Phillies turn to Sanchez, not Walker, to start Game 4 of NLCS
Phillies turn to Sanchez, not Walker, to start Game 4 of NLCS originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
PHOENIX — It will be Cristopher Sanchez, not Taijuan Walker, starting in Game 4 of the NLCS Friday night, manager Rob Thomson revealed after the Phillies' walk-off 2-1 loss in Game 3.
The Phils' options were Sanchez, Walker or an opener in front of one of them.
What made Sanchez the guy?
"He has been throwing the ball very well, and I know there's a lot of right-handedness in that lineup, but I have a lot of confidence in him," Thomson said. "I don't know how far we're going to be able to go with him, but he's been pitching very well and throwing strikes, and I have a lot of confidence in him."
Sanchez has not appeared in a game since pitching an inning of relief on September 20 at Citi Field. The same goes for Walker, who started that day. The Phillies have tried to keep them sharp with bullpen sessions and pitching live batting practice. They have not had a need for a No. 4 starter to this point in the playoffs, and while Sanchez and Walker have been on the roster for all three rounds, the Phillies were only going to use them in relief in an emergency — if a game went 15 innings, for example.
Lefty-hitting Corbin Carroll is the Diamondbacks' best overall player, but all of Arizona's other most dangerous hitters bat from the right side: Christian Walker, Tommy Pham, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Gabriel Moreno, Evan Longoria. Ketel Marte is a switch-hitter but has been far better from the right side.
Still, the Phillies feel like Sanchez is the right choice. He allowed three runs or fewer in 15 of 18 starts this season. His changeup grew into a legitimate weapon, one of the best changeups in baseball statistically. It has helped him handle righties. It enabled two different 10-strikeout performances in September.
"He's thrown the ball great for us all year," Trea Turner said. "He takes us deep into games, throws strikes, gets groundballs. We love when he pitches. He's been big for us."
It seemed the Phils might go with Walker, who went 15-6 with a 4.38 ERA in the first season of a four-year, $72 million contract. Thomson said it wasn't a factor in the decision, but Walker's first-inning struggles had to be at least some small part of the discussion. He allowed 24 runs in the first inning, nine more than any other inning. His ERA in the opening frame was 7.04. It was a problem that could have been exacerbated by a month without pitching in game action.
Sanchez helped save the Phillies' season by solidifying the final spot in their rotation in June, and now he has a chance to help them to within a game of the World Series. The Diamondbacks will use left-handed opener Joe Mantiply in Game 4 so both bullpens are expected to carry heavy workloads.
"To be here in this situation with my teammates, it's very special to me," Sanchez said. "I'm very focused on this start. I've been working hard for this. This is what you work for, so tomorrow I've got to show what I'm capable of."
