Phillies win their fifth straight, beat A’s in 12 innings behind a team effort on the mound

OAKLAND, Calif. — Through four innings Saturday, there had been exactly one hit off Cristopher Sánchez, the latest pitcher to ride on the Phillies’ fifth-starter carousel.

And if that hit hadn’t literally gone off Sánchez — as in, off his left hand — this story may have been different.

Instead, Sánchez spiked his mitt after absorbing the glancing blow of a comebacker to open the fourth inning. He stayed in the game, even striking out the heart of the Athletics’ order to side-step a two-on, no-out jam and flexing as he walked off the mound.

But Sánchez didn’t come back out for the fifth, his No. 5-starter audition lasting all of 61 pitches and turning into another reliever relay in an eventual 12-inning, 3-2 victory over the A’s, the Phillies’ fifth consecutive victory and 12th in 14 games.

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X-rays on Sánchez’s hand were negative, according to manager Rob Thomson, who expects Sánchez to make a start at home next week, likely Friday against the Mets.

“If that ball didn’t go off his hand, he would’ve gone back out there,” Thomson said. “He was fantastic. He really was. Pumping strikes. Breaking ball was good, change-up was really good in that [fourth] inning to get some strikeouts.”

For the record, Kyle Schwarber drove in the eventual winning run with a one-out single, only the Phillies’ second hit in 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Cristian Pache scored easily from third base after the bold baserunning play of tagging on a medium-depth fly ball.

Let the record also reflect that the Phillies used seven — count ‘em, seven! — relievers, including lefty revelation Andrew Vasquez for the 10th and 11th innings after he’d pitched one inning the night before.

“Mentally, it’s a good win for us,” Schwarber said after the A’s went 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position, “just because we did the little things right.”

But the Phillies’ lack of a No. 5 starter is a story that won’t go away. So, Sánchez’s encouraging start, worrisome fourth inning, and reassuring diagnosis loomed over everything.

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Sánchez’s fifth-starter candidacy has been submarined by a triceps injury in spring training and erratic control in triple A. When the Phillies finally recalled him this week to make a full-fledged start, Thomson suggested it represented a chance take the No. 5-starter football and seek open field.

Once through the order, Sánchez sparkled. Never mind that he was facing Oakland’s “triple A’s,” who are on pace to challenge the 1962 Mets for the worst record in baseball history. He leaned on a heavy sinker to retire the first nine batters, four via groundouts.

Esteury Ruiz opened the fourth inning by hitting the fifth pitch off Sánchez, who went to his knee behind the mound. He was examined by a trainer, then threw his first warm-up pitch to the backstop.

“I was like, ‘Uh, that’s it,’” Thomson said.

But Sánchez regrouped. He said he could continue. And after walking the ensuing batter, he struck out Ryan Noda, Brent Rooker, and Jonah Bride.

“I was scared at first,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter. “I felt like my hand was getting swollen. But I kept throwing those warm-up pitches, and it helped me. I felt better, so I figured that everything was OK.”

Sánchez’s hand swelled up more between innings, prompting the Phillies to send him for tests.

The fifth-starter spot will come back around next Friday or Saturday, depending on whether the Phillies decide to use a day off Monday to push it back. Either way, Thomson said Sánchez is in line to take that turn.

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If he’s healthy, why not? The Phillies aren’t asking a No. 5 starter for more than to keep them close. Bailey Falter didn’t do it enough and got demoted to triple A. Dylan Covey got blitzed in the first inning of his first start last month in Atlanta and hasn’t made another. A bullpen game every five days is unsustainable.

There’s always the trade deadline. But it’s seven weeks away, and the buyers are expected to far outweigh the sellers. The starting pitching market, in particular, will reflect that disparity.

So, the Phillies might as well see if Sánchez, spared serious injury, can build on four strong innings against the A’s.

“Very happy,” Sánchez said of his outing. “I’ve been working on that. To attack hitters early, I’ve been very focused on that.”

Pache began the 12th inning as the automatic runner at second base. With his speed, he almost certainly scores on a single. But hits with runners in scoring position were in short supply.

So, Pache tagged and slid safely into third on Edmundo Sosa’s fly ball to center field on a close play that was challenged by the A’s. The call was upheld, forcing the A’s to bring their infield in. Pache scored easily on Schwarber’s single to center field.

“As soon as that ball was hit, I was confident that I was going to be safe at third,” Pache said through a team interpreter.

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With Nick Castellanos sidelined by a stomach virus, infielder Kody Clemens got his first major league start in right field and made a nice grab on fly ball from Shea Langeliers in the third inning.

But Josh Harrison, also a natural infielder, hit for Clemens in the ninth inning, then made a costly error that nearly led to a run.

With one out and a runner on second base, Harrison couldn’t handle Tyler Wade’s sinking line drive to right field. With the go-ahead run on third, Craig Kimbrel struck out Jace Peterson and Langeliers to force extra innings.