PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As recently as two years ago, Cristopher Sánchez was a pitcher in transition, earning some major league time yet frequently shuttling between the Phillies and their Triple-A affiliate in the Lehigh Valley.
He also was trying to establish himself, at both levels, as a starting pitcher, one who now has not only has shown an affinity for pitching for length, but pitching as effectively as anyone in baseball.
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Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez reacts after the Phillies won a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez reacts after striking out Boston Red Sox's Rob Refsnyder during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The 28-year-old Sánchez showed his stuff again Tuesday night, pitching a four-hitter in a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 24th complete game in the majors this season. In the course of a 106-pitch gem, he allowed a fourth-inning home run to Rob Refsnyder and also struck out 12 and induced 13 ground-ball outs.
While becoming a regular starter only late in the 2023 season, Sánchez wiped away his early career inconsistency and was an All-Star last season, and probably should have been one this season, too. He is 9-2 with a 2.40 ERA and has gone six innings or more over his last nine consecutive outings.
“That just tells me that the work we’ve been doing since the offseason is working,” Sánchez said of his consistency. “And that’s something I take a lot of pride in.”
With a vulnerable bullpen and usual second-starter Aaron Nola suffering a bad season start before going down with an injury, Sánchez’s growth is something the Phillies desperately needed. He has responded with a cool demeanor and an arsenal that includes a high-90s fastball often tempered with a killer changeup.
“He has electric stuff,” Bryce Harper said of Sánchez after the Phillies improved to 58-43. “He’s done a great job for us. Just throws strikes. He’s kind of evolved into an ace for us.”
Sánchez also has an understanding with manager Rob Thomson — he isn’t usually a pitcher who asks to come out of a game. Hence, when Sanchez kicked into an unusual celebration after striking out Refsnyder for the second time in the game to end the eighth inning, it turned out this show still had an inning to go.
“No, I always wait for the manager to tell me I’m done,” Sánchez said. “I wait for him to come to me.”
Thomson went to his second ace starter after the eighth, “just to see if he was OK.
“He said, ‘No, I’m not tired, I’d tell you if I was tired,’” Thomson said. “So we sent him back out.”
It took only 10 pitches in the ninth for Sánchez to finish out his third career complete game. With it will come yet more recognition that this guy is on the list of potential National League Cy Young Award candidates.
That’s a long way from the hopeful pitcher splitting time between the minors and majors just a few seasons ago.
“That was very hard, but I never gave up,” Sánchez said. “I was staying strong, both mentally and physically, and I was always ready for the opportunity whenever it came.”
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Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez reacts after the Phillies won a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez reacts after striking out Boston Red Sox's Rob Refsnyder during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered on Wall Street Friday to kick off the new year as early gains led by technology stocks failed to hold up.
The S&P 500 rose 0.2% after shifting between small gains and losses throughout the morning. The benchmark index is coming off a gain of more than 16% in 2025.
The Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 289 points, or 0.6%, as of 2:32 p.m. Eastern.
Major indexes are closing a mostly tepid, shortened holiday week. Markets were closed Thursday for New Year’s Day.
Markets in Europe and Asia made strong gains. Indexes in Britain and South Korea hit records.
Technology stocks were steering the market, especially companies with a focus on artificial intelligence, continuing the trend that pushed the broader market to records in 2025.
Nvidia jumped 1.4% and was the biggest force trying to push the market higher. Broadcom rose 0.4%. But a 0.7% drop from Apple and a 2.4% fall for Microsoft helped to counter those gains.
Those technology companies are among the most valuable companies in the world and their outsized valuations give them more influence on the market's direction. That includes sometimes pushing the market up and down from hour to hour.
Technology companies have been a major focus because of advancements in artificial intelligence technology and the potential for growth within the sector. Wall Street has been betting that demand for computer chips and other items needed for data centers will help justify the big investments from technology companies and their pricey stock values.
Tesla fell 2.6% after reporting falling sales for a second year in a row.
Furniture gained ground following President Donald Trump's move to delay increased tariffs on upholstered furniture. RH rose 9.5% and Wayfair rose 6.3%.
E-commerce giant Alibaba climbed 4.3% and Baidu, maker of the Ernie chatbot, jumped 9.4% in Hong Kong after it said it plans to spin off its AI computer chip unit Kunlunxin, which would list shares in Hong Kong early in 2027. The plan is subject to regulatory approvals.
Crude oil prices were mostly stable. Prices for U.S. crude oil fell 0.1% to $57.38 per barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 0.1% to $60.77 per barrel.
The price of gold fell 0.2%.
Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.19% from 4.17% late Wednesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which moves more closely with expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, held at 3.48% from late Wednesday.
Wall Street will move past the mostly quiet holiday season after Friday. The first full week of the new year will include several closely watched economic updates. They will also be some of the last big updates the Fed sees before its next meeting at the end of January.
Next week will feature private reports on the status of the services sector, which is the largest part of the U.S. economy, along with consumer sentiment. Government reports on the job market will also be released. They will all help paint a clearer picture of how various parts of the U.S. economy closed out 2025 and where it might be headed in 2026.
The Fed has had a more difficult task because of the complex shifts within the economy. It cut interest rates three times toward the end of 2025, partly to help counter a weakening jobs market. But inflation remains above its target rate of 2% and cutting interest rates could add more fuel to rising prices. Consumers have already expressed more caution amid the squeeze from stubborn inflation and the U.S. trade war with much of the world has added more uncertainty.
The Fed has already signaled concern and caution. Wall Street is betting that the central bank will hold its benchmark interest rate steady at its January meeting.
AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.
Trader Jonathan Mueller works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Specialists Patrick King, left, and Douglas Johnson work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Trader Vincent Napolitano, foreground, works with colleagues on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Trader Fred Demarco works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Trader Jonathan Mueller works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Trader Michael Capolino works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A screen shows the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) as participants applaud during the opening ceremony of the 2026 trading year at the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Dancers in traditional costumes perform to celebrate the opening for the 2026 trading year outside of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A worker walks near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) after the opening ceremony of the 2026 trading year at the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korean financial officers celebrate the opening for the 2026 trading year outside of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Dancers in a bull-shaped costume perform to celebrate the opening for the 2026 trading year outside of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
