Sandy Alcantara gave the Marlins exactly the kind of night that turns heads in the final stretch before a Trade Deadline: seven scoreless innings, a franchise record, and a performance that only made the questions around his future louder.
Miami edged the Phillies 1-0 on Tuesday night at loanDepot park, and the win carried plenty of weight beyond one game. The Marlins, who had just snapped a franchise-record 12-game skid, have now won two straight to get back to .500 at 54-54. They also moved within 1 1/2 games of the third and final National League Wild Card spot.
The victory also gave Miami its first series win over Philadelphia in 11 tries dating back to September 2023, the same run that ended with a postseason berth.
Alcantara was the story from the first pitch. He worked 97 pitches, allowed four hits, walked one and struck out five while flirting with a no-hitter into the fifth.
The outing pushed him to 16 quality starts, tops in the Majors, and gave him the 111th quality start of his career, a new franchise mark. With 150 2/3 innings, he also leads the Majors in that category.
The Phillies had their best early chance in the second inning, when the first two batters reached. Alcantara shut it down from there, retiring the next three in order and escaping without damage.
He got a major assist in the fourth when Jakob Marsee robbed Bryce Harper of extra bases, racing into the left-center-field wall to haul in the fly ball. Statcast gave the play a .920 expected batting average, and it would have been a homer in nine ballparks.
The no-hit bid lasted until the fifth, when Griffin Conine made a sliding catch on Justin Crawford’s liner for the second out, but former Marlin Bryan De La Cruz followed with an infield hit to the right side to end the no-hit bid.
Alcantara has been rolling lately, too. Over his past 11 starts, he owns a 2.99 ERA.
In a game this tight, one swing was enough. Kyle Stowers delivered it in the first inning, turning around Aaron Nola’s knuckle curve for a solo homer - his second of the homestand - and that was the difference.
In Other News...
Marlins And Telemundo 51 Just Opened A Big Door For South Florida Fans
Telemundo 51 Miami and the Marlins have opened a new lane for South Florida fans, announcing a partnership that will bring live Spanish-language game broadcasts to local television. Its a notable step for a franchise that has long tried to widen its reach across the region, and it gives Spanish-speaking viewers a more direct way to follow the club from loanDepot park.
The first two games set for the new window are home dates against the Angels on Aug. 9 and the Braves on Sept. 27, both to air free over the air in South Florida. For a team that plays in one of baseballs most diverse markets, the bigger question now is how far this kind of access can go once the initial broadcasts are on the air. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Deadline Plan Just Put One Huge Roster Decision In Focus
With the trade deadline closing in, Miamis front office is still trying to turn a thin roster into something more workable, especially at third base and on the pitching staff. Owner Bruce Sherman has already given president of baseball operations Peter Bendix the green light to add, which means the Marlins are not just shopping for depth but for pieces that can help stabilize a club still sorting through its biggest holes.
One of the clearest needs is a pitcher who can cover multiple roles, giving the staff some flexibility after Tyler Phillips. The market will determine how aggressive Miami can be, and there are a few names floating around as possible fits, but the bigger point is that the Marlins are entering the deadline with a very specific roster puzzle to solve and only so many ways to solve it. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Running Out Of Time To Fix A Familiar Problem
The Marlins are again staring at a familiar infield question as the trade deadline approaches, with third base emerging as a spot that could use a real upgrade. Miami has been linked to several possible fixes, including veterans with different price tags and timelines, and the front office has to weigh whether a short-term move is enough or whether the club should aim for a player who can stabilize the position beyond this season.
Alec Bohm and Eugenio Suarez both fit the kind of deadline conversation Miami is likely to have, while Evan Longoria would bring a different sort of veteran presence if the Marlins decide experience matters most. The challenge is timing, because the club is trying to stay relevant in the wild-card race while also deciding how aggressive it wants to be before the market tightens, and third base keeps looking like one of the clearest places where a move could matter. [Read more 🡒]