Rookie Alcantara dazzles, Marlins top Phillies 2-1

MIAMI » Right-hander Sandy Alcantara pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning in his second career start, Austin Dean drove in a pair of runs and the Miami Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Alcantara (2-0) allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six. His ERA, over 12 innings this season, dropped to 0.75.

The Phillies have lost four of five. They remained three games behind Atlanta in the NL East race, after the Braves wasted a 7-1 lead and lost 9-8 earlier Wednesday to the Boston Red Sox.

Jose Bautista had a pinch-hit double and eventually scored on Asdrubal Cabrera’s flare into left field in the eighth, but the Phillies mustered nothing else.

Derek Dietrich scored both Miami runs, the first when Dean hit into a fielder’s choice in the second, the other on Dean’s single to center in the fourth. Both of those runs were charged to Phillies starter Nick Pivetta (7-11), who gave up three hits and two runs in four innings.

Drew Steckenrider allowed a walk and a single with one out in the ninth, but finished off his fourth save with a pair of strikeouts.

Alcantara walked Carlos Santana to lead off the game, walked Roman Quinn to lead off the eighth, and issued no other free passes. He was still reaching 98 mph in the seventh inning, then got himself out of a little situation in the seventh to preserve what was then a 2-0 lead.

Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro, who had singled twice off Alcantara and had three hits on the night, got plunked in the left arm when a fastball from the Marlins rookie sailed up and in. Alfaro wasn’t amused, took a long stare toward Alcantara as he walked to first.

But Alcantara wasn’t rattled, and fanned Wilson Ramos on three pitches to end the inning with his 2-0 lead intact. The Marlins let him hit in the bottom of the seventh, then sent him back out for the eighth — pulling him only after the walk to Quinn.

That runner didn’t hurt Miami. Santana lined out to second baseman Starlin Castro, Quinn got caught 30 feet off the bag and the Phillies went from having the leadoff runner aboard to having the bases empty with two out.

Lewis Brinson had two hits for the Marlins, continuing his strong return after missing two months with a right hip injury. Brinson was hitting .154 when he got hurt; he’s now up to .201, after going 8 for 18 since coming back. TRAINER’S ROOM » Phillies: 3B Maikel Franco returned to Philadelphia to have his sore right wrist examined by a specialist. Franco is expected to rejoin the team later this week, and didn’t play in any of the three games in Miami. UP NEXT » Phillies: Off Thursday, then RHP Aaron Nola (15-4, 2.23) starts at the New York Mets and LHP Steven Matz (5-11, 4.20) on Friday.