KANSAS CITY -- Cristopher Sánchez didn’t want to say much Sunday when asked about his chances to start for the National League in next week’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
He said he still had to pitch Monday against the Royals and Saturday against the Tigers. He wanted to focus on that.
But Sánchez allowed career highs in hits (12), runs (nine) and home runs (three) in just 3 1/3 innings in Monday’s 15-1 loss at Kauffman Stadium, giving the Phillies their first series loss since June 12-14 in Milwaukee. It was a startling performance from Sánchez, not only because he could start next week’s Midsummer Classic, but because he was neck-and-neck with Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski as frontrunners for the NL Cy Young Award.
“It was crap what I did today,” Sánchez said via interpreter Diego D’Aniello.
Sánchez got to the ballpark on Monday with a 2.00 ERA in 117 innings. He left with a 2.62 ERA.
He became the first pitcher to allow nine or more runs in a game with a 2.00 ERA or lower (minimum 100 innings) since Boston’s Roger Clemens allowed nine runs to the Yankees at Fenway Park on June 13, 1988, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Clemens entered that game with a 1.82 ERA over 118 2/3 innings.
“I feel great,” Sánchez said. “That's why I was a little surprised to have such an outing today, because I feel really good.”
Sánchez allowed six runs in the first inning to give the Royals a 6-1 lead. In an alternate universe, he would have allowed none. He had runners on first and second with one out, when Jac Caglianone hit a ground ball to Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott, who threw to Trea Turner at second.
A good throw from Turner almost certainly turns an inning-ending double play. But Turner misfired to first baseman Bryce Harper. The error allowed Bobby Witt Jr. to score the tying run, and Caglianone to scamper to second base.
“I rushed it a little bit,” Turner said. “That’s a play you’ve got to make. Who knows how that game ends up?”
It was Turner’s 12th error of the season, with five of them being throwing errors. Turner entered the game tied for 32nd out of 39 qualified shortstops with -6 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast. He ranked last out of 17 qualified shortstops with -8 Defensive Runs Saved, according to FanGraphs.
“I feel like I've gotten some tougher plays lately, and I haven't made as many as I want to make,” Turner said. “I don't think this year’s been nearly as good as last. I feel a little sped up. I felt like last year the game slowed down quite a bit. It’s still in there. I feel like I can do it. I feel like at times I've made some good plays in the last few weeks, but then it's just that one hiccup here or there that's been pretty costly.”
Sánchez unraveled from there.
He allowed five more runs in the first inning, allowing three consecutive singles before surrendering a three-run homer to Luke Maile on a 1-1 changeup. Sánchez allowed a solo homer to Salvador Perez on a 3-2 changeup in the second to make it 7-1. He allowed a run in the third to make it 8-1. He allowed a solo homer to Lane Thomas on an 0-1 changeup in the fourth to make it 9-1.
Sánchez had allowed two homers in a game only 11 times in his career. Only once had he allowed two homers in a game on changeups.
On Monday, it was all three.
"It's really tough to see that they hit three homers off me with my pitch,” Sánchez said. “But it happened."
Sánchez is just the seventh Phillies pitcher in the last 10 seasons to allow nine or more runs in a game. Nobody would have predicted it. He had a 50 2/3-innings scoreless streak from April 30 through June 3. It was the fifth-longest single-season streak in Major League Baseball since 1893.
Sánchez looked superhuman during that run. He’s looked human since.
He had a 3.52 ERA in his first five starts since the streak ended. Monday’s start gave him a 5.56 ERA in six starts since the streak.
“I don't know how to really explain it, but obviously, as long as he's healthy, he's going to be fine,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “Today's hopefully one of those you don't see very often.”