The Phillies have been up and down in recent weeks, but they can pretty much bank on a win whenever Cristopher Sánchez heads to the mound.
Fortuantely for them, that's where he'll be on Tuesday against the Cardinals inside Busch Stadium at 7:45 p.m. ET.
Although Philadelphia entered Monday's series opener in St. Louis with an 11-13 record since July 11, it has won each of Sánchez's five starts during that span. He's been the winning pitcher each time out as well, lifting him to an MLB-best 15 victories. Over that 5-0 stretch, the ace left-hander has turned in a 2.76 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 11 walks over 29 2/3 innings.
Sánchez's most recent start -- Thursday's home date versus the Nationals -- was arguably his worst of the bunch. He labored through five innings on 98 pitches, allowing two runs and nine baserunners along the way.
“Just seemed like a tick off tonight,” interim manager Don Mattingly said afterward about Sánchez's performance. But the offense had his back as it pounded out 16 hits in a 7-3 win over the division rival.
Sánchez will get a look at another young team trying to stay in the National League Wild Card race on Tuesday. The Cardinals (59-59) started the week 3 1/2 games behind the Phillies, who were tied with the D-backs for the final two NL playoff spots.
Sánchez hasn't faced St. Louis since last May, but that club looks nothing like the current edition. It didn't have star rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt. It didn't have 2026 Home Run Derby champion Jordan Walker enjoying a breakout season. First baseman Alec Burleson, one of the lineup's elder statesmen at 27 years old, is also in the middle of productive year, highlighted by a 127 wRC+.
However, it's worth noting that Wetherholt and Burleson are lefty batters, and Sánchez has limited same-sided hitters to an infinitesimal .131/.149/.166 slash line in 2026. That's 19 hits -- and only three for extra bases -- in 145 at-bats.
And lefty hitters against Sánchez during his five-game winning streak? Three hits -- all singles -- in 31 at-bats with 15 strikeouts.