Key keywords: Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, 2024 MLB regular season, Phillies losing streak, series finale, Phillies offensive slump, National League wild card race Cristopher Sánchez will take the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon as the club aims to snap a seven-game losing streak in the finale of their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies entered the week holding a comfortable 4.5-game lead in the National League wild card standings, but their recent skid has cut that lead to just 1.5 games over the surging Miami Marlins, adding urgent stakes to the series finale against a Cubs team that is also fighting for a postseason spot. Sánchez, who has posted a 3.24 ERA over his last six starts, has emerged as one of the Phillies’ most reliable arms in the second half of the 2024 regular season, with his signature sinker generating a 58% groundball rate that has helped limit hard contact against some of the league’s top lineups. Phillies manager Rob Thomson confirmed Tuesday that Sánchez would get the ball in the finale, noting that the left-hander’s track record against the Cubs — he held them to one run over six innings in a start earlier this season — made him the ideal candidate to end the team’s lengthy spiral. The Phillies’ struggles over the last week have been driven primarily by a historic offensive slump: the team has scored just 10 total runs over their last seven games, with star slugger Bryce Harper hitting just .136 with no extra-base hits during that stretch. The club has also committed nine defensive errors in their last five games, leading to seven unearned runs that have turned close contests into blowouts. For the Cubs, who have won four of their last five games, rookie left-hander Jordan Wicks will get the start, looking to secure a series sweep that would push them within one game of the final National League wild card spot. Wicks has posted a 2.87 ERA over his last eight starts, with a strong mix of offspeed pitches that has flummoxed left-handed hitters all season. The series finale will also mark the return of former Philadelphia local college standout Nico Hoerner to Citizens Bank Park, adding an extra narrative layer to the high-stakes matchup. Fans and analysts alike have framed the game as a potential turning point for both clubs: a Phillies win would stop their skid and stabilize their wild card position, while a Cubs sweep would give them clear momentum heading into the final three weeks of the regular season.