Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez: Goes distance in ninth win

Link copied!

Sanchez (9-8) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on two hits over nine innings in a 5-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out four without walking a batter.

The southpaw was incredibly efficient in his second complete game of the season, firing 71 of 99 pitches for strikes, and an Alex Call solo shot in the fourth inning was the only blemish on his performance. Sanchez followed up his other nine-inning gem, a shutout of the Marlins on June 28, with a seven-run stinker against the Cubs -- an outing that began a tough stretch in which the 27-year-old posted a 6.63 ERA over the seven starts prior to Saturday. Sanchez will look to avoid a similar swoon in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week in Atlanta.