Alcantara outshines L.A. stars Ace-on-fire Alcantara’s latest gem sparks talk of Cy Young
Jose Fernandez, a font of electricity on a pitcher’s mound, was cruelly taken from us not quite six years ago, at the outset of his prime, in a horrific boating accident.
Less than a year later, in St. Louis but bound for Miami, a then-unheard-of young pitcher named Sandy Alcantara would make his major-league debut, and soon after be traded to the Marlins.
Great followed great. There is no making amends for the tragedy that erased Fernandez, but fate has given Miami its best effort by gifting South Florida baseball fans the most special player since him. This is not recency bias. Alcantara is that good.
He will make the All-Star team and could start for the NL. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has a chance, too, but Alcantara is a nobrainer. Heck, he could win the Cy Young award if the rest of the Marlins stay hot and give him a hand by getting up over .500 and into the playoff chase.
(Maybe a buyer’s mentality and a deal for a big bat before the Aug. 2 trade deadline?)
Miami improved to 39-40 with a sixth straight win Tuesday, a 2-1 home decision over the Los Angeles Angels. It happened because Garrett Cooper and Bryan De La Cruz hit home runs.
It happened because Tanner Scott pitched out of a bases-loaded ninth inning jam for the save.
Mostly it happened because Alcantara was masterful. Again. Eight innings, two hits, no runs, no walks,
Star pitcher Sandy Alcantara gave up two hits through eight innings against Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and the Angels, and the Marlins won their sixth straight.
Sandy Alcantara is a throwback and it’s part of what makes him a modern marvel in MLB.
He redefines the masterpiece start by going back to what the standard once was: If he gives up a run or two, or doesn’t hit double-digit strikeouts, then, well, he doesn’t really care too much, as long as he’s giving the Marlins the seven or eight innings he knows he should.
There are different levels of masterpieces, though, and Alcantara’s latest might have just set a new standard for the Cy Young Award hopeful.
It was pegged as a starstudded, showcase opportunity for Alcantara and the starting pitcher delivered eight shutout innings — a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts — to beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Tuesday at loanDepot park.
For the first time in nearly two months, the Marlins (3940) are within a game of .500, and they climbed there by silencing a lineup anchored by stars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani for a sixth straight victory.
Those two — with four Most Valuable Player Awards between them — got six total cracks at Alcantara, and com