Cristopher Sánchez has reached a new level in 2026 and now holds a Philadelphia Phillies franchise record that stood for 115 years.
Sánchez extended his scoreless streak to 41 2/3 innings on Wednesday against the San Diego Padres. This achievement broke baseball immortal Grover Cleveland Alexander’s franchise record of 41 innings, which was set in 1911.
Sánchez’s Record-Breaking Performance
Entering Wednesday’s game, Sánchez had a 37 2/3-inning scoreless streak. He needed to pitch four full innings to break the record, and he accomplished that by allowing no runs in the first four innings of the game against San Diego.
His fifth strikeout of the game marked his 600th of his career.
The MLB record for consecutive scoreless innings is held by Orel Hershiser at 59 innings, a mark set in 1988.
Recent Performances
In his previous start, Sánchez surpassed Cliff Lee’s 34-inning scoreless streak set in 2011, moving him into second place in team history. Sánchez allowed four hits and no runs, while striking out six in eight innings. He lowered his ERA to 1.62, but the Phillies lost, 1-0, to Cleveland.
Sánchez’s 2026 Season
The 29-year-old Sánchez has elevated his performance in 2026, following a season where he was the National League Cy Young runner-up. Sánchez led MLB pitchers with a 3.7 bWAR coming into Wednesday’s game. His 2.8 fWAR was the highest in the NL.
- Sánchez has the NL’s lowest ERA.
- He leads the majors in innings pitched (72 1/3 innings).
The Phillies are aiming to sweep the Padres after winning the first two games of their West Coast trip in San Diego on Monday and Tuesday.