Sánchez makes final start before ASG after unraveling vs. Royals

While he’s in the running to start the All-Star Game next Tuesday in his second Midsummer Classic appearance, Cristopher Sánchez has business to finish before looking ahead.

Sánchez (10-4, 2.62 ERA) will make his final start before the All-Star break on Saturday, toeing the rubber as his Phillies play the second of three games at the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park.

Sánchez will start Saturday looking to shake off his worst outing of the year and potentially the worst of his career. He made it just 3 1/3 innings against the Royals, allowing nine runs -- all earned -- on 12 hits and a walk. Kansas City tallied three homers against the star lefty, while Sánchez struck out just one batter.

The runs, hits and homers were all career-highs for Sánchez, who saw his ERA balloon by 0.62 as a result. The performance was certainly a knock on his ongoing case against the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski, among others, for the NL Cy Young Award.

“I feel great,” Sánchez said Monday via interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “That's why I was a little surprised to have such an outing today, because I feel really good.”

The Royals posted six of their runs in the first inning, in part thanks to a throwing error from Trea Turner on what might have been an inning-ending double play. Five runs came after the error, via three singles and a home run.

Sánchez's chance to bounce back and garner momentum entering the break will come in a marquee matchup. The red-hot Tigers are sending righty Casey Mize (4-5, 2.64 ERA) to the bump. Mize, 29, has allowed just two runs across 13 2/3 innings in his past two starts, striking out 14.