Hometown ace Sánchez named NL starter for All-Star Game in Philly
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PHILADELPHIA -- Cristopher Sánchez expressed excitement and satisfaction more than a week ago, when he learned he had made his second NL All-Star team.
“All the hard work that we’ve been putting in, it was worth it,” he said via an interpreter.
Sánchez said, however, he didn’t want to think about starting Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, not while he still had two more starts to make for the Phillies. But Sánchez can start thinking about it now.
National League All-Star Game manager Dave Roberts and the Phillies announced on Sunday that Sánchez will start for the NL, becoming the first Phillies pitcher since Roy Halladay in 2011 and the seventh pitcher in Phillies history to start a Midsummer Classic. Curt Schilling (1999), Terry Mulholland (1993), Steve Carlton (1979), Curt Simmons (1952, ’57) and Robin Roberts (1950-51, ’53-55) are the others.
“I think he deserves it. He's the hometown ballplayer. I think the city of Philly will enjoy watching, support him,” Roberts said. “I had a conversation with him this morning, with [Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly] and the pitching staff and Cristopher. So he was very grateful.”
Sánchez will join teammates Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber in the starting lineup. Fans elected Marsh as a starter. Schwarber finished second in the player vote, and he will replace injured slugger Shohei Ohtani as the designated hitter.
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Sánchez’s honor came as no surprise. He is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA. He leads all pitchers in Major League Baseball with 5.4 bWAR. He is second with 4.0 fWAR, trailing only Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski (4.4).
Sánchez also had a 50 2/3-innings scoreless streak from late April through early June, which is the fifth-longest, single-season scoreless streak since at least 1893.