Cristopher Sánchez struggles, allows four runs in Phillies’ loss to Astros

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It was not the best offensive day for the Phillies. Their first hit didn’t come until the top of the sixth inning, when Trea Turner hit a single to right field. They rallied late, but finished the day with 12 strikeouts and three runs on five hits. Perhaps it was the four-hour drive to play the Astros. We won’t read too far into it.

Here are a few other takeaways from their 5-3 road loss to Houston.

On the mound: Cristopher Sánchez made his second Grapefruit League start of the spring, after missing a turn due to an illness spreading around the clubhouse. It was an uncharacteristic outing for him. The left-handed pitcher threw for 2⅓ innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

The bullpen — Max Lazar, Spencer Turnbull, Connor Brogdon, Luis Ortiz, and Yunior Marte — combined for three walks and one earned run over the next 5⅔ innings after Sanchez exited the game.

Quotable: “I thought the stuff was really good,” manager Rob Thomson said of Sánchez. “I think the board was messed up, because the report we got was 95 mph on his fastball. Especially early, his stuff was really good. The first 25 pitches he threw four balls, I think.”

“He gave up a lot of ground ball base hits, which is unlucky. But as he got into his pitch count he lost the plate a little bit. I don’t know if he was a little bit tired, but he started giving up a couple of barrels. But I thought his stuff was good.”

Thomson said that Sánchez will start two more times this spring. He’ll go to 75 pitches in his next outing and 90 after that. After his outing on Friday night, the Phillies sent him to the bullpen to throw a bit more, to simulate another half-inning.

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On deck: The Phillies will play the Miami Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. The game won’t be televised or broadcast. A few Phillies prospects will be participating in the Spring Breakout prospects game on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. at 1:05 p.m. That will be broadcast on 94.1 WIP.

Jordan Luplow signed a minor league deal with the Phillies on Friday. Luplow, a 30-year-old outfielder who bats right-handed, has experience at all three outfield positions. He was released by the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night. He split last season between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins, batting .208/.322/.325 for the year. The Phillies’ outfield depth was a little thin at triple-A; the addition of Luplow will help bolster that.