Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez looks ‘rusty’ but healthy in return to mound

PHILADELPHIA — Last week’s scare in New York could have been serious for the Phillies. Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, perhaps the club’s second best starting pitcher, left his last outing against the Mets early with forearm tightness. The team decided to push back his next start.

Eight days later, he returned to the mound seeming healthy, a development more crucial than any individual win. Sánchez threw five innings and allowed two runs in a 7-2 victory against the Nationals on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. His control suffered at times, but his arsenal looked normal.

After manager Rob Thomson said the lefty would have “no restrictions,” Sánchez exited the game after a solid 87-pitch performance.

“He looked a little rusty,” Thomson said. “It’s been a week since he’s pitched. Command was off a little bit, but the stuff was really good.”

Sánchez came out firing, delivering his usual 95 and 96 mph sinker in the top of the first inning. The pitch averaged 95.7 mph on the night. He cruised through two innings, then ran into some control problems in the third as he walked two batters and hit another in the frame. With two runners on, Nats first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, a left-handed hitter, hit an RBI double down the third-base line off Sánchez to give Washington its first run.

The Nationals added another in the fifth on a run-scoring fielder’s choice off the bat of Amed Rosario. That was Sánchez’s final inning of work. He scattered five hits, walked three and recorded six strikeouts. It wasn’t an outstanding game, but it was good enough to leave with a 4-2 Phillies lead.

“I went out and competed and did the best that I could,” Sánchez said through a club interpreter. “… I feel fine; that is the most important thing for today.”

Sánchez said that no real injury was found with his forearm. He just had to overcome some discomfort. It’s a big relief for the Phillies that it wasn’t something more.

Behind Sánchez, Philadelphia (17-13) had a big game at the plate as Kyle Schwarber, Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto all hit home runs. José Ruiz, Tanner Banks and Carlos Hernández combined for four scoreless innings out of the bullpen to close out the Phillies’ fourth win in a row and clinch a series win.

Holding a comfortable lead, the game wasn’t too stressful for the Phillies. How could it have been after Sánchez eased the biggest reason to be concerned?

“That’s what I was looking for today,” he said, “just feeling like my best self, as I always do. I just go out and compete, and we did just that.”