Photo: Webster Riddick

Christopher Sanchez’s masterful pitching performance, homeruns from Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm, and the big-league debut of Justin Crawford all led to a home opening win for the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

By Chris Murray

For the Philadelphia Sunday SUN

Although it’s way too early in the 2026 season to start thinking about Cy Young or MVP awards, Christopher Sanchez’s season-opening performance on the mound against the Texas Rangers in the Philadelphia Phillies season opener will start that conversation again.

Christopher Sanchez turns in an impressive 10 strikeouts on three hits and zero runs. Photo: Webster Riddick

In the Phillies’ 5-3 win over the Rangers, Sanchez put on a dominant performance in front of a sellout crowd of 44,610 at Citizen’s Bank Park.

In six innings on the mound, the Phillies left-hander had 10 strikeouts on three hits and zero runs. He kept Rangers’ hitters off-balance by effectively mixing his breaking ball with his sinker.

“(Sanchez) was efficient, getting ahead in the count, his changeup was falling off the table, found the (strike) zone and it was a lot of soft contact, 10 strikeouts, no walks,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “It keeps getting better as the game goes on and it usually gets better the third time through. It has more volume to it as he gets more fatigued.”

Sanchez is the first Phillies pitcher to have a double-digit strikeout performance on opening day since Curt Schilling struck out 11 in the 1997 opener.

If Sanchez, who finished second to Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes for the National League Cy Young Award in 2025, can consistently have performances like this all year, he will be in that conversation again, if he’s not there already. He said that he always working on ways to improve his game on the mound.

Bryce Harper congratulates Sanchez. Photo: Webster Riddick

“I’m always working on something,” Sanchez said through an interpreter. “If it’s something with my body, or if it’s something with my pitching, I’m always looking for something to improve and that’s the case of just working.”

Thomson said he is already seeing Sanchez getting better so far this season.

“So far he’s been pretty good — I’m talking about spring training and the World Baseball Classic,” Thomson said. “His confidence just gets better and better and higher and higher. So, who knows where it goes?”

The Phillies offense got things going in the first inning when they took a 2-0 lead on a two-run homer by designated hitter Kyle Schwarber that drove home shortstop Trea Turner, who had reached base on an infield single to start the inning.

Third baseman Alec Bohm increased the Phillies lead to 5-0 with a three-run opposite field home run to right that scored Turner and rookie centerfielder Justin Crawford, who reached base on singles in his first two major league at bats. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Adolis Garcia controls the outfielder. Photo: Webster Riddick

Crawford, who had several family members including his former MLB All-Star father Carl, on hand to watch his major league debut, said he was just happy to find something that he could hit.

“I was just looking for something to put a good swing on,” Crawford said. “I wasn’t trying to wait around, so I was trying to put a swing on something and thankfully, I was able to find a hole.”’

Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, who allowed five runs on eight hits, was replaced by left-handed relief pitcher Jalen Beeks.

For the all the good things the Phillies did on opening day against the Rangers, the game wasn’t completely free of some of the frustrations Phillies fans dealt with last season, most notably the bullpen.

In the Rangers 9th inning, first baseman Jake Burger hit a two-run homer to left center off Phillies left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus to cut the lead to Phillies lead to 5-2.

Pinch hitter Kyle Higashioka singled to center and was then moved to third when Rangers third baseman Josh Jung grounded out to Bryson Stott, who threw to Bryce Harper at first base. When Harper attempted to get the double play at second, the ball sailed into right field.

Backhus was replaced by Phils closer Jhoan Duran, who struck out Rangers’ pinch hitter Ezequiel Duran, who was hitting for Rangers second baseman Josh Smith.

But then Rangers catcher Danny Jackson singled to center to drive home Higashioka for the Rangers final run of the game. Duran retired pinch-hitter Evan Carter to end the game.

The Phillies continue their series with the Rangers this weekend at Citizens Bank Park.