Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies Game 1st Highlights | July 20,2026 - MLB

Think about Christopher Sanchez. Except tonight when he's dealing with his own Dodgers and Otani. He swings the first one and misses. That pitch was a sinker. It was down. So much for being patient at the plate. That was a ball that was way out of the zone but Otani swung at it. Four for ten against Sanchez. Good numbers and a 290 average to get things rolling. Down successful. That's Christopher Sanchez's game. Anything that's middle up it's not done on purpose for Christopher but right now on point with the first two pitches of the game. So the numbers Otani both hitting and pitching was a great year on the mound but that's going to be delayed and now 0-2 and working ahead and he gets him to chase. Throwing a slider there. Defensively last year and now the whole package. And he swings it one down. That is four pitches and four strikes. And has any pitch they're coming out swinging. I hadn't seen one. Pajes was elected to his first All-Star game of course made that incredible catch to save the World Series against the Blue Jays. He is really good against the changeup and not there. Another one and that's back to back for Sanchez. I mean a rare over 1,000 OPS against changeups Andy Pajes. But Sanchez has thrown five pitches they've swung at all of them. Number in the upper left shows you how effective he has been on an 0-2. And with the great year that Andy Pajes had All-Star he has struggled his first at bat all season long. A guy who likes to get his timing and really settle in as the game goes. His numbers just continue to skyrocket each every each and every at bat. Billy's defense especially in the infield hasn't been great with Bohm and Turner on the left side. Bryson Stott and Bryce Harper on the right. Swing and a miss and not even close to a pitch in the zone man. That's a slider. He hits third for L.A. tonight. He takes one and that's the first one somebody took that was way out of the zone. Dead red high ball hitter. Sanchez living down in the zone. Rolls one foul. So I guess a really good start for Philly fans. There was a little concern. All-Star game I think he set aside but there was a start a couple of games ago against Kansas City. He laid an egg and there's just been some anxiety around Sanchez and they hope that this is going to continue for a long stretch tonight to get that belief back in him. That ball is smoked in and it's going to go hooking foul but he was all over a high fastball. That's the problem you can't go up there with Tommy Edmonds. He's one of the best. Barehanded. And that one got Tommy Edmonds. So Sanchez has thrown the ball off the plate his last DSA. Yeah he is going to say go ahead. Get all in and absorb the experience and that's exactly what Sanchez was doing but another tough test in Freddie Freeman. That one is also off the plate not by much at 87 to Freeman a good hitter against lefties. Double digits as far as All-Star selections. Boehm is off the line and of course Freddie Freeman makes a living going the other way. Philly's dugout. Two quick outs. Now Freeman the other way in a left field on a hard line. He is that first base and just like that and some of the concerns around Sanchez this feels like a very big plate appearance for Mookie Betts with two on and two down in the first. They don't want Sanchez to settle. The Phillies want him to get out of this thing. Betts on the ground fielded Turner bobbles fire and that at bat was big and it looms even larger with the error for Miguel Rojas way outside after that meeting as Caleb Coffin tries to settle it down. So this is where you have to turn the page if you're Christopher Sanchez and pick up your shortstop. Have to be aggressive get Rojas how down in the zone. Cannot mess up right here with the bases loaded. Hitter with runners in scoring position. Swing and a miss. Good change up there. Looks a little bit like a slider. It seems to have that horizontal movement on as much as it does down. He does a good job getting on top of that. You really don't know which way that pitch is going sometimes. Really sells it with the arm speed. Two strikeouts seemed like 20 minutes ago to start this game. Rojas will not offer. And that's during the all-star game that's where he was messing with the change up away out of the zone non-competitive pitches. Has to get right back and trust it down the middle so he can dive out of the zone. Sanchez on a 2-1 with two down and it's three balls and a strike from Christopher Sanchez. Dave Roberts was sharing a story with us just about how you never know. Big pitch early here. And a chopper to Turner. He's going to charge and just step on the bag. There's not a man with it. And here it comes from Sheehan and Turner was all over it and that's redemption. He goes to the gap but Turner's speed has him in there in a second and he jumped rocked by that double. And then the next pitch is in there it's a curveball. He will throw a four seam slider change in curveball. The four seam fastball which we just saw and then that curveball slider about 30 percent of the time. Really good one there. Tight change up. Really leans on that slider late in the count. Almost a 40 percent swing and miss rate on the slider. Yeah. Through 101 pitches his last start most of his career ahead of Schwarzer 0-2 with Turner a good base runner at second. That was a chase pitch right there designated to be thrown up in the zone perfectly. Went back up. If you see a hitter like Schwarzer in chase mode there is that why that next pitch stays up there? Maybe he'll do it again? Trying to expand up change the eye level. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a backfoot slider. Right here. 39.1 whiff rate on it percentage wise. Nope. He lays off of it and Schwarzer terrific with that eye. He will strike out a lot a little out of homers. He's also got a 21 game on base streak which is currently the longest active mark in baseball. 372 career homers. Way inside. Boy that one got him. Schwarzer is going to go. Turner is going to go back or so minutes. Base is loaded after an error and the Dodgers can't score and now first and second for Harper. He takes one up. Sheehan's control is not yet there. For Harper 383 career homers which is just one ahead of Freddie Freeman as they will both get to 400 and beyond. Harper kills fastballs. So you spin one in there a slider. It's one and one. It seems like they got our scouting report. Dodgers defense. 20 homers this year and he takes another one that's way off with a changeup. Okay so that right there is four consecutive changeups that he's not been able to land first strike. He's only thrown one first strike. That was the first one he threw. Hitters have to be aware especially left-handed hitters. For 300 with runners in scoring position. Got one there and he rifled through it but it's by him. That 94. He finally gets one by Harper. What will he throw on a 3-2. Off speed. Harper lifts one to left. That's where Teoscar Hernandez is. He backs up. Turner will go about a quarter of the way and then turn around. And a big out of Bryce. The fastball through the 3-1. I was expecting fireworks if he threw another heater. Boehm is their best hitter with runners in scoring position. An 881 OPS but the pitch there is high. Reduction in strikeouts. His launch angle is a little lower this year. Sheehan steps off like that. Yeah but Alec has the ability that as the count gets deeper he then opens up the field more to the other way and starts taking that ball the other way when he's doing well. Right in on his fist. Sawed it off. It's not a team defensively that makes a lot of errors. They also don't trust in baseball. Good take there. I know Boehm has not had a great season number-wise but leading the team with an 881 OPS with runners in scoring position. So this is the guy you want up right now early in this game for the Philadelphia Phillies. Tom Brushing is catching tonight. There is some concern about Will Smith though Buster will update us in a little bit. News appears to be somewhat encouraging. Sheehan on a 2-2 and Boehm spoils that. Really been able to change speeds with that slider so far Eddie. Anywhere from 83 to 88. Manipulate that thing to towards the hole. What a play over there inside.