Cristopher Sanchez Redeems Himself Against Mets As Phillies Top New York 11-3
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 9: Harrison Bader #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Kyle Schwarber #12 after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on September 9, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Mets 9-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
It’s a series win for the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets.
After getting swept in their most recent series in Queens, the Phillies secured a series win over the Mets on Wednesday evening, picking up an 11-3 win. It’s the third straight win for the Phillies over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park, and they have outscored them in this series 21-6. Philadelphia now holds a 10-game lead over the Mets in the National League East, its largest lead in the division at this point in the season since 2010.
Cristopher Sanchez got the start for the Phillies, hoping not to recreate his terrible previous outing in New York, where he allowed six earned runs on eight hits over 5.1 innings of work. The Mets have had Sanchez’s number this season, as they’ve only swung and missed seven of the 49 changeups he’s thrown at them this season. Tonight’s start completely flipped the script as Sanchez dominated, allowing just one run over six innings, striking out six batters.
The Phillies’ offense also continued to produce as Max Kepler recorded three hits, one being a solo home run, and five RBIs in the win, while Bryce Harper added a solo bomb of his own. Brandon Marsh also collected three hits, while Harrison Bader and J.T. Realmuto added two of their own.
Sanchez kicked off the game with an early out, thanks to a lineout from Francisco Lindor, but Juan Soto stepped up next and smacked a single up the middle for the Mets’ first hit of the game. After Soto stole second, Sanchez worked around it, sending both Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso down on strikes to end the top of the first.
Like the previous night, the Phillies’ offense got going right away against Mets starter Clay Holmes, putting up two runs in the first inning. Harrison Bader continued his hot streak with a leadoff single to start the inning. A walk to Kyle Schwarber and a hit by pitch to Bryce Harper quickly loaded the bases for J.T. Realmuto, who smacked a bloop single to center field, bringing in Bader, making it 1-0 Phillies.
After Brandon Marsh struck out, Max Kepler brought in another run thanks to another hit by pitch to double the Phillies’ lead. With two runs already in, Holmes ended it there, getting Otto Kemp to strike out and Bryson Stott to fly out to end the inning.
Back to work in the second, Sanchez made quick work of the Mets, striking out Starling Marte and grounding out Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez. In the bottom of the second, Bader ripped his second hit of the night into the left-center field gap for a one-out double, and another walk to Schwarber put two runners on for Harper.
However, Harper then smoked a ball to the warning track in left field, just missing a home run for out number two, and Realmuto went down on strikes to end the inning. Sanchez needed just 10 pitches to get through the third, picking up another strikeout, and despite a leadoff single from Marsh in the third, Holmes worked through the Phillies lineup, keeping the deficit at two.
In the top of the fourth, the Mets finally got on the board. Soto led off the inning with what was deemed a double after a fan interfered with the hit. Vientos grounded out, keeping Soto at second, but Alonso smoked a 3-0 pitch to left, putting runners in the corners for Marte. On the seventh pitch of his at-bat, Marte smoked a ball to left for a single, bringing in Soto, making it 2-1 Phillies.
One run was all the Mets scored as Nimmo ended New York’s chances of taking the lead after hitting into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play. Holmes once again worked through another easy inning, picking up a pair of groundouts and a strikeout from Bader to end the fourth.
Sanchez bounced back in the fifth after allowing a run in the fourth, picking up back-to-back strikeouts to start the inning, and grounding Luisangel Acuña out to end the top of the fifth. In the bottom half of the inning, the Phillies got their run back thanks to a pair of hits.
The first came from a leadoff infield single from Realmuto, and just three pitches later, a Marsh double down the right field line brought him in to make it 3-1 Phillies, ending Holmes’ night at just 76 pitches.
Former Phillies Gregory Soto was the first man out of the bullpen for the Mets, and the first pitch he threw was smacked back up the middle by Kepler, scoring Marsh from second to make it 4-1 Phillies.
However, after allowing the runs, Soto picked up back-to-back strikeouts from Kemp and Stott for the first two outs of the inning, and Donovan Walton, who was making his debut with the Phillies, flew out to end the fifth.
The Mets’ top of the lineup led off the sixth, but Sanchez worked through it. Lindor flew out to start the inning, and Soto grounded out to first for two quick outs. Sanchez pitched around Vientos and subsequently walked him, bringing up Alonso, but Sanchez was able to get him to ground into a force out to end the inning.
The Phillies had action on the basepath once again in the bottom of the sixth, and it resulted in four more runs. Bader led off the inning with a hit by a pitch, and Schwarber smoked a ball to right for a single after Harper grounded into a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners.
Soto then hit Realmuto to load the bases, and Marsh smoked a single to left, scoring a run to make it 5-1. Kepler kept the line moving with another single, this time in the right field gap, scoring two more runs and increasing the Phillies’ lead to six runs.
Ryne Stanek came on for Soto with runners on the corners and one out. Kemp dug in and lifted a ball to right field, bringing in Marsh from third to make it 8-1, Phillies. Stott walked, bringing up Walton, but he struck out to end the inning.
Orion Kerkering came on to replace Sanchez, and like his recent appearances, struggled to get through the inning without allowing multiple baserunners. Marte led the inning off with a single, but Kerkering picked up a pop out and a strikeout from Alverez for two outs. He then walked Cedric Mullins, putting two runners on, but pinch-hitter Brett Baty struck out looking to end the seventh,
Bader and Schwarber both struck out to start the bottom of the seventh, but Harper picked them up with a long fly ball to right field for his 25th home run of the year to make it 9-1 Phillies.
José Alvarado came on to pitch the eighth for the Phillies. Ronny Mauricio grounded out to start the inning, but Juan Soto smacked a solo home run to right to make it 9-2 Philadelphia. However, Alvarado shook it off and struck out Vientos and popped out Alonso to go to the bottom of the eighth.
Kepler continued to add onto the lead, recording his fifth RBI of the night on a solo home run to right, making it 10-2 Phillies.
The line kept moving as Kemp and Stott both singled, putting two runners on, and they both moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Walton then grounded out to second, scoring another run, but Bader went down looking to end the eighth.
Lou Trivino came on to close out the game in the ninth. Trivino picked up a quick pop-out from Marte and a fly-out from Nimmo for the first two outs. Pinch hitter Hayden Senger came on for Alverez, and he singled to right, and Mullins kept the line moving with a single to right of his own. With two runners on for Baty, he smoked a ball back up the middle, scoring a run, cutting the Phillies’ lead to eight.
Trivino then walked Ronny Mauricio to load the bases for Soto. After falling behind 2-0, Soto smoked a ball deep to center field, into Bader’s glove for the final out, with the Phillies winning 11-3.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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