Sandy Alcantara’s bid for Marlins history ends in 3-2 loss to Guardians
As he slowly inches closer to his Cy Young form, the Marlins have seemingly found a way to win whenever Sandy Alcantara takes the mound this season.
That wasn’t the case Friday.
Heading into Miami’s 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, the 30-year-old right-hander had an opportunity to tie a franchise record by earning a win in an eighth consecutive start, matching the mark set by left-hander Chris Hammond from May 26-July 2, 1993, and later matched by right-hander José Fernández from April 28-June 5, 2016.
In his first loss since May, Alcantara actually pitched slightly better than his typical start this season, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out eight.
“This is what we’ve seen in the majority of his starts: him filling up the strike zone again, using both sides of the plate and executing very well,” McCullough said. “He’s been a huge part of how we’ve been able to play because every fifth or sixth day, he comes in and we know he’s going to bank six innings or more and either leave us with the lead or give us a chance to take the lead.”
But even MLB’s foremost workhorse needs some help. The former Cy Young winner entered Friday leading the league in starts, innings pitched and batters faced, but Miami’s offense struggled against Guardians All-Star left-hander Parker Messick.
Home runs in consecutive innings from Heriberto Hernandez and Leo Jimenez gave the Marlins some life heading into the eighth, but Miami’s four hits weren’t enough. The Marlins had a chance to tie the game in the eighth, but Jakob Marsee was stranded at third.
Miami’s top three hitters, MLB batting leader Otto López, Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks, were uncharacteristically quiet, combining to go 1 for 9 at the plate.
Returning to form
After having his 2023 season shut down in September and missing the entire 2024 season following Tommy John surgery, Alcantara struggled in his return in 2025, finishing with a career-worst 5.36 ERA, 142 strikeouts and an 11-12 record as he adjusted to pitching again after nearly two years away.
Now sitting at 10-5 with a 3.99 ERA and on pace for 171 strikeouts, Alcantara might not be back in the discussion among the league’s top pitchers yet, but the strides have been obvious this season.
The Dominican native has handled MLB’s heaviest workload and, at one point, was one of just two healthy starting pitchers remaining in Miami’s rotation
.“I remember coming in here last year talking about bad games,” Alcantara said. “My mentality changed a lot. The way I’ve been attacking hitters and going deep into the game.”
With Max Meyer earning his first All-Star selection and Eury Pérez showing his growth in a near-perfect outing last weekend, Alcantara’s gradual return to form should give Miami reason to feel encouraged about its rotation, even in a loss.
What’s next
The Marlins continue their three-game series against the Guardians on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. at loanDepot park.
Right-hander Eury Pérez (5-6, 3.84 ERA) is scheduled to start for Miami against Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee (2-9, 4.06 ERA).