The Phillies' best pitcher will be tasked with helping save their season on Sunday – NBC Sports Philadelphia

One might think that nothing could be more exciting for Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez than starting Sunday's Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Mets. Especially considering that at this point a year ago, the organization didn't really know what to make of him.

You're wrong.

Don't get the wrong impression. The 27-year-old is all-in and will face Mets right-hander Luis Severino in the match at 4:08 p.m. While it can be difficult to remember, especially this time of year, there are some things in this life that are more important than a baseball game. Like having a baby. What his wife Kaimary Perez did on Monday.

“I think there's nothing better than coming home to my kid right now,” he said through translator Diego D'Aniello in the interview room at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday before the first pitch of Game 1. “I just spend time with him, holding him every 5 minutes. Just being all around him, all over him. It’s something I just can’t describe at the moment.”

Baby Cris will one day hear the story of how his father went and made the pitch just six days after welcoming him into the world. The details have yet to be written, but Pops is committed to creating a fairytale story. This is even more true since the Phillies were defeated 2-6 in the opening game and now face an uphill battle for promotion in the best-of-five series.

To that end, he's trying to keep everything as normal as possible during this absurdly unusual week.

He hasn't pitched against the Cubs since September 25th. The baby was born on September 29th. Somehow, however, the pieces came together neatly.

“It all happened in perfect timing,” said Sanchez (11-9, 3.32 in the regular season). “I was able to go to the hospital, meet my child and my wife and spend two days with them in the hospital. Everything is normal for me. The next day I just came (to the bench), did my pitching program, had a bullpen session and everything was normal for me. Fortunately.”

The reason Sanchez will start Game 2 ahead of veteran Aaron Nola, who will start Game 3, is well-documented. His home earned run average this season was 2.21, fifth best in baseball. His ERA of 5.02 on the road was fifth worst.

After a year in which he signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension, was named NL Pitcher of the Month in June, made his first All-Star team and was with his wife when she had her baby, there's no reason for him to do that anymore. I doubt that the universe is evolving exactly as it should, according to the words of the Desiderata.

Meanwhile, Severino allows the Mets to restore some semblance of order to a rotation that was thrown off balance by a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday, followed by three wild-card games in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he believed Severino (11-7, 3.91) showed some signs of fatigue late in the season. The 30-year-old right-hander shrugged.

“I think everyone is tired in October,” he said in the interview room. “So it's nothing new. I feel really good at the moment. A few more starts won't be a big deal. The speed is there, the movement is still there. For some reason I keep having these weird innings that take me through over a hundred pitches. But I feel good.”

It can only help that he will now try to give his team a commanding 2-0 lead.

“I think in the end it’s not about who the best team is,” he continued. “Whatever team is (hot). I think we are in this moment right now. We won a game that no one thought we would win (to advance). I would say we have a chip on our shoulder. We will go out there and fight until the end. We weren't the favorite to get into the playoffs and we weren't the favorite to win.

“We know that. We will compete every day.”

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | Youtube music | Spotify | stapler | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube