PHILADELPHIA— While the rain kept fans at home this Saturday afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies enjoyed the bright sun in a 4 to 1 victory in St. Louis. After dropping game 1 of the series Friday night, the Phillies needed to snap their losing streak and return to their winning ways on Saturday.
Cristopher Sanchez made his third start of the season for the Phils and his first at Busch Stadium. Sanchez did not have his best stuff, getting just 5 swings and misses from Cardinals’ hitters. However, Cristopher relied on strong command and defense to work through the ballgame, helping lead the Phillies to their 9th win.
Phillies Score First
After being shut out the night before, the offense would need to make a statement for the Fightins.
After Bryson Stott and Trea Turner would retire in order, Bryce Harper stepped to the plate with 2-outs. A single to center field gave the team their first hit of the afternoon. A Kyle Schwarber walk would put a running in scoring position for Nick Castellanos.
Castellanos, who has been arguably the second-best hitter on the club this season, would strike. Crushing a ball to deep left-center field, he would drive in the first 2 runs of the game. Harper and Schwarber would both score, and a breath of fresh air could be felt in the Phillies dugout.
The Phillies’ right fielder was not done in the first inning. In the bottom half of the frame, Castellanos would end the inning with a catch in foul ground. He made the catch up against the half wall on the first base line, a section of Busch Stadium that leaves little room for error.
After the grab, he would look up to see a young Phillies fan who was pumped up. Castellanos and the fan embraced with a handshake and fistbump. Tossing him the ball as well, Nick Castellanos gave a young kid a story that he will remember for the rest of his life.
Double Play Depth
As mentioned, Cristopher Sanchez relied a lot on his team’s defense in this outing.
Through his 6.1 innings of work, Sanchez would allow 8 hits. He controlled the game masterfully, however, and did not allow the Cardinals’ offense to take advantage. In 4 of his first 5 innings, Sanchez would get the St. Louis hitters to roll into a double play.
Aside from a rare Bryson Stott error at second base, the club played a sound defensive game. After a few poor outings in Atlanta, it was a positive sign for a team looking to bounce back.
After letting up a pair of hits in the 7th inning, the Phillies bullpen would get a chance to take over. A unit that also struggled in Atlanta, the Phillies had their best ready to roll in St. Louis. Orion Kerkering would enter for Sanchez, punching out 1 batter and getting out of the jam with ease.
In the 8th inning, Jordan Romano would deliver another clean inning. It took Romano just 5 pitches to work through 3 Cardinals hitters as the Phillies would turn their 5th and final double play of the game. It was the first time since 2021 that the team had 5 ground ball double plays in a single game.
Jose Alvarado would close out the 9th in 1-2-3 fashion. Jose would earn his 3rd save of the season, lowering his earned run average to 1.23. Outside of his earned run against the Rockies, Alvarado has been lights out in 2025. A tremendous improvement from 2024, and it appears the Phillies have found their closer once again.
Rubber Match Sunday
The Phillies will look to win their 4th series of the season on Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. After taking the first 3 (Nationals, Rockies, Dodgers), a series win would conclude a 6-game road series with a 3-3 record. It would also give the team a 10-5 start to their season if they can get the job done.
In their quest to do so, Zack Wheeler will take the ball in his 4th start of the season. Coming off a poor performance against the Braves, Wheeler is going to be determined to get back to his winning ways. Wheeler is 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA to start the 2025 season. His 25 strikeouts is tied with Logan Gilbert, MacKenzie Gore, and Jesus Luzardo for the second most in baseball.
The Cardinals will send Matthew Liberatore to the mound to oppose Wheeler. Liberatore is 0-1 with a 5.84 earned run average in his 2 starts in 2025.
The first pitch is set for 2:05 EST and can be found on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
