PHILADELPHIA — Cristopher Sánchez is friends with fellow Dominican Republic native Marcell Ozuna, so it was only natural they trash talked each other before their most recent game.The Pirates’ designated hitter told Sánchez he would take him deep.Sánchez instead struck him out — four times, and the Phillies’ ace struck out 13 overall in the May 16 shutout victory. “That wasn’t a very good idea to piss him off,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said with a laugh.Using an elite sinker-slider-changeup mix that has made him one of the best pitchers in baseball, Sánchez had his way with just about every batter in a sensational scoreless May.Sánchez went 4-0 and struck out 45 — with only three walks — over 39 innings in May and broke a 115-year-old franchise record along the way. Sánchez has pitched 44 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings headed into Wednesday’s start against San Diego to top the mark of 41 innings set in 1911 by Grover Cleveland Alexander.Up ahead, a shot at the major league record held by former Los Angeles Dodgers great Orel Hershiser, who threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings for the World Series champions from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28, 1988.“I’m pulling for anybody to have a life-changing moment,” Hershiser said. “’88 and the 59 scoreless changed my life. The only time I’m not going to root for him is when he’s pitching against the Dodgers.”Sánchez missed the Dodgers’ series during the Phillies 4-2 road trip, and they are now 21-10 under interim manager Don Mattingly.He hasn’t missed much else, except maybe a lot of bats.“It’s something special,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “Something really important. I never imagined something like this. So, I’m really happy and proud of myself.”Sánchez has thrown at least seven shutout innings in five straight starts — he would need to reach that minimum in two more starts, plus one inning to top Hershiser — and only six other pitchers are ahead of him on the consecutive shutout innings list dating back to the start of the Live Ball Era in 1920.Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen is the only other active pitcher who understands what Sánchez is feeling on the mound over a lengthy scoreless str …
