Are Phillies making a mistake by starting Cristopher Sanchez in Game 2 of NLDS?

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez will start Game 2 in the National League Division Series, according to the team’s beat reporter Todd Zolecki.

Cristopher Sanchez will start Game 2.

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) October 4, 2024

Is this a good or bad thing for the Phillies? Let’s look at this from a statistical standpoint and compare Sanchez to Game 3 starter Aaron Nola, as their respective ERA both at home and on the road might have been the main statistic that made manager Rob Thomson’s decision final. 

Sanchez finished with a record of 11-9, an ERA of 3.32, 153 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.24. His ERA at home was 2.21. On the road, it was 5.02. Nola, on the other hand, finished with a record of 14-8, an ERA of 3.57, 197 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.20. His ERA at home was 3.29 and on the road was 3.87. 

Both pitchers have had their clutch moments both during the regular season and in the postseason. Thomson is trying to set his team up for the best chance to win the series and get one step closer to winning the World Series. 

You also need to take into consideration matchups. The Mets have announced that Kodai Senga will take the mound for Game 1 of the NLDS. He will be up against Zack Wheeler of the Phillies. 

Who has the better stats against the Mets?

In the 2024 season, the Phillies and Mets played each other 13 times. The Phillies ended up winning the season series 7-6. Throughout those 13 games, Sanchez pitched three games and Nola pitched two. 

Sanchez threw a total of 13-1/2 innings and gave up 16 hits, six runs, six earned runs, two home runs, nine walks and picked up 19 strikeouts. Nola, on the other hand, threw a total of 13-1/3 innings and gave up 10 hits, six runs, six earned runs, two home runs, two walks and picked up 15 strikeouts. 

The Phillies have to hope that Thomson’s decision to start Sanchez over Nola in Game 2 pays off.