Cristopher Sánchez fanned 11, but the Phillies fell 2-1 to the Astros on June 26, 2025. Despite a great start, the Phils were swept in Houston. Recap.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's a story that's becoming painfully familiar: a Phillies starter delivers a masterpiece, and the offense goes silent. Cristopher Sánchez was nothing short of electric on Thursday, but his 11-strikeout gem went for naught as the Phillies dropped the series finale to the Houston Astros 2-1, completing a demoralizing three-game sweep at Daikin Park.
The Phillies snapped a 26-inning scoreless drought, only to lose the lead in the bottom half of the eighth.
For seven agonizing innings, the Phillies' bats were completely handcuffed by Astros ace Hunter Brown, who mowed down hitters with nine strikeouts while allowing just three singles. On the other side, Cristopher Sánchez was putting on a clinic of his own. The Phillies' lefty was masterful, fanning 11 Astros over six innings and allowing just a single run on a Yainer Diaz RBI in the second. The offensive futility reached a breaking point, stretching to 26 consecutive scoreless innings before the Phils finally broke through.
A glimmer of hope appeared in the top of the eighth. Bryson Stott, who reached base twice, finally got into scoring position and came home on a Brandon Marsh sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1. The relief was short-lived. In the bottom of the frame, rookie Cam Smith delivered a clutch, two-out RBI single off Orion Kerkering to put Houston back on top. Astros reliever Bryan Abreu then slammed the door, striking out Trea Turner to end the eighth before fanning Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos in order in the ninth to seal the Phillies' fate.
If there's one major positive to take from this frustrating loss, it's the continued dominance of Cristopher Sánchez. This wasn't just a good start; it was an elite one. For the third consecutive outing, Sánchez did not issue a single walk, showcasing pinpoint command to go with his swing-and-miss stuff. Despite the no-decision and the lack of run support, Sánchez has firmly established himself as a force in this rotation, providing a desperately needed steady hand every fifth day.
The flight from Houston to Atlanta will be a somber one, but there's no time to dwell on this sweep. A crucial divisional series against the Braves looms, and the Phillies will hand the ball to rookie Mick Abel for the opener. It's a massive test for the young righty and a chance for the bats to wake up and prove this Texas-sized slump is just a bad memory.
