánchez is the sensible choice to start for the NL. In 11 home starts, he has allowed seven earned runs in 73 innings for a 0.86 ERA. Since 2024, he has a 1.76 ERA in 280 2/3 innings over 43 starts at home.
Sánchez pitched out of one quasi jam, a two-on, two-out spot in the fourth inning, by striking out Endy Rodríguez on a signature change-up, and sidestepped a one-out double by Billy Cook in the fifth inning.
With oppressive heat on the way over the next two days, the Phillies made it a no-sweat night for the bullpen.
Trea Turner’s double and back-to-back RBI singles from Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh keyed a three-run seventh inning. In the eighth, Crawford singled home a run before Turner blasted a two-run homer to open an eight-run lead.
Turner is 19 for 55 (.345) over the last 13 games, a positive sign for a Phillies offense that is looking for more production from the right side of the plate.