Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez Ends Historic Scoreless Innings Streak Against Padres: A Look at His All-Time MLB Ranking

Cristopher Sánchez continues to carve his name into the annals of baseball history with his remarkable performance on the mound. At Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies’ standout pitcher extended his scoreless streak to an impressive 50 ⅔ innings, effectively stifling the San Diego Padres into the seventh inning. This feat places him among the elite, with only Orel Hershiser, who set a record with 59 scoreless innings in 1988, and Don Drysdale, who reached 58 innings in 1968, surpassing his streak in the Live Ball Era, which began in 1920.

“Words fail me when it comes to describing him, but he’s been nothing short of spectacular,” Phillies manager Don Mattingly remarked following the Phillies’ 3-2 victory over the Padres on Wednesday.

The streak, however, met its conclusion at 50 ⅔ innings when Jackson Merrill managed a two-out RBI single to left field during the seventh inning. This shot brought Ty France home, who had just doubled down the left-field line. The run marked the first Sánchez had conceded since his outing against the San Francisco Giants back on April 30.

During Wednesday’s game, Sánchez surpassed Carl Hubbell’s Live Ball Era record for consecutive scoreless innings by a left-handed pitcher upon completing the first inning. This milestone was particularly momentous:

By the third inning, Sánchez had also overtaken Bob Gibson to secure the third-longest scoreless streak of the Live Ball Era. Just a week prior, he shattered Grover Alexander’s 115-year-old franchise record of 41 consecutive scoreless innings while facing the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego.

In his latest outing, Sánchez masterfully limited the Padres, admittedly not in peak form, to just four hits and one walk over seven innings. He recorded eight strikeouts, and notably, he has consistently pitched at least seven innings in a major league-leading six starts this season.

Here are the longest scoreless streaks in the Live Ball Era (since 1920):

If we include the Dead Ball Era (prior to 1920), Sánchez’s streak is fifth all-time. Walter Johnson went 55 ⅔ innings without allowing a run for the Washington Senators in 1913, and Jack Coombs went 53 scoreless innings with the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics. Only those two, plus Hershiser and Drysdale, are ahead of Sánchez in MLB history.

In May, Sánchez joined Hershiser as the only non-openers in baseball history to start five games in a calendar month and not allow a run. Sánchez threw at least seven innings in each of his five May starts and was named the NL’s Pitcher of the Month. 

Sánchez, 29, was the NL Cy Young runner-up behind Paul Skenes last season, when he threw 202 innings with a 2.50 ERA and led all pitchers with 8.0 WAR, per Baseball Reference’s calculations. Wednesday’s start gives Sánchez a 1.46 ERA through 13 starts and an MLB-leading 86 ⅓ innings this season.

The Phillies acquired Sánchez as a minor leaguer in a 1-for-1 trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Nov. 20, 2019. Infielder Curtis Mead went to the Rays in the deal. Sánchez made his MLB debut in June 2021.

Philadelphia signed Sánchez to a six-year, $107 million contract extension in March, ensuring he will remain one of the biggest bargains in baseball.