Sandy Alcantara flashes shades of old self before 6th-inning meltdown

Sandy Alcantara could almost taste it. Having pitched to an ERA north of 8.00 entering Sunday, this felt like that get-right game he needed to reverse course on what had inarguably been the roughest stretch of his career. Through 5 ⅓ innings, the former Cy Young Award winner had limited the White Sox to just one run.

And then, Tim Elko authored one of the more memorable first career hits that a player could possibly have. 

Elko sent a curveball over the left field wall of Rate Field for a go-ahead three-run homer that ignited the South Side crowd, while simultaneously souring the afternoon for an ace still searching for answers.

"I thought Sandy made some really outstanding pitches late in the count," noted manager Clayton McCullough.

"Didn't end well, but there were some positives to take away from this...He's definitely trending," continued McCullough.

Working around a trio of walks in his 5 ⅔ innings of work, Alcantara struck out a season-high eight hitters, even registering his fastest pitch of the season at 99.9 mph in Miami's 4-2 loss to the White Sox. 

Despite this, Alcantara will enter his ninth start with an ERA of 8.10. In doing so, he becomes just the fourth pitcher in franchise history to struggle with run prevention to that magnitude through his first eight starts of a season and the first Marlin to lose five consecutive decisions since Trevor Richards back in 2019.. Dating back to 2023, Alcantara has now walked two or more hitters in each of his last 11 starts. He is averaging 5.2 BB/9 this year, the third-highest among pitchers with at least 35 innings pitched. 

Preordained as the premier asset on the market at this year's MLB trade deadline, needless to say he will have to perform better before contending teams come calling.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for the Fish on Sunday, as the bullpen authored 2 ⅓ perfect innings in relief of Alcantara. Shortstop Xavier Edwards reached base three times, collecting a pair of hits, a stolen base, and his first RBI since May 3.

Miami also exuded patience at the plate, drawing six walks against just three strikeouts in the loss. Chicago starter Sean Burke, who threw more balls than strikes on the afternoon, was responsible for five of those free passes, though he only coughed up one run in his four innings of work.

Now 15-24 following their seventh loss in their last ten games, Miami falls to 5-12 on the road this season, third-worst in the National League.

Looking Ahead

The Marlins will venture up to the north side of Chicago, where they'll begin a three-game series against the NL Central-leading Cubs. Cal Quantrill (2-3, 7.11 ERA) will start the series opener against one-time Marlin Colin Rea (2-0, 2.43 ERA). Outfielder Derek Hill is expected to make his return from a left wrist sprain, Fish On First's Kevin Barral reports.

First pitch from Wrigley Field is slated for 7:40 EST.