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Cristopher Sanchez Maybe the First Pitcher to Get a Standing Ovation After Giving Up a Run
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The optics here are so quirky that you can’t help but laugh:
Sanchez allowed a run in the top of the seventh on Wednesday night, so his epic streak of allowing no runs comes to an end at 50.2 innings.* It’ll go down in history as the 5th-longest scoreless innings streak of all time, trailing Jack Coombs, Walter Johnson, Don Drysdale, and Orel Hershiser, the latter of whom capped out at 59 innings.
That’s 13 starts this season for Sanchez, who sports a 1.46 ERA. He’s pitched 86.1 innings and has already struck out 103 batters while walking just 17. He’s conceded 3 home runs as opposing batters slash .234/.273/.310 against him, good for a .583 OPS. That’s a career-low. He is every bit an ace, and a workhorse as well.
Great fans in the crowd, though. Educated fans who appreciate greatness and recognize it. You can even see a Padres fan or two in there, also standing and clapping. They understand the gravity of the moment and they gave Sanchez deserved recognition.
*(Not to go negative, but a better throw from Brandon Marsh and the streak may still be alive. There’s a lot of that on the timeline, FWIW)
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com