The Pittsburgh Pirates have seen Cristopher Sanchez at his best.
The standout left-hander hopes to return to that level Tuesday night when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Pirates in the second contest of a four-game set.
Sanchez (9-3, 2.13 ERA) did not allow a run in five starts in May as part of a scoreless streak that reached 50 2/3 innings. Amid that stretch, he struck out 13 Pirates in a six-hit shutout on May 16.
“I’m proud of myself, but at the same time, I try to keep my feet on the ground, keep it going, keep getting better, keep working. The same,” Sanchez said after that outing, in which he lowered his ERA to 1.30 to go with a 1-3 record in six games (five starts) against Pittsburgh.
Sanchez has been mortal in June, pitching to a 3.82 ERA in five starts this month. He gave up five runs in five innings Thursday against the Washington Nationals in a game the Phillies came back to win 10-5.
“I missed a couple pitches, and they got me,” Sanchez said after the game. “But outside of that, I think I felt great today. Everything was good. I missed a couple pitches that first inning, and they punished me for it.”
Sanchez will look to slow down Pittsburgh rookie Esmerlyn Valdez, who has gone deep in four straight games and has six home runs in 16 career games. His two-run shot Monday began the Pirates’ comeback from a 5-0 deficit as they defeated the Phillies 11-7.
“We have a really good offense, and it’s cool to see the way that we continue to chip away even when we’re down,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “I think it’s the confidence in the team. … There was no sense of panic in the dugout.”
Brandon Marsh homered twice while Bryce Harper and Trea Turner also went deep for the Phillies. Aaron Nola struggled to protect an early lead and was charged with eight runs in 4 1/3 frames.
“I gave up too many hits, too many runs,” Nola said. “I have to be better than that.”
Pittsburgh on Tuesday will start right-hander Bubba Chandler (3-7, 4.42 ERA), who opposed Sanchez in that May 16 game — his only career start against Philadelphia. Chandler gave up five runs in three innings in that one, although he has worked at least five frames in all seven of his outings since his early exit against the Phillies.
More recently, Chandler has allowed two earned runs or less in each of his last four starts. He held the Seattle Mariners to one run in 5 1/3 innings Thursday as part of a 5-1 triumph.
“I think he’s kept his emotions in check,” Kelly said recently. “(I love) the way he’s been able to slow things down throughout his starts and even when some pitches get away and it gets 2-0, he’s able to reign it back in.”
Philadelphia is 11-1 in its last 12 games following a loss.
–Field Level Media
