Cristopher Sánchez really had a grip over his changeup on Thursday, and he knew it. The San Francisco Giants realized it quickly, too.
The lefthander mowed right through them, and went deep into a series finale the Phillies needed to take a four-game split.
He made it through seven innings, a key for him he said afterward because he wanted to give the bullpen a breather, and the Phillies won 6-4.
Sánchez generated 22 swings and misses with his changeup, and on top of that, a new career-high 12 strikeouts.
He let up a first-inning run and a two-run homer off a slider that got left hanging in the zone in the sixth, but otherwise, Sánchez was on – in a spot where the Phillies needed him to be, and to continue his ascent over the past couple of years as, somewhat quietly, a stronger and stronger starter for the club.
Manager Rob Thomson said postgame that the difference is in Sánchez's velocity. It's up over last season, and on Thursday, was touching 98 miles per hour with his sinker.
"It's hard," Thomson said of what it's like to face that at the plate. "You gotta gear up for 97, 98, and then he's got that great changeup. It's tough. He's throwing strikes and he's getting ahead all day."
It's Sánchez's confidence, too, J.T. Realmuto said from the clubhouse.
"I think just coming off of last year and knowing how good his stuff is and how well it plays in the zone," the Phillies catcher said. "I think, you know because his stuff is virtually the same as it was last year, I think this year he's just a little more confident with it and attacking the zone more."
And to the Phillies' benefit.
Cristopher Sánchez, K'ing the Side in the 4th.
All Changeups again.
8Ks thru 4. All 8 on Changeups. pic.twitter.com/MjAuLRvxI0— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 17, 2025
They've been up and down of late, but so far, they've won all four of Sánchez's starts, and in his last two, he's given them length to counterbalance a taxed bullpen, first with last week's lone win against the Cardinals (6.1 IP) and then on Thursday against the Giants (7.0 IP).
After breaking out to an All-Star campaign last season, he's tearing through this one to start, stepping up for the Phils at a time when other parts of their rotation are shaky, and continuing to reach for new heights while he's at it.
"Besides attacking the strike zone as much as I can, I try to make the hitters uncomfortable when I'm on the mound," Sánchez said through club interpreter Diego D'Aniello. "So I think that besides controlling the strike zone, it's just making it an uncomfortable environment for the hitters when I'm on there."
He never gave the Giants a chance to settle in Thursday in South Philly.
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