SAN DIEGO -- Cristopher Sánchez isn’t much for giving speeches.
But after setting the record for the longest scoreless streak in Phillies history on Wednesday, he was called upon to say a few words in front of his teammates and coaching staff.
“I didn't do a good job,” Sánchez told reporters afterward, “but it's OK.”
But hey, what can you even say right now? Sánchez is on one of the most dominant runs in Major League history, having turned in 44 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. He just finished off an entirely scoreless month of May in which he went 4-0 with 45 strikeouts over 39 innings.
The things he’s doing have either never been seen before or at least not in a very, very long time.
So instead of trying to explain Sánchez’s dominance with more words, let’s just let those closest to the action -- whether it’s standing in the Phillies dugout, the opposing dugout or in the batter’s box -- try to describe it.
“You always try to beat the guy who pitches the day before you. He's pretty hard to beat right now, but you’ve got to go out there and try. … Whatever run he's on, it’s pretty special. It's almost unmatchable.” -- Phillies co-ace Zack Wheeler
“He’s been really good for quite a long time now. When you're that consistent, you're going to start putting your name up there with those other guys. This is a very historic franchise, so any time you can be at the top of something here, I think it’s pretty special. He deserves it.” -- Phillies shortstop Trea Turner
“I mean, he's just been so dominant. He makes my job easy. It's kind of like playing a video game back there. I just press buttons and then he executes.” -- Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto
“He’s amazing. He’s the best pitcher right now.” -- Phillies closer Jhoan Duran
“I don't know if I've seen anything quite like it. Pretty amazing every time out. He seemingly makes it look easy -- obviously, I know it's not.” -- Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly
"You look at the metrics on him, he throws his sinker and his changeup with the same metrics. One is 96 [mph] and the other one is 88. It just keeps you off the barrel, and it keeps you off the ground. And the impressive part is, he strikes people out. It's not like he's a pitch-to-contact pitcher. He's throwing the ball really well." -- Padres third baseman Manny Machado
“He was so raw when we first got him and even in his first couple stints in the big leagues. It’s cool to see how he’s trusted the people around him in order to get the product that you’re seeing. The frame and the stuff speaks for itself, but man, that work ethic is going to carry him a long way.” -- Former teammate and current Guardians first baseman Rhys Hoskins
"By the swings we were taking, you could tell that every pitch looked the exact same coming in and then it moved late. That’s why he’s in the middle of a however-many-innings scoreless streak. He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball." -- Guardians manager Stephen Vogt
"He’s definitely one of the top pitchers in the game right now. The stuff looked electric from the dugout and, obviously, the performance kind of backs that up as well." -- A’s manager Mark Kotsay
"He mixes it up. Sinker was elite today. The slider and changeup, he could throw for strikes. He could throw beneath the zone. Everything comes out and looks the same." -- Pirates manager Don Kelly