Marlins milestones within reach after Alcantara delivers another strong start

There are few pitchers in Major League Baseball more reliable than Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins’ sole Cy Young award winner, is the cornerstone of the pitching staff. When the franchise needs a boost, Alcantara has been the answer.

Going into Sunday, the question was simple. Could Alcantara win the weekend series against the Rays and put Miami two games back of third place in the NL East?

And once again, he answered the call.

Two innings in? Two hits allowed. Three strikeouts. Then the third inning showed a little hope for the Rays. Yandy Díaz lines an RBI single to center. Taylor Walls scores.

That was it. Their only run. The innings came and went. Fast.

The end result? One of Alcantara’s best performances of the season. Seven innings in his ninth quality start this year. Five hits. Seven strikeouts. One walk. Ninety pitches, fifty-eight strikes. ERA down to 4.33.

The win also moved him up the Marlins’ record book.

Not that he was just happy to beat the Rays. With the win, Alcantara earned his 57th career win to move past Josh Johnson into sole possession of third place on the franchise’s all-time wins list. With only Dontrelle Willis (68) and Ricky Nolasco (81) up next.

Additionally, with five more K’s and Alcantara joins the Marlins’ 1,000-strikeout club.

“I think it’s a lot of strikeouts,” Alcantara said in Spanish. “I thought I should’ve gotten there a long time ago, but the injury held me back. One thousand strikeouts are coming up, and I’m excited. Hopefully I can stay healthy for many more years and do it with this organization — the one giving me the opportunity to be here every day, come out onto this field every fifth day, and compete.”

The day before, the bullpen got used up pretty heavily. So Alcantara, who leads the MLB in innings pitched, gave them exactly what they needed.

“You just kind of circle his day when he’s going to pitch,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “You feel like you’re going to bank six or more innings from him. Lately, he’s had not just the length but the quality.”

McCullough loved the movement on Alcantara’s fastball and changeup.

“I think you could tell he was filling it up,” McCullough said. “Terrific fastball. The changeup had that movement we’re used to seeing. He got a lot of balls on the ground. A lot of soft contact.”

Alcantara knew what Sunday’s start asked of him.

“That’s why they have me here,” he said. “I wanted to go deep in the game and give the bullpen some rest because they’ve had a tough time. Just be out there. Go as deep as I can. Make the bullpen proud.”

Same mentality from Alcantara starting on Day 1.

“You’ve got to know I’m a pitcher who wants to be out there fighting every inning,” Alcantara said. “I want to go deep.”

The trade rumors will always be there. He would be valuable for any clubhouse… including Miami.

Which is why the right-hander keeps answering big questions for the Marlins. More importantly, he keeps winning. The fighting fish have now taken five of their last six.

For one Sunday afternoon? Nobody worried about trade deadlines. Or prospect packages. Or the next big thing in Miami.

They just needed Sandy to be Sandy.