PHILADELPHIA — Cristopher Sánchez set the Philadelphia Phillies franchise record with 44 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings as of May 29, 2026, surpassing Grover Cleveland Alexander’s 41-inning streak from 1911. Sánchez extended the streak by completing seven shutout innings in a 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres that day.
The streak began in the second inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants on April 30, 2026. Sánchez had last allowed runs in the first inning of that same game, which the Phillies won 3-2.
Throughout May 2026, Sánchez went 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA, recording 45 strikeouts and just three walks over 39 innings. He threw at least seven shutout innings in each of his five starts during the month, becoming the only pitcher besides Orel Hershiser to make five scoreless starts in a calendar month while not serving as an opener.
Sánchez’s 44 2/3-inning streak ranks seventh all-time in Major League Baseball history since the start of the Live Ball Era in 1920. Only Orel Hershiser (59 innings in 1988), Don Drysdale (58 in 1968), Bob Gibson (47 in 1968), Zack Greinke (45 2/3 in 2015), Carl Hubbell (45 1/3 in 1933), and Sal Maglie (45 in 1950) have posted longer streaks. Among left-handed pitchers, only Hubbell’s mark exceeds Sánchez’s.
At home, Sánchez has pitched 28.2 consecutive scoreless innings at Citizens Bank Park, the third-longest streak in ballpark history behind Roy Halladay’s 33 innings in 2010 and Cliff Lee’s 29 in 2011. His dominance included a May 16 shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates, in which he struck out Marcell Ozuna four times after Ozuna told him he would hit a home run. Sánchez finished that game with 13 strikeouts.
“It’s something special. Something really important. I never imagined something like this. So, I’m really happy and proud of myself,” Sánchez said through an interpreter.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser, who holds the MLB record, praised Sánchez’s performance. “What I do watch, he’s very, very special. His changeup, his athleticism, his ability to change speeds to both sides of the plate. I just think he’s a real special pitcher. You can’t do what he’s doing without repeating your mechanics and having some deception and making a lot of good pitches. He’s putting it all together,” Hershiser said. He added, “If Cristopher would break it, that would be an honor to be mentioned and I would treat him the same respectful way that Don Drysdale treated me.”
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto referenced the exchange with Ozuna, saying with a laugh, “That wasn’t a very good idea to piss him off.”