Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez sees his last scoreless innings streak against the Padres

Only two players in the Live Ball Era have scored more points than Christopher Sánchez. On Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, the Philadelphia Phillies shut out the San Diego Padres in the seventh inning to extend their shutout streak to 50 ⅔. Only Orel Hershiser (59 innings in 1988) and Don Drysdale (58 innings in 1968) had longer hitting streaks since 1920.

“My words are probably not enough for him, but he was just amazing to watch,” Phillies manager Don Mattingly said after Wednesday’s win (PHI 3, SD 2).

The streak ended in 50 ⅔ innings when Jackson Merrill blasted a two-out RBI single into left field in the seventh inning. That drove in Ty France, who doubled down the left field line as the previous batter. It’s the first time Sánchez has allowed a hit since the first inning against the San Francisco Giants on April 30.

Sánchez broke Carl Hubbell’s Live Ball Era record for going scoreless innings against the lefty when he finished the first inning on Wednesday. Here’s the record breaking:

Sánchez passed Bob Gibson’s leadoff hitter and earned the longest streak in the Live Ball Era when he finished the third inning. At his start last Wednesday, broke Grover Alexander’s 115-year-old record of 41 consecutive scoreless innings. Sánchez faced the Padres in that game as well, albeit at Petco Park in San Diego.

In all, Sánchez held an admittedly weak Padres to four hits and one walk in seven innings Wednesday night. He has struck out eight and gone at least seven innings in an MLB-best six games this season.

Here are the longest scoreless streaks in the Live Ball Era (since 1920):

If we include the Dead Ball Era (before 1920), Sánchez’ streak is fifth. Walter Johnson went 55 ⅔ innings without allowing a run for the Washington Senators in 1913, and Jack Coombs went 53 scoreless innings with the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics. Only those two, along with Hershiser and Drysdale, are ahead of Sánchez in MLB history.

In May, Sánchez joined Hershiser as the only no-hitters in baseball history to start five games in a calendar month and not allow a run. Sánchez threw at least seven innings in his May debut and was named the NL Pitcher of the Month.

Sánchez, 29, was the NL Cy Young runner-up behind Paul Skenes last season, when he threw 202 innings with a 2.50 ERA and led all hitters with 8.0 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. Wednesday’s start gives Sánchez a 1.46 ERA through 13 starts and an MLB-leading 86 ⅓ innings this season.

The Phillies acquired Sánchez as a minor leaguer in a 1-for-1 trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Nov. 20, 2019. Outfielder Curtis Mead went to the Rays in a deal. Sánchez makes his MLB debut in June 2021.

Philadelphia signed Sánchez to a six-year, $107 million contract in March, ensuring he will remain one of the biggest trades in baseball.