Cristopher Sánchez will take the mound as the Philadelphia Phillies’ starting pitcher in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani on Saturday night. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:38 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park.
Sánchez steps into this high-profile role following an injury to Zack Wheeler, who underwent season-ending surgery due to a blood clot near his right shoulder in August. Sánchez has emerged as a key figure for the Phillies, with many expecting him to finish second in voting for the NL Cy Young Award behind Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes.
“He has like an aura of confidence about him,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto.
During the regular season, Sánchez posted a 13-5 record with a 2.50 ERA over 32 starts. He struck out 212 batters across 202 innings and led all pitchers in bWAR (8.0). He also ranked third in fWAR (6.4), trailing only Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Skenes.
“I think it’s experience,” Sánchez said about his growth and confidence as a pitcher. “Experience is a beautiful thing that this game gives you. And throughout the years you gain so much. And just learning from experience and from the people that you have around you.”
This marks only Sánchez’s third postseason start; he previously started Game 4 of the 2023 NLCS against Arizona and Game 2 of last year’s NLDS versus the Mets.
The stakes are particularly high for Philadelphia this postseason, as several players—including Kyle Schwarber, Realmuto, and Ranger Suárez—are set to become free agents after this season.
“I think pressure is always going to be there,” Sánchez said. “So you need to handle it, just take it in, and not think too much about it. I think the game will handle itself once you’re out there performing.”
Realmuto described Sánchez’s approach before games: “Sanchy, he’s definitely relaxed,” Realmuto said. “Maybe not quite as relaxed as Wheels is.… He goes into the meeting not necessarily worrying about what the opposing team does well. He just talks about himself and how he wants to attack and what works for him. And that’s something I think is really cool to see the last few years him grow in that way. He’s just has so much confidence in what he does that he’s not too worried about the opposing team.”
Sánchez shared insights from recent conversations with Wheeler: “We talked about a lot of things,” Sánchez said “He was really excited. He shared that he was excited for myself and for everything that’s been going on with my career recently. He asked me if I was ready. I said, of course I am.”
As Sánchez prepares for his start against Los Angeles—holding a career record of 2-0 with a 4.01 ERA over four starts versus the Dodgers—the Phillies look to their new ace for another strong performance during this critical postseason run.
