Cristopher Sánchez has an uncharacteristic outing, Phillies play sloppy defense in 6-0 loss to Giants
Across five innings, Sánchez allowed 11 hits, the most he has given up since 2024. The Phillies' offense mustered just four hits in the game.
SAN FRANCISCO — Otto Kemp cut in at first, then doubled back, then tried to jump for the line drive Matt Chapman sent over his head in left field.
The ball ended up bouncing to the wall, and while Kemp chased it down, the Giants scored another run in the fifth inning and Chapman wound up with a double. It was one of a few sloppy defensive plays that cost the Phillies in Tuesday’s 6-0 loss to San Francisco.
“In hindsight, wish I would have tried to beat the ball the spot,” Kemp said. “Got a chance to make that play rather than trying to time the jump up. But it’s another play that I can learn from.”
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Catcher J.T. Realmuto was removed from the game with a bruised right foot after being hit with a foul ball in the first inning. X-rays were negative and he will be reevaluated on Wednesday.
Kemp made his third start of the season on Tuesday in left field, with lefty starter Robbie Ray on the mound for the Giants. The Chapman double hasn’t been the only misread for Kemp as he continues to adapt to a position he only began playing last year, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he isn’t concerned.
“I mean, it’s 112 [mph] off the bat, directly over your head,” he said. “It’s depth perception, it’s tough, and this is a tough outfield to play anyway.”
Trea Turner also booted a ground ball in the fifth inning, as Cristopher Sánchez’s defense did him no favors. But even so, the Phillies starter wasn’t as sharp as normal. The 11 hits he gave up over five innings were the most he has allowed in a game since Aug. 11, 2024.
Sánchez was getting ahead of hitters often, but had difficulty putting them away. He had a 67% first-pitch strike percentage, and eight of the 11 hits came in two-strike counts.
He said he felt like he was missing a lot of pitches.
“I think specifically the sinker in, and the changeup, when I tried to throw it down in the zone,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter.
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The Phillies fell behind, 1-0, in the first inning on an RBI groundout from Luis Arráez. The sloppy fifth inning cost the Phillies two runs and Sánchez several extra pitches.
After a leadoff single from Giants rookie Daniel Susac, nine-hole hitter Jared Olivia reached on Turner’s error. Rafael Marchán, who took over behind the plate for Realmuto, erased one of the runners with a pick off at first base.
But Kemp’s misread allowed another Giants run to score, and the line kept moving with an RBI single from Arráez. Both runs in the inning were unearned, but by the time Sánchez struck out Heliot Ramos to end it, he had thrown 28 pitches in the inning.
It was a tough game at the plate for Kemp, too, as he finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
“In the work that I’ve done in the cages with the hitting coaches, where I feel like I’m at there, I feel like I’m on the right track,” Kemp said. “I think there’s some adjustments that I can make, and that’s a little bit easier as the at-bats roll in.”
The Phillies’ offense in general was limp against Ray, who shut them down for 6⅔ innings. He issued three walks, including two in the seventh before the Giants brought in their bullpen, but the Phillies were unable to capitalize. With Dylan Moore in the lineup in place of Alec Bohm, who was sidelined with groin tightness, they mustered four total hits.
The Phillies collectively have a .158 batting average against left-handed pitching, which is the worst in baseball.
“Obviously we got to get better,” Thomson said. “But, I mean, their guy threw pretty good today, kept us off balance. We just got to get better.”
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Sánchez was removed after giving up two straight hits — a single and ground-rule double — to lead off the sixth inning. Zach Pop took over and allowed a run to score on a sacrifice fly.
Orion Kerkering made his first appearance of the season in the eighth after being activated from the injured list earlier on Tuesday. The first batter he faced sent a dribbler back to the mound. Marchán darted out to field it, but his throw skipped by Bryce Harper, allowing Ramos to reach safely.
A walk followed by a triple from Susac into the right field corner added two more runs for the Giants.
Marchán, Kemp, and Moore went down in order in the ninth to end it.