Sometimes it’s just not your day.
And for Phillies pitcher Christopher Sanchez, it just wasn’t his day Monday.
In a 15-1 loss to the Royals, Sanchez allowed a career-high nine runs in 3 ⅓ innings and struck out a career-low one batter.
The disastrous start ballooned the Cy Young candidate’s ERA from 2.00 to 2.62, but Sanchez couldn’t pinpoint anything specific that led to the nightmare afternoon.
“I mean, it’s just a game,” Sanchez told reporters through an interpreter. “As I learn from the good things that we have on the field, and the things when we perform well, the same thing when I don’t perform. I just try to learn from it.”
Monday’s disaster was a rare occurrence in what’s been an incredibly successful season for Sanchez.
Sanchez was coming off a seven-inning shutout against the Pirates on June 30 and had allowed five or more runs just twice this season coming into Monday.
He also made headlines earlier this season for tossing 50 ⅔ consecutive scoreless innings, the fifth-longest single-season streak since 1893.
But from the get-go on Monday, he just didn’t have it.
The lefty was tagged for six first-inning runs after a throwing error by shortstop Trea Turner and a three-run homer by Luke Maile.
Sanchez even allowed Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who’s hitting .209 this season, to go yard in the second inning.
The Royals smashed three homers off Sanchez before he was taken out in the fourth inning, and continued mashing even after the lefty departed.
They scored a run in every inning they batted, contributing to their most complete offensive performance of the season.
Despite Sanchez’s woeful outing and the Phillies loss, they’re still in a wildcard spot as the All-Star break approaches.
The Phillies are 50-41 and 3 ½ games behind the NL East-leading Braves after the lopsided loss.
