Marlins get quality start from Alcantara, but bullpen falters in loss to Giants
Starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara put the Miami Marlins in position to continue their winning ways, but the bullpen couldn’t complete the job.
The San Francisco Giants (22-33) scored each of their three runs over the seventh and eighth innings to defeat the Marlins 3-1 on Thursday afternoon at Marlins Park. Miami (19-35), which has won nine of its last 13 games, still won the series 2-1.
“Once you’ve gotten two [games], you don’t feel great about this one because we just didn’t do enough to win it,” manager Don Mattingly said about missing out on the Marlins’ third series sweep of the month. “It’s kind of that day game you’re seeing these days. Just not a lot of juice either side and it’s a different kind of game. But obviously, I’m disappointed we didn’t win today.”
After Alcantara exited the game following six scoreless innings with the Marlins ahead 1-0, Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-tying RBI single in the seventh off reliever Tayron Guerrero.
Then Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford crushed a two-run ground-rule double off left-hander Wei-Yin Chen in the eighth — runs that were charged to Adam Conley — to give San Francisco a 3-1 advantage.
In total, the Marlins’ bullpen (Guerrero, Conley, Austin Brice and Chen) allowed three runs on four hits and walked three in three innings Thursday.
Alcantara received a no-decision because of the bullpen’s struggles, but he was solid Thursday. The 23-year-old right-hander turned in a quality start on the mound and drove in the team’s only run with his bat.
While control was a bit of an issue as Alcantara walked five and hit a batter, he was still able to notch his third scoreless start of the season. He allowed just two hits and struck out three in six shutout innings.
“It wasn’t Sandy’s best stuff,” Mattingly said. “But he hung in there. He didn’t give up any runs, he got himself out of trouble. The way he hung in there, it definitely was a day that seemed like a battle for him all day long.”
Alcantara now has a 1.36 ERA in five day starts this season.
Alcantara also helped the Marlins with a two-out RBI single off right-hander Tyler Beede in the second inning, making the Giants pay for intentionally walking Bryan Holaday with first base open to get to him. Alcantara has now recorded a hit in three of his last four starts.
The Marlins now embark on a six-game trip that begins Friday in San Diego. After a three-game series against the San Diego Padres, the Marlins will close the trip with a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
ROSTER MOVES
The Marlins announced prior to Thursday’s loss they optioned right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernandez to Triple A New Orleans and recalled right-handed pitcher Jeff Brigham from New Orleans. It marks Brigham’s first stint in the Majors this season after starting the year in Triple A.
Brigham, 27, was a September call-up last season who served as part of the Marlins’ six-man rotation over the final month. In his first Major League action, he was 0-4 with a 6.06 ERA in four starts during that stretch.
But Brigham has since moved to a bullpen role with New Orleans, posting an impressive 1.13 ERA while allowing just four hits and striking out 19 batters in 16 innings of work this season.
Mattingly said the move was made because Brigham has “been throwing the ball good” in Triple A. But it was also made to keep Hernandez, who had a 1.07 ERA in eight starts with New Orleans before being recalled by the Marlins earlier this month, on the right developmental track.
“On the backside of that move is Elieser, keeping him starting,” Mattingly said. “He came to protect us for a couple of days there where our bullpen was getting back in order and we had been able to do that. But we want to keep him starting. He’s been throwing the ball good down there. We don’t want to get him here and let him sit around for 10 days, pitch one inning here and there. That’s not the right thing for him or for us.”
The Marlins also announced Isaac Galloway cleared waivers on Wednesday and accepted outright assignment to New Orleans.
▪ Marlins infielder Neil Walker suffered a right quad strain during Thursday’s game against the Giants. He is day-to-day with the injury.
This story was originally published May 30, 2019 at 4:16 PM.
