The Philadelphia Phillies are facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. With the Phillies holding home-field advantage, Game 1 of the series begins in Philadelphia, with the Phillies starting their hunt for the World Series at home.
On the mound for the Phillies should have been Zack Wheeler. But after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, Wheeler was placed on the injured list and ruled out for the season. Taking his place on the mound in Game 1 is lefty Cristopher Sanchez.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic shared an interaction between Wheeler and Sanchez before Game 1. Wheeler asked Sanchez if he was ready for, and Sanchez's four-word response will have Phillies fans fired up for Game 1 of the NLDS.
Cristopher Sanchez shares a four-word message before Game 1 of the NLDS
"Are you ready?" Wheeler asked Sanchez.
Sanchez responded, "Of course I am."
This is a huge opportunity for Sanchez, as he'll face the defending World Series champions in the NLDS, with superstar Shohei Ohtani on the mound for Los Angeles to begin a pivotal series.
The winner of this series will potentially be the World Series favorite, as the Dodgers are favored to be World Champions in 2025. But with a strong outing from Sanchez, the Phillies can end the Dodgers' dream of winning a second-straight World Series.
Ohtani against Sanchez is an incredible pitching matchup, and while Ohtani hasn't pitched much this season, he's still one of the game's best starters when he's on. For the Phillies, Sanchez hasn't just been elite; he's been one of the best in baseball.
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This season, his third year as a primary starter for the Phillies, and just his second season as a starter for the full season, Sanchez had a career year.
In 32 starts (a career high), Sanchez had a 2.50 ERA, a 13-5 record, an 8.0 bWAR (leads all pitchers), and 212 strikeouts in 202 innings pitched. His 176 ERA+ was a career best, as was his ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts, and bWAR.
He's made two starts in the playoffs, one being a 2.1-inning outing in 2023 and a five-inning outing in 2024. He had a 3.86 ERA and a 3.60 ERA, respectively.
The 28-year-old, amid a breakout season, will have to face the Dodgers' strong lineup led by Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Ohtani. It won't be easy, but as Sanchez said, "of course," he's ready for the moment.
Sanchez will get on the bump to begin the game, which starts at 6:38 p.m. Eastern time. He'll begin the Phillies' 2025 postseason and look to shut down the Dodgers to help lead the Phillies to another World Series title.
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