After a rocky performance in the All-Star Game, Cristopher Sanchez hopes to look more like himself Monday when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a three-game series.
With the Midsummer Classic held in Philadelphia, Sanchez (11-4, 2.62 ERA) was selected by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to start the game in front of his home fans. However, the talented left-hander allowed three runs in a shaky first inning as the National League went on to lose to the American League 4-0.
“Just a sign of respect to the fans,” Sanchez said of his pregame salute to the crowd. “A little payback for all the love that they gave me on such an important day, both for me and for the fan base.”
Sanchez has made two starts this month, not counting the All-Star Game, and has allowed 11 runs and 22 hits in 10 1/3 innings.
He has started four times in his career against the Dodgers, going 2-0 with a 4.01 ERA. Additionally, Sanchez started twice against Los Angeles in last year’s National League Division Series, posting a 2.25 ERA, although the Phillies lost both games — and the series in four.
Emmet Sheehan (4-6, 4.81) will get the ball for the Dodgers in his second career start against the Phillies. He held them to one run in 5 2/3 innings in a regular-season matchup last September, and then Sheehan made a pair of appearances out of the bullpen in the NLDS, yielding two runs in three innings.
More recently, Sheehan closed his first half on July 12 with a solid outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He gave up three runs (two earned) over 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven in a 101-pitch effort.
“I’m happy with the work we’ve put in to try to get back to the point we’re at now, and the process of it all,” Sheehan said. “I think we’re in a good spot with what we know we need to work on.”
This outing will mark the first time since June 1 that Sheehan has started on a day other than Sunday. He’ll take the mound against a Philadelphia lineup that struggled to produce in Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the New York Mets.
The Phillies managed only six hits (four singles) in that one and struck out 14 times in dropping the rubber game of the weekend set. Alan Rangel allowed five runs in the first two innings, creating a hole that the offense was unable to dig out of.
“You’re managing that game, trying to get through it, and then you’re trying to keep guys available for (Monday),” said Philadelphia interim manager Don Mattingly. “Hopefully, we’re in a good situation (Monday) with (Sanchez), keeping guys available. We were kind of able to do that.”
Los Angeles split a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, posting an 8-2 victory over New York in the opener before dropping a 2-1 decision in the nightcap. The Dodgers went with a bullpen game in Game 2 and ended up using seven pitchers.
Eventually, Evan Phillips allowed the decisive homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the eighth inning.
“It’s a long day, but it’s the life we chose,” said Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts. “At the end of the night, it’s baseball. We’ve got a bus ride tonight and we’ve got to be ready for Sanchez tomorrow. So it doesn’t get (any) easier.”
–Field Level Media
