<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher S\u00e1nchez works against a San Diego Padres batter during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in San Diego.<\/p>\n
Gregory Bull\/AP Photo\/Gregory Bull<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher S\u00e1nchez celebrates after the last out of the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in San Diego.<\/p>\n
Gregory Bull\/AP Photo\/Gregory Bull<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher S\u00e1nchez works against a San Diego Padres batter during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in San Diego.<\/p>\n
Gregory Bull\/AP Photo\/Gregory Bull<\/p>\n
FILE – Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher Orel Hershiser is all smiles as he watches the final out during his record setting performance on Oct. 3, 1988 in San Diego.<\/p>\n
Lenny Ignelzi\/AP Photo\/Lenny Ignelzi<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher S\u00e1nchez celebrates in the dugout after the last out of the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in San Diego.<\/p>\n
Gregory Bull\/AP Photo\/Gregory Bull<\/p>\n
PHILADELPHIA (AP) \u2014 Cristopher S\u00e1nchez is friends with fellow Dominican Republic native Marcell Ozuna, so it was only natural they trash talked each other before their most recent game.<\/p>\n
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The Pirates’ designated hitter told S\u00e1nchez he would take him deep.<\/p>\n
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S\u00e1nchez instead struck him out \u2014 four times, and the Phillies’ ace struck out 13 overall in the May 16 shutout victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn’t a very good idea to piss him off,\u201d Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
Using an elite sinker-slider-changeup mix that has made him one of the best pitchers in baseball, S\u00e1nchez had his way with just about every batter in a sensational scoreless May.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez went 4-0 and struck out 45 \u2014 with only three walks \u2014 over 39 innings in May and broke a 115-year-old franchise record along the way. S\u00e1nchez has pitched 44 2\/3 consecutive scoreless innings headed into Wednesday’s start against San Diego to top the mark of 41 innings set in 1911 by Grover Cleveland Alexander.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Up ahead, a shot at the major league record held by former Los Angeles Dodgers great Orel Hershiser, who threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings for the World Series champions from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28, 1988.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pulling for anybody to have a life-changing moment,\u201d Hershiser said. \u201c\u201988 and the 59 scoreless changed my life. The only time I’m not going to root for him is when he\u2019s pitching against the Dodgers.\u201d<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez missed the Dodgers’ series during the Phillies 4-2 road trip, and they are now 21-10 under interim manager Don Mattingly.<\/p>\n He hasn’t missed much else, except maybe a lot of bats.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s something special,\u201d S\u00e1nchez said through an interpreter. \u201cSomething really important. I never imagined something like this. So, I\u2019m really happy and proud of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez has thrown at least seven shutout innings in five straight starts \u2014 he would need to reach that minimum in two more starts, plus one inning to top Hershiser \u2014 and only six other pitchers are ahead of him on the consecutive shutout innings list dating back to the start of the Live Ball Era in 1920.<\/p>\n Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen is the only other active pitcher who understands what S\u00e1nchez is feeling on the mound over a lengthy scoreless streak. Gallen \u2014 just passed by S\u00e1nchez \u2014 had six straight scoreless starts of six-plus innings and finished at 44 1\/3 innings overall in 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re on a streak like that, it\u2019s fun,\u201d Gallen said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like walking around, I wouldn\u2019t say on eggshells of, \u2018Oh man, you never know when this thing\u2019s going to end.\u2019 But it\u2019s fun when you\u2019re out there and you\u2019re in flow state and the zeros start to stack up. So, it\u2019s awesome for him. I hope he can take down the record.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez is 6-2 with an MLB-low 1.47 ERA overall headed into Wednesday’s start against a Padres team he just beat last week with seven brilliant innings. Should S\u00e1nchez start the game with three scoreless innings, he would pass Sal Maglie, Carl Hubbell, Zack Greinke, and Bob Gibson on the scoreless streak list.<\/p>\n Only Don Drysdale and Hershiser would be left.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I do watch, he\u2019s very, very special,\u201d Hershiser said. \u201cHis changeup, his athleticism, his ability to change speeds to both sides of the plate. I just think he\u2019s a real special pitcher. You can\u2019t do what he\u2019s doing without repeating your mechanics and having some deception and making a lot of good pitches. He\u2019s putting it all together.\u201d<\/p>\n Each of S\u00e1nchez\u2019s last 28.2 innings at Citizens Bank Park have been scoreless and he has the third-longest scoreless streak in ballpark history, trailing only Roy Halladay in 2010 (33 innings) and Cliff Lee in 2011 (29).<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The 29-year-old S\u00e1nchez has inched toward greatness each of the last two seasons.<\/p>\n He was the NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2025 when he went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA and struck out 212 in 202 innings. S\u00e1nchez was rewarded in March with a guaranteed $104 million over a six-year contract through the 2032 season in a deal that contains $20 million in deferred money payable from 2035-44.<\/p>\n The Phillies put a lot of financial faith in S\u00e1nchez, and the early returns have been significant \u2014 he made his first opening day start and could lead to the lanky lefty earning an All Star start in July on his home mound.<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in 2013 and was traded to the Phillies six years later for infielder Curtis Mead in a few-cared winter transaction. Mead never caught on as an everyday player and is batting .242 in 45 games this season with the Washington Nationals.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez \u2014 throwing a changeup that averages 86.5 mph and holding hitters to a .153 average \u2014 and Zack Wheeler have formed a formidable 1-2 punch in the rotation and helped the Phillies play their way out of a 9-19 start to get back into wild card contention.<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez has pitched largely to weak contact, and the scoreless streak has never been in any serious jeopardy since he last allowed two runs in the first inning of a 3-2 Phillies win over the Giants on April 30.<\/p>\n The defensive highlight of his run came in his last start when centerfielder Justin Crawford raced after Manny Machado’s deep drive and crashed into the wall<\/a> to make the catch.<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez stood on the mound and applauded the effort.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n And if S\u00e1nchez gets to 60 scoreless, so too, will Hershiser.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Cristopher would break it, that would be an honor to be mentioned and I would treat him the same (respectful) way that Don Drysdale treated me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n AP Sports Writers Beth Harris in Los Angeles and Andrew Destin in Seattle contributed to this story.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n