PHILADELPHIA — Some starters will retire to the clubhouse immediately after their outing is done. Or they’ll get treatment, do a workout, or watch video. Everyone is different. But on Friday night, Cristopher Sánchez threw his final pitch of the night and decided to wait a while.
He walked up the dugout steps, hung his arms over the railing, and watched as his team went to bat in the bottom of the sixth at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies trailed by a run after Sánchez gave up a two-run home run to Stone Garrett in the second following a throwing error by Trea Turner that put a man on. Regardless, Sanchez went six strong innings, his longest start of the season. When he did find himself in jams, he was able to get out of them. Sixty-three of his 87 pitches were strikes. He allowed six hits, two runs (one earned), and one walk with six strikeouts.
Initially, it looked the Phillies would reward that performance. Trea Turner led off with a single to center field. Nick Castellanos followed with a single to right field to put runners on first and second, and Turner stole third base. But Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto popped out and Bryson Stott struck out, and the momentum was gone.
Anyone who is familiar with the 2023 Phillies should be familiar with this outcome. They rank second-to-last in baseball in slugging percentage with runners in scoring position (.345). It’s a troubling trend. And it cost them in a 2-1 loss on Friday.
The Phillies were facing Nationals starter Josiah Gray, who entered his start with a 5.64 career ERA in 30 1/3 innings against them. Despite that history, Gray entered with a 2.48 ERA on the road this season, which ranks second in the National League. He was just as dominant on Friday.
Gray allowed only three hits that clocked in at 95 mph or harder. His line was almost identical to Sánchez’s — six hits, one run, one walk, and eight strikeouts in six innings. Despite that, this was a winnable game for the Phillies. The Nationals have a bullpen ERA of 4.81, fourth-worst in baseball. But they still weren’t able to do damage.
What’s worse is that the Phillies’ opportunities to score often came with veteran sluggers at the plate. Harper and Realmuto couldn’t capitalize in the sixth, and Kyle Schwarber grounded out to end the seventh following Alec Bohm’s leadoff double. Bohm, the Phillies’ seven-hole hitter, was the only player to drive in a run on Friday with his second-inning single. And by the end of the night, it was Sánchez who was charged with the loss.
Poor defense (again)
This game could’ve gone into extra innings if weren’t for Turner’s throwing error in the second. Instead of recording the second out of the inning, Keibert Ruiz reached base, and Garrett launched his homer the very next at-bat. In the fourth inning, Schwarber fumbled a catchable ball in left field to allow Garrett to reach second base.
According to Fangraphs, the Phillies have a team defensive runs saved of minus-21, which ranks 25th in the majors.
