"Shohei Ohtani got nothing on this guy" - Phillies fans rally behind their NLDS Game 1 starter against the Dodgers

Having won the NL East for the second season in a row, the Philadelphia Phillies also managed to clinch one of the top two seeds in the NL. As a result, they earned themselves direct entry into the NLDS, where they will be taking on last year's World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For game one, which will take place at Citizen's Bank Park on Saturday, Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to take the mound for the visitors.

As the Phillies announced via X on Friday, lefty Cristopher Sanchez will be Ohtani's counterpart for the series opener.

"Starting the series with Sanchie" the post read

Reacting to the news, plenty of Phillies fans left comments rallying behind Sanchez.

"Ohtani got nothing on this guy" a fan wrote

"Let's Go, Phils!!! Power thoughts, baby!!! Ohtani who?? 😁⚾️" another fan commented

"Ohtani can learn a thing or two from ACE" another fan replied

"Cris gonna be lights out tomorrow! I believe!" another fan responded

"He's going to lead us to the promised land." another fan shared

"Cychez" another fan posted

Cristopher Sanchez has well and truly picked up the mantle for the Phillies in ace Zack Wheeler's absence

Since arriving in Philadelphia in December 2019, starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has consistently been one of the best in the business. Finishing second in NL Cy Young award voting behind Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale in 2024, Zack Wheeler began the current season just as he had finished the last.

After enjoying a fantastic first half, Wheeler earned himself his third career All-Star selection, and it looked like he would be one of the frontrunners for the Cy Young award once again, alongside Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

However, in mid-August, Zack Wheeler was suddenly placed on the IL after a right upper extremity blood clot was discovered near his right shoulder. Upon further examination, Wheeler was diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome. This required him to undergo surgery, effectively ending his season prematurely.

For Phillies fans, who were dreaming of glory in the postseason, losing their ace at such an inopportune time was huge blow.

Minnesota Twins v Philadelphia Phillies - Source: Getty

In his absence, however, Cristopher Sanchez has well and truly picked up the mantle. Finishing the regular season with a 13-5 record, along with a 2.50 ERA and 212 strikouts, Sanchez has been fantastic in the second half of the season.

For all intents and purposes, the 28-year-old is now his team's 'stand-in ace' for the postseason.

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Raghav Mehta