PHILADELPHIA -- Will Monday be the start of a new streak?
The Phillies will turn to ace Cristopher Sánchez for Monday night's series opener against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. It will be Sánchez's first start since his historic 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak came to an end on Wednesday against the Padres.
It was the longest in Phillies history -- and the fifth-longest single-season streak since 1893 (when the mound moved to its current distance).
It was also the longest by any left-handed pitcher.
Though the streak is over, Sánchez still has something else to protect when he takes the mound: His MLB-leading 1.46 ERA. Sánchez also ranks second in the Majors in both strikeouts (103) and innings pitched (86 1/3).
While there is still more than half the season left to play, the National League Cy Young Award race is shaping up to one of the better in recent memory.
Here's a look at a few of the top candidates ahead of Sánchez's next outing:
• Sánchez: 7-2, 1.46 ERA, 103 K's in 86 1/3 IP (13 starts)
• Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers): 7-2, 1.50 ERA, 116 K's in 78 IP (13 starts)
• Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers): 6-2, 0.74 ERA, 67 K's in 61 IP (10 starts)
• Chris Sale (Braves): 8-4, 2.23 ERA, 86 K's in 72 2/3 IP (12 starts)