Cristopher Sánchez has Shohei Ohtani figured out better than anyone else in baseball. The numbers do not lie. Sánchez has struck out the superstar 12 times in 25 career plate appearances. He has held Ohtani to a .160 batting average with no extra-base hits. This is a total shutdown. While other pitchers struggle against Ohtani, Sánchez makes him look ordinary. It is a rare feat that deserves more hype from fans.
A History of Dominance
Ohtani has faced 26 different pitchers with at least 20 at-bats. Sánchez is one of only two pitchers who have kept Ohtani hitless in extra-base hits. The other is David Peterson. Sánchez joins Framber Valdez and Chris Bassitt as the only pitchers with 12 strikeouts against Ohtani. These stats come straight from MLB.com Phillies reports. It shows Sánchez has a specific plan that works every time.
On Monday night, Sánchez started strong against Ohtani. He threw two sinkers and a slider. Ohtani swung and missed at both sinkers. He then whiffed badly at a slider for strike three. This was just the beginning of another rough night for the Dodgers star. Sánchez got Ohtani to ground out on a sinker in the third inning. He struck him out looking on a 1-2 sinker in the fifth.
Managing the Matchup
Even when Sánchez was not at his sharpest, he still controlled Ohtani. He threw 99 pitches and allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings. The Phillies won 10-7 despite some late bullpen issues. Interim manager Don Mattingly made a tough call to pull Sánchez in the sixth. Mattingly said, “At that point, we’re pushing Sanchy.” He wanted to protect the pitcher’s arm after 99 throws.
But the damage was already done against Ohtani. Sánchez said he would not reveal his secret plan. “Same plan as always,” Sánchez said via interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “I won’t tell you which one it is, but the same plan as always.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted it was smart to pull Sánchez early. He said, “I thought to get Sánchez out in the [sixth] inning, I thought was a good thing.”
The Only Pitcher Who Matters
Most fans think Ohtani is unstoppable. Sánchez proves that wrong. Ohtani has four hits against Sánchez, but they are all singles. He has not walked once in 25 tries. That is incredible control from the pitcher. Valdez, Gerrit Cole, and Jesús Luzardo have held Ohtani to lower averages. But only Sánchez has 25 at-bats with zero extra-base hits and 12 strikeouts. That combination is unique.
The Phillies need to trust this matchup. Sánchez has a clear edge over the biggest star in the game. It is not luck. It is a repeatable skill. Every time Ohtani steps up, he faces a pitcher who knows exactly how to get him out. The rest of the league is guessing. Sánchez is executing.
Do you think Sánchez can keep this up against Ohtani in the playoffs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
