It is easy to see why fans go back and forth about which Nationals pitcher should start the upcoming wild card game Tuesday night. Max Scherzer? Most likely. Stephen Strasburg? Solid choice. Patrick Corbin? Very effective. But Aníbal Sánchez has also demonstrated he can keep the score down and go long into games. The right-hander did that again Wednesday night with seven strong innings in the Nats' 5-2 win over the Phillies. The Nats have won nine of their last 10 games against the...

It is easy to see why fans go back and forth about which Nationals pitcher should start the upcoming wild card game Tuesday night.

Max Scherzer? Most likely.

Stephen Strasburg? Solid choice.

Patrick Corbin? Very effective.

But Aníbal Sánchez has also demonstrated he can keep the score down and go long into games. The right-hander did that again Wednesday night with seven strong innings in the Nats' 5-2 win over the Phillies.

The Nats have won nine of their last 10 games against the Phillies, needing a win Thursday for a rare five-game series sweep. Washington has gone 70-38 (.648) since late May, around the time Sánchez was on the injured list with a hamstring issue.

Sánchez (11-8) allowed only two runs on six hits over seven innings for the win, with no walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 90 pitches, 60 for strikes.

"I've said it all along, everybody talks about the big three, (but) we have a big four," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "We really do. I've said that ever since he came back off the IL, he's been really, really good and today's no different."

Sanchez went to the injured list in the middle of May with a left hamstring strain. Up to that point, he had struggled to an 0-6 record with a 5.10 ERA in nine starts. But upon his return, he pitched like he did for the 2018 Braves.

With Wednesday's win, Sánchez has won 11 of his last 13 decisions, sporting a 1.13 WHIP and 3.42 ERA.

"For me, especially in my long career, I always say that if you're healthy, you can change," Sánchez said. "I did, I showed that I can still pitch at this level and pitch at this time of the year. I feel good with that. I never get down with the (struggles) early in the season. I just kept forward to maintain the team in the really good position and right now we are in that position and I helped the team."

In the seventh inning, Brad Miller launched a solo shot to put the Phillies ahead 2-1. After a pair of groundouts, Scott Kingery singled and stole second and then third. Facing Andrew Knapp, Sánchez threw his changeup, his four-seam fastball, his changeup again, a cutter and then the changeup one more time for the strikeout.

"When he keeps the ball in the strike zone, he's really effective," Martinez said. "He can throw every pitch for strikes. You don't know what he's going to throw. He threw an unbelievable changeup 3-2 to Knapp to get out of an inning, but when he's pounding that strike zone, he's good."

Brian Dozier's solo homer in the eighth added to the Nats late lead. He remembers facing Sánchez in years past and has seen the right-hander bounce back after early struggles before.

"I've faced Sanchie for eight straight years now," Dozier said. "He always finds a way, if he doesn't have his best stuff, he's a guy that tries to find what's working for him that day that week that month, whatever it is.

"Yeah, he got off to a shaky start but it didn't faze me by any means. I'm seen him get off to some rough starts throughout his career and you look up and he's got a 3.5 or 3 (ERA), I think he's got a 3.8 or something (3.85 ERA), but he's one of our horses. And he pitched like it tonight."

If Sánchez can continue this recent trend - three wins in a row - fans from other playoff teams will be just as worried about which one of the Nats big four they will have to face next.