Cristopher Sánchez delivered eight scoreless innings as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Oakland Athletics 9-1 at Citizens Bank Park, according to a May 5 announcement. The game marked the Phillies’ seventh win in eight games under interim manager Don Mattingly.
Sánchez allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out ten batters, becoming the first Phillies pitcher this season to pitch eight innings. “It’s just letting a little bit of emotion out,” Sánchez said after celebrating a key strikeout in the seventh inning. He added, “What can I say? We’re hard workers. That’s what we do. And we like a challenge.”
The game remained close until Bryce Harper hit a solo home run in the third inning, providing an early lead for Philadelphia. In the seventh inning, Sánchez faced trouble after allowing two singles but responded by striking out Tyler Soderstrom and Darell Hernaiz and forcing Austin Wynns into a groundout.
Mattingly praised Sánchez’s performance: “He puts you in a bind,” Mattingly said. “He’s got the sinker that he throws to both sides of the plate. And the change that looks just like it… It’s like they all see the tunnel right out of the same spot.” Opposing manager Mark Kotsay also commented on Sánchez’s outing: “He’s definitely one of the top pitchers in the game right now. The stuff looked electric from the dugout and, obviously, the performance kind of backs that up as well.”
Sánchez entered Tuesday with a record of two wins and two losses and an earned run average (ERA) of 2.90, tied for third among National League pitchers in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), according to FanGraphs.
The Phillies have played their home games at Citizens Bank Park since 2004 and are charter members of Major League Baseball’s National League; they represent Philadelphia both regionally and nationally through their games and community outreach efforts according to their official website.
Looking ahead, Mattingly confirmed Jhoan Duran would pitch in relief during future games after being activated off injured list before Tuesday’s contest.
