Sánchez continues to dominate Ohtani unlike any other pitcher
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PHILADELPHIA – Cristopher Sánchez began Monday night with two sinkers and a slider to Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani swung and missed at both sinkers down and in.
He whiffed badly at a slider away for strike three.
It was an encouraging beginning for Sánchez in a 10-7 victory at Citizens Bank Park, but his line was spoiled after Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly went to the bullpen with two on and one out in the sixth inning.
Orion Kerkering allowed a one-run single to pinch-hitter Max Muncy. After Kerkering intentionally walked Ohtani to load the bases, Phillies shortstop Trea Turner couldn’t handle Andy Pages’ chopper up the middle to allow another run to score.
“At that point, we’re pushing Sanchy,” Mattingly said.
Sánchez, who threw 99 pitches (64 strikes), allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings.
“I would have liked to finish that inning up in my last inning out, but those things you can’t control,” Sánchez said via interpreter Diego D’Aniello.
“I thought to get Sánchez out in the [sixth] inning, I thought was a good thing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
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Sánchez wasn’t his sharpest, but he shined against Ohtani.
Sánchez got the first-inning strikeout, then got Ohtani to ground out on a sinker for the first out in the third. He struck out Ohtani looking on a 1-2 sinker on the outside corner to start the fifth.
Ohtani has faced Sánchez 25 times in his career, including the postseason. He has four hits, all singles. He has struck out 12 times. He has not walked.
Sánchez, Framber Valdez and Chris Bassitt are the only pitchers to strike out Ohtani 12 times. Ohtani has had 20-plus at-bats against 26 pitchers, including the postseason. Sánchez and David Peterson are the only two to hold Ohtani without an extra-base hit.
Valdez, Gerrit Cole and Jesús Luzardo are the only pitchers to have held Ohtani to a lower batting average than Sánchez’s .160 (min. 25 ABs).
“Same plan as always,” Sánchez said. “I won’t tell you which one it is, but the same plan as always.”