Cristopher Sanchez set the Philadelphia Phillies’ franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings Wednesday as they completed a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres with a 3-0 win at Petco Park.
Sanchez passed Grover Cleveland Alexander’s mark of 41 innings, set in 1911, by retiring Jackson Merrill on a grounder to second for the final out of the fourth inning. The lefthander finished seven innings, permitting six hits and no walks while fanning nine as he improved to 6-2 while lowering his earned run average to 1.47.
Sanchez has fired 44 2/3 straight scoreless innings, 14 1/3 shy of Orel Hershiser’s all-time record of 59 that was set in 1988. His next start is either June 2 or 3 against San Diego at home.
Walker Buehler (3-3) took the loss, yielding two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings while walking none and fanning two. It was the fourth straight loss for San Diego, which closed a nine-game homestand at 3-6.
Buehler faced the minimum number of hitters through five innings, allowing a pair of hits but erasing each one by inducing double plays. That ended in the sixth when Justin Crawford singled with one out and Edmundo Sosa was plunked by a pitch.
Padres manager Craig Stammen went to Adrian Morejon out of the bullpen but Kyle Schwarber grounded an RBI single to right that moved Sosa to third. Trea Turner’s fielder’s choice grounder cashed in Sosa.
That was all the Phillies needed as Sanchez worked through San Diego’s struggling lineup. The Padres got runners to first and third in the second on two-out singles by Jackson Merrill and Nick Castellanos before Freddy Fermin grounded out to third.
Manny Machado came closest to ending Sanchez’s scoreless streak. He lined out to Sosa on the warning track in left to start the fourth, then sent a 399-foot blast to deep center that Crawford ran down at the wall for a sprawling catch in the sixth.
San Diego went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and is 2 for its last 46 in that spot.
Turner added insurance for Philadelphia in the ninth with a leadoff homer to left, his seventh of the season.
Jose Alvarado pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.
