Sandy Alcantara throws third complete game of season in Marlins’ shutout win vs Reds
In the first inning on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara was falling into the same patterns that had been hindering him recently.
His heart rate was elevated. He was breathing heavy, pitching too quick, trying to do too much. As a result, the bases quickly became loaded behind him with just one out.
But before any damage could be done, shortstop Miguel Rojas made a trip to the mound with a simple message.
“You need to relax a little bit,” Alcantara said. “And I did.”
Alcantara got out of the jam, with two groundballs hit straight back to him to end a 22-pitch opening frame.
He threw another 83 pitches before walking off the mound for a final time after firing off a complete-game shutout in the Marlins’ 3-0 win over the Reds at loanDepot park to avoid a series sweep. It is the Marlins’ first win at home since July 14, breaking a span of nine consecutive home losses. Miami improves to 48-57, while Cincinnati falls to 42-62.
After the final out was recorded, he got an ice water bath from Pablo Lopez and tipped his cap to the crowd as he retreated to the clubhouse.
After a couple shaky outings (by his standards) since the All-Star Break, Alcantara on Wednesday was back in peak form.
“I,” Alcantara said, “felt great.”
Wednesday was Alcantara’s MLB-leading third complete game of the season (also against the Atlanta Braves on May 22 and St. Louis Cardinals on June 29) and his first complete-game shutout of 2022.
But he had to maneuver around traffic early to get to that point.
Alcantara had the bases loaded in the first inning after giving up a leadoff single to Jonathan India, walking Mike Moustakas with one out and giving up an infield single to Joey Votto on a check swing down the first-base line.
The next two batters?
Donovan Solano tapped a sinker back to the mound and Alcantara fired to Jacob Stallings for the force out at home plate.
Aristides Aquino followed with another comebacker that Alcantara threw to Garrett Cooper to end the inning.
It took 22 pitches, but Alcantara averted the jam unscathed.
“To get out of that [first inning] was big,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I felt at that point, he was going to settle in and they were in for a full dose of Sandy.”
That they did.
The 26-year-old righty held the Reds to just six hits and a walk, with three of the seven baserunners coming in that opening frame. He only struck out three, but limited the Reds’ chances after that first inning. Only one Cincinnati hitter got into scoring position after that first inning when Solano and Aquino hit back-to-back one-out singles in the seventh. That threat was eliminated when Albert Almora Jr. hit into an inning-ending double play — the second Alcantara forced on the night.
Sixteen of the Reds’ 27 outs — including each of their final eight, starting with that seventh-inning double play — came via groundouts.
“When Sandy’s pitching, you’re always expecting something going into the ground,” Rojas said. “It’s been huge.”
Through 22 starts on the season, Alcantara leads MLB with 158 1/3 innings pitched and is is second in the majors with a 1.88 ERA. He has pitched nine innings on four separate occasions — the three complete games and an extra-inning win against the Washington Nationals.
But Wednesday in a sense was a needed reset start for Alcantara, who had allowed six runs over 11 innings in his first two starts after the All-Star Break — a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 24 and a loss to the New York Mets on July 29.
Alcantara said pitching only one inning in the All-Star Game got him out of rhythm upon his return, but he wasn’t worried that the struggles would fester. Eventually, sooner than later, Alcantara knew the results would return.
“This is like an elevator,” Alcantara said. “You’re going to have ups and downs. Just have to keep positive and keep competing.”
Jesus Aguilar hit a solo home run in the fourth to open scoring and Garrett Cooper, in his first game back from the injured list, hit a two-out, two-run double in the fifth that scored Luke Williams and Billy Hamilton. Williams had three hits and set a career-high with three stolen bases.
This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 8:52 PM.
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