06/03/26 06:45:00
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06/03 18:41 CDT Phillies ace Snchez extends consecutive shutout innings streak
vs. Padres
Phillies ace Snchez extends consecutive shutout innings streak vs. Padres
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Phillies ace Cristopher Snchez breezed through four
scoreless innings against San Diego on Wednesday night to extend his
consecutive shutout innings streak to 48 2/3, good for third on the career list.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, with a record 59 straight scoreless
innings in 1988, and Don Drysdale with 58 in 1968 are ahead of Snchez on the
list dating to the start of the Live Ball Era in 1920.
Snchez struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. and set the Padres' side down in order in
the first Wednesday night to pass Carl Hubbell and become the career leader
among left-handers.
Snchez fanned Xander Bogaerts in the second inning, and Jase Bowen in the
third to keep the game scoreless.
The 29-year-old Snchez also passed Sal Maglie, Zack Greinke, and Bob Gibson on
the shutout streak list since 1920. He surpassed Gibson's 47 consecutive
shutout innings in the same 1968 season as Drysdale, dubbed the year of the
pitcher.
Snchez --- throwing a changeup that averages 86.5 mph and holding hitters to a
.153 average --- hasn't been in any serious jeopardy of allowing a run since
permitting two runs in the first inning of a 3-2 Phillies win over the Giants
on April 30.
He worked seven shutout innings in his last start against the Padres to eclipse
the Phillies' franchise record of 41 innings, set in 1911 by Grover Cleveland
Alexander.
"You don't get to see things like this very often," Phillies interim manager
Don Mattingly said before Wednesday's game. "It's one of those things that's
not happened very often. It's hard to categorize it. I don't know if I've seen
anything that's really been better than this."
Snchez entered the game against the Padres with a 6-2 record and an MLB-low
1.47 ERA. He has thrown at least seven shutout innings in five straight starts.
"At some point this year, he's going to give up a run," Mattingly said. "I'd
love to see him break the record. He's pitching great, he's handling it."
Snchez was named NL pitcher of the month for May earlier Wednesday. He went
4-0 and struck out 45 --- with only three walks --- over 39 innings in the
month.
"It's pretty cool what he's doing," Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper said
before the game. "Lot of punch-outs, as well, so that helps us on defense."
He was the NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2025 when he went 13-5 with a 2.50
ERA and struck out 212 in 202 innings. Snchez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays
as an international free agent in 2013 and was traded to the Phillies six years
later for infielder Curtis Mead in a little-noticed offseason transaction. He
made his big-league debut in 2021.
"I remember they were talking about releasing him in 2020," Harper said. "I've
seen it from the jump, just kind of the way he approaches it. Just super
special."
Drysdale threw a major-league record six straight shutouts as part of his
streak from May 14- June 8, 1968. Hershiser pitched six scoreless starts in
September 1988 as part of his record-breaking streak. Hershiser, now a
broadcaster for the Dodgers, said last week he was fine if Snchez broke his
record.
"I'm pulling for anybody to have a life-changing moment," Hershiser said.
___
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