It almost feels impossible for the Philadelphia Phillies to lose a game when Cristopher Sanchez starts.
The best pitcher in Major League Baseball this season has been nothing short of dominant. He continued his incredible quest for the 2026 National League Cy Young award with another victory on Monday night.
Facing off against the reigning American League champions, the Phillies entered Canada coming off back-to-back series wins.
Looking to win their third straight series, the Phillies offense did not waste any time getting the scoring started.
One week ago, the Phillies had a scheduled off day.
Rather than taking the day to rest after a long road trip, Adolis Garcia wanted to get better. He went to Citizens Bank Park and worked with Kevin Long and the Phillies coaching staff.
His hard work has paid off.
In the top of the second inning, Garcia blasted a two-run home run to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was Garcia's third home run in the past week.
Since that day off, Garcia is hitting .269 with a .923 OPS and has driven in six runs during that stretch.
While the strikeout total is still high, the Phillies can afford to trade strikeouts for more power from their right fielder.
After Garcia's blast in the second, the Phillies tacked on three more in the third.
A pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Philly with one out.
With the bases juiced, Alec Bohm drove in a run with an RBI single. He was followed by J.T. Realmuto, who would follow suit with another RBI single.
Bryson Stott would walk, adding another to the team's tally. It was the fourth free pass of the frame for the Phillies, who made Patrick Corbin pay for his mistakes.
Giving Sanchez a five-run lead, the Phillies went into cruise control.
With a three-run lead in the ninth, Jhoan Duran entered the ballgame.
Despite allowing an opposite-field double to Andrés Giménez, Duran would end the game without much threat from the Blue Jays' lineup.
Duran is the fifth Phillies closer to save 16 games in a row to start a season.
Brad Lidge, of course, set the team's single-season record for 41 saves in a row in 2008. Including the post-season, Lidge went 48 for 48 over the course of the entire season, helping lead the Phillies to a World Series championship.
When Dave Dombrowski traded for Duran last season, this is exactly what he had envisioned for the club.
