Sandy Alcantara shelled as Miami Marlins blown out by Philadelphia Phillies
Sandy Alcantara looked like he had found his form again after giving up a leadoff home run to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jake Cave in the third inning. The Miami Marlins’ ace quickly retired the next two batters he faced, getting Kody Clemens to fly out to right and striking out Garrett Stubbs on a combined six pitches.
Unfortunately for Alcantara, the real trouble was about to begin.
Six consecutive Phillies batters reached base. Four of them scored. Alcantara would need 37 pitches to finally get out of the frame.
It set the stage for Alcantara’s worst performance in almost two years.
And it set the stage for a 15-3 Marlins blowout loss to the Phillies on Monday to begin a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. Miami falls to 4-7. Philadelphia improves to 4-6.
Overall, Alcantara was charged with nine runs allowed on 10 hits and a walk while striking out four. Manager Skip Schumaker took Alcantara out after Alcantara gave up four consecutive hits in the fifth without recording an out in the frame.
It’s three more runs than he allowed in any start during his Cy Young Award-winning season last year and the second-most runs Alcantara has given up in a game, behind only the 10 he gave up in a 3 2/3-inning start against the Colorado Rockis on Aug. 6, 2021.
The 10 hits were also one shy of tying a career-high. He gave up 11 hits on April 12, 2019, against the Phillies.
“It just shows that he’s human,” Schumaker said.
And the trouble all started with that four-run rally with two outs in the third. Here’s how all that unfolded:
▪ Bryson Stott hit a middle-away changeup to center field for a single. Stott then stole second base.
▪ Trea Turner, after fouling off two pitches, hit a low-and-away slider to right field for an RBI single. Turner then stole second base.
▪ Kyle Schwarber drew a five-pitch walk, which prompted Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. to make a mound visit.
▪ Nick Castellanos sent a middle-in changeup to left field for an RBI double.
▪ Alec Bohm sent a middle-down changeup to left for a two-run single.
▪ And Brandon Marsh capped the hitting spree with a double to left on a first-pitch four-seam fastball before Cave, who led off the inning with a home run, grounded out to second base to end the frame.
“They came aggressive against me in the third inning,” Alcantara said. “I just want to be outside and throw strikes. They took advantage.”
After a nine-pitch fourth inning, Alcantara gave up four consecutive singles to Turner, Schwarber, Castellanos and Bohm before Schumaker took Alcantara out of the game.
“I just get frustrated,” Alcantara said.
Devin Smeltzer carried the rest of the pitching load from there, tossing four innings and giving up six runs (five earned) and allowing another 10 hits.
Yuli Gurriel broke up the Marlins’ shutout with a solo home run to left in the seventh to start a three-run inning.
This story was originally published April 10, 2023 at 9:12 PM.
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