Christopher Sanchez takes the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Toronto Blue Jays on the back of a run that has turned him into one of baseball’s toughest left-handers to hit. Sanchez recently set the MLB record for scoreless innings by a left-hander, and Philadelphia is asking him to keep it going in a game that now carries real weight for both clubs.
That is why Phillies Vs Blue Jays is drawing attention today. Philadelphia enters at 35-30 after a disastrous start and a change in leadership, and Sanchez has been central to the turnaround. He owns a 1.46 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and 103 strikeouts, and he was first in the majors in ERA while ranking second in strikeouts. In May alone, he logged 39 innings, allowed 28 hits and walks combined, and struck out 45 hitters, a stretch that explains why the Phillies believe they have a frontline arm ready to carry them again.
The matchup also gives Philadelphia a clear edge on paper. Blue Jays hitters are batting.204 against Sanchez, a number that fits the form he has shown over the last month. The other side of the game is less stable. Toronto is two games below.500 and dealing with multiple injuries to its pitching staff, though the club could still find itself again if it gets healthy. That is the gap in this matchup: the Blue Jays need help on the mound, and they need it fast if they want to keep pace in a division that may be the hardest in baseball.
The Phillies, meanwhile, are facing Patrick Corbin, and they have seen enough of him to know what they are getting. Corbin is 2-2 with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP, and he gave up 12 earned runs across 30 innings in May while allowing 35 hits and eight walks. Philadelphia hitters are batting.335 against him, another sign that the visitors may be built to punish mistakes if Corbin does not have his best command. One writer backed Chris Sale against the Blue Jays on the run line earlier and called the result a disaster, but the feeling around this matchup is different because Sanchez is the one carrying the form, not the gamble.
That is the part Toronto has to solve before first pitch. If Sanchez keeps the ball on the ground and the strike zone looking the way it has for weeks, the Phillies have the sort of starter who can change the shape of their postseason push in one night. If the Blue Jays can’t answer him early, the record run that brought attention to this game may end by underlining just how hard he has become to beat.
