The Mets ended a 12-game losing skid on Wednesday, and that left Philadelphia and New York tied for last place in the NL East at 8-16 entering April 23. Cristopher Sánchez was scheduled to start for Philadelphia against the Cubs on Thursday afternoon, with the Phillies trying to keep their own season from slipping further at the same time the division’s bottom was compressed.
Sánchez entered Thursday with some of the best peripheral numbers in baseball, leading the league with a 1.69 FIP, a 269 ERA+ and 1.5 bWAR. But Chicago has been one of the teams that has given him the most trouble. In three career starts against the Cubs, he posted a 1.705 WHIP, his third-worst mark against any major league opponent, and a 7.36 ERA in 14.2 innings.
That history is not just a line on a stat sheet. On April 13, Sánchez struck out eight batters in six innings against the Cubs at Citizens Bank and still allowed two runs, a reminder that even when he has the repertoire to dominate, Chicago has been able to make him work harder than most clubs. The Cubs had already shown an ability to handle him before that outing, and the numbers point to a matchup that has not been comfortable for Philadelphia’s right-hander.
The larger picture is simple enough: Philadelphia had entered April 23 with the longest losing streak in Major League Baseball at eight games, and the club needed a clean start from one of its most effective pitchers just to steady the week. Sánchez has been strong overall early in the season, but the Phillies cannot ignore the split between his production and his results against Chicago. If that gap shows up again Thursday, it would be another reminder that a pitcher can look dominant on paper and still walk into one of his least forgiving matchups.
