SAN DIEGO -- Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez extended his scoreless innings streak to 44⅔ innings on Wednesday to set the Phillies franchise record by passing Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Sánchez reached the milestone by getting through the four full innings he needed to pass Alexander, who had a 41-inning scoreless streak in 1911. This record is since 1893, when the mound was moved to its current distance.
Sánchez kept going through three more scoreless innings before leaving after throwing 100 pitches. He allowed six hits, struck out nine and walked none, becoming the second player after Chris Sale in 2018 with 45 strikeouts and 0 runs allowed over a five-game span.
Sánchez left with a 2-0 lead, pumping his fists after striking out pinch-hitter Ty France to end the seventh.
The Phillies would go on to win 3-0 for their seventh shutout in the month of May -- their most in a month since July 1951, when they had eight.
There was a heart-stopping moment, though, as Manny Machado lifted a fly ball to left that Edmundo Sosa caught just in front of the wall leading off the fourth. Sánchez struck out Xander Bogaerts, Ramon Laureano doubled to left and then the lefty got Jackson Merrill to ground out to second base to set the record.
Machado had homered in Tuesday night's 4-3 Phillies win.
The Padres stranded runners in scoring position in the first and second innings, and Gavin Sheets lifted a fly ball just in front of the warning track in right to end the third.
The 29-year-old Sánchez came in with a 5-2 record and 1.62 ERA.
The streak dates back to the second inning of the first game of a doubleheader against San Francisco on April 30.
Sánchez became the sixth pitcher since 1893 to throw seven or more innings and allow 0 runs in five straight starts, joining Orel Hershiser (six straight in 1988), Don Drysdale (six straight in 1968), Brandon Webb (five straight in 2007), Bob Gibson (five straight in 1968) and Doc White (five straight in 1904).
Sánchez's start Wednesday lined up perfectly against a Padres offense that is struggling. San Diego went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position in a 3-0 loss in the series opener on Monday night and then 0-for-2 in Tuesday night's loss.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.