Sandy Alcantara's worst start of the season snaps Marlins' four-game winning streak

[Kevin Barral]

 

The Miami Marlins looked to make it five-straight wins, and unlike Monday night's game, odds were in Miami's favor with Sandy Alcantara on the mound and what looked to be a bullpen game for the Toronto Blue Jays. Alcantara had his worst start of the season and the offense wasn't able to get anything going as the Marlins win-streak was snapped, falling by a final score of 8-1.

Alcantara had his worst start of the season, allowing eight runs on 10 hits (three home runs); he allowed one walk and struck out four. He also hit four batters. It marked the first time in franchise history that a Marlins pitcher hit four batters in a single-start.

 

"I think every start, whether it's veteran or not, Daniel (Moskos) and company get with him and it's discussed," Manager Clayton McCullough said. "The things that went well, the things that we're going to look to improve on moving forward and try to get some of the pitches with two strikes in better spots. Just had some pitches leak today over the plate that they put good swings on them."

The Blue Jays got to Alcantara right away in the bottom of the first inning, as Ernie Clement took him deep for his fifth home run of the season, taking an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, Kazuma Okamoto smacked an RBI single, extending the lead, 2-0.

The homer that Alcantara surrendered to Clement was off a high sinker, 3.71 feet above the ground, making it the highest pitch he has allowed a home run on in his career.

Everything would come crashing down in the bottom of the sixth, as Alcantara surrendered his second home run of the night, this time to Yohendrick Piñango, making it 3-0. A George Springer RBI single made it 4-0 and with the bases loaded, former Marlin Jesus Sanchez took his former teammate deep. Sanchez's first career grand slam was his sixth home run of the season, making it 8-1. Alcantara went on to be taken out of the game after hitting his fourth batter of the night, Okamoto, in the next at-bat.

"We just couldn't find a way to finish that inning," McCullough said. "I'm sure the Otto (Lopez) play he makes often, and just wasn't able to there. We weren't able to stop the bleeding and they were able to put up a big number."

 

 

Through 12 starts this season, Alcantara finds himself with a 4.66 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 6.21 K/9 and 2.51 BB/9. His start on Tuesday marked the third time this season that he allowed more than five runs and it's now back-to-back starts that the he has done so.

Miami's offense didn't back up their longtime starter, only putting up one run on five hits and were one for seven with runners in scoring position.

With the loss, the Marlins drop to four games below .500 but hope to take the series Wednesday afternoon with Eury Pérez on the mound. First pitch is at 1:07 pm EST.

 

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[One Regend]

That nightmare 6th inning is what I like to call the "Sandy Alcantara Special".

This is where he gets the first 2 outs easily, and then either fails to get out of the inning, or does so while giving up 6 runs

I have no idea what the hell Clayton McCullough was doing. He was clearly laboring after having already given up 4 runs and it was clear the Blue Jays had the book on him by that point. Take him out in favor of a left-hander. Jesus Sanchez is notoriously bad against lefties, and you had Cade Gibson warming up.

If this were a winner-take-all playoff game, McCullough gets fired for not making that move.

Also, I know it's early, but I'm very worried about Joe Mack. Not only is he struggling at the plate, but our pitchers are struggling to get into a rhythm with him behind the plate.