The right move for all the same reasons
Rob Thomson has confirmed what many of us had thought would happen once the NLDS was announced.
Rob Thomson says that Cris Sanchez will start Game 2.
— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) October 4, 2024
There was at some hint that this was going to be the move once the Phillies’ opponent was determined. Matt Gelb wrote about this this morning while getting some quotes from Thomson in the process.
“You got a guy in Nola, he’s calm and cool,” Thomson said. “It doesn’t matter where he’s pitching. So I think a lot of those things are in play. They’re things to have a conversation about. We’ll try to come up with a collective decision.”
There are no slights to either player here, even if one tries to insinuate one. Both pitchers are more than capable of pitching in, and thriving on, road games in New York. But there is only so much data that one can ignore before some jump out.
First are the splits Sanchez has at home and on the road.
2024 home: 17 GS, 110 IP, 2.21 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, .544 OPS allowed
2024 road: 14 GS, 71 2⁄3 IP, 5.02 ERA, 1.66 ERA, .813 OPS allowed
I mean, folks…
These are things that cannot be ignored. Though Sanchez would be a fine choice to start a game on the road, there is no denying that the comfort level he possesses at home is much, much greater. Just look at those numbers! His ERA is almost three runs lower when toeing the rubber at Citizens Bank Park!
Nola has shown over his career that he can succeed at Citi Field no matter the construct of the Mets’ roster (14 GS, 85 IP, 3.28 ERA, .640 OPS career at Citi Field). It’s a lucky thing that the team has someone like Nola who has the constitution to handle a game not only on the road, but in the cauldron of noise the Mets’ stadium promises to be next week.
It’s the right move, one I’ll assume was discussed at length between all parties involved.