Matt Strahm pitched pretty well early on, but was sent to the bullpen to help keep his workload manageable. Bailey Falter was fairly effective in 2022 but was demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to try to figure it out after losing his first seven decisions this season.
No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter is still working his way back from the sprained elbow ligament he suffered this spring.
Zach Eflin became a free agent, signed with the Rays and is now 9-3, 3.35. Kyle Gibson became a free agent, signed with the Orioles and is now 8-5, 4.30. But those are stories for another day.
The bottom line is that the Phillies have been on a gently meandering search for a No. 5 starter all season, a mission that has far too often veered into the thicket of openers and bullpen games.
The Phils lost to the Mets, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. In the process, though, they seem to have found a fifth starter, at least for the time being, as Christopher Sanchez made his second straight respectable performance.
“He threw well,” manager Rob Thomson said after the skinny 26-year-old lefthander gave up three runs on five hits while striking out four and walking none. “He gave us everything we needed. Kept us in the game.
“He’s throwing strikes and he’s keeping people off balance for the most part. He hasn’t walked anybody, and that’s a key for him. He’ll make his next start. If he can keep this going, that would be great. If he’s throwing strikes, his stuff is good enough to get people out. In that fifth spot, if we could get five or six innings every time out, that would be huge.”
With the trade deadline approaching, like every other team, the Phillies will be looking for ways to upgrade wherever they can. But the manager had already shown a measure of confidence in Sanchez, who could have been skipped over this time around following Wednesday’s rainout.
That also allowed the rest of the starters to get an extra day of rest.
Said Sanchez, through interpreter Diego Ettedgui: “I’m trying to take advantage of this opportunity as much as possible. I really want to be here until the end of the season.”
In two starts since being called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he has a 3.00 ERA while allowing six hits in nine innings.
He wasn’t overpowering Saturday, but was able to avoid a big inning. The first batter of the game, Mets centerfielder Brandon Nimmo, hit a sharp grounder deep in the hole at shortstop, only to have Trea Turner turn it into an out with an excellent defensive play.
That saved a run when rightfielder Starling Marte followed with a homer deep to left. Francisco Lindor singled. Sanchez was on the ropes early but got to avoid a big inning when first baseman Pete Alonso grounded into a double play.
Second baseman Luis Guillorme started the third with a triple, forcing the Phillies to pull the infield all the way in. Sanchez got a break when third baseman Danny Mendick hit a grounder right at Turner for the first out.
Guillorme scored anyway on Nimmo’s single but it could have been worse. Marte and Lindor ripped drives to right and left that were tracked down by Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber respectively. And Alonso opened the fourth by flying out to the warning track in center.
In the end, as Thomson said, he kept the Phillies in the game. Which is the first job of any fifth starter.