PHILADELPHIA — Cristopher Sánchez thought it was over as he walked from the mound to the dugout at Citizens Bank Park. The fans who sat through a scoreless game played in chilly and rainy conditions recognized the moment. On the scoreboard, it acknowledged Sánchez’s place in Phillies history: He had passed Cliff Lee to author the second-longest scoreless streak since the current mound distance was set in 1893.“I had a feeling,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter.Interim manager Don Mattingly shook his starter’s hand. Sánchez has not allowed a run in 37 2/3 innings, the longest streak for a Phillies pitcher since 1911. They still lost the game, 1-0, because the lineup has produced a total of five runs during this three-game losing streak that has nudged the Phillies (25-26) back under .500.Doubts about the Phillies will linger, especially as they face a higher-caliber opponent; they have two more games (weather permitting) against the Cleveland Guardians before a California trip to see the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.Right now, at least, the Phillies can make a convincing argument they possess the best pitcher in baseball.“I’ve never felt like this,” Sánchez said. “The way that the mechanics are feeling and the way my body is feeling, I don’t think it’s something I’ve felt like before. I feel grateful.”Sánchez’s outing, on the surface level, was impressive. He followed a shutout in Pittsburgh with eight innings in which Cleveland never put a runner in scoring position. He has a 1.62 ERA. He is a superstar.But there was something deeper about his latest work, the proof that Sánchez is tapping into another level that did not seem possible. His transformation from fringe big-league starter into one of the dominant lefties in the sport has been powered by an elite changeup paired with a precise sinker. He’s toyed with a third pitch — a slider, then a cutter, then a refined slider in 2026 with more bite.