Imago
Credit: IMAGO / Imagn Images
Imago
Credit: IMAGO / Imagn Images
The Marlins lost to the Reds on Tuesday by 6-3, but the result could have been different if Miami hadn’t blown up their late innings pitching. They maintained a 2-0 lead till the eighth inning and gave up another 6 runs in the next two. A bullpen collapse cost the Marlins the game, but for ace Sandy Alcantara, his manager’s decision to pull him in the ninth cost him something more: a shot at a record not seen in nearly a decade, and he didn’t hide his frustration.
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“So I think I deserve to be asked how I feel before taking me out of the game (at) 95 pitches and (with a) righty on deck,” Alcantara said, via wfin.com. “But it is what it is. Just got to get ready for my next outing. Get back tomorrow and fight the same way that we did today.”
Well, Alcantara was steamrolling the Reds’ offense on Tuesday. He started for the Marlins and stayed scoreless till the eighth. Alcantara entered the ninth with the Marlins leading by 2-0.
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However, the Reds took over Alcantara as he allowed a one-out double to Reds slugger Matt McLain, then walked Elly De La Cruz to put the tying run on base.
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Image: MLB.com
The Reds were one out by then, and the Marlins manager, Clayton McCullough, believed it was the right time to pull out Alcantara. Anthony Bender took over at the mound, and McCullough stopped Alcantara at 95 pitches. But that was the moment just before the debacle. Bender couldn’t hold McLain and De La Cruz, as they both scored, and Alcantara was credited with 2 earned runs!
The game was tied by the ninth, forcing an extra inning. Calvin Faucher, taking over from Bender, proved to be a nightmare. He gave up another 4 runs and took the game out of the Marlins’ reach. The Marlins made a last attempt, adding another run, but fell short. So, Alcantara’s disappointment is expected here as the Marlins manager could have trusted him for another two outs.
“I think there are a lot of decisions that go throughout the course of the game, through the course of the season, that do weigh on you, and for this one to turn and not end up in our favor certainly doesn’t feel great,” McCullough said.
Yes, it was a strategic failure that not only cost the Marlins a game but also deprived Alcantara of breaking a decade-long record. If Alcantara could have held the Reds from scoring anything in the ninth, he would have become the first MLB player since 2015 to post back-to-back shutouts! McCullough thought otherwise, and everything fell apart.
The Marlins’ ace is a different beast in 2026
Pulling out Sandy Alcantara from the ninth feels more awkward, seeing how he is dominating 2026, even overshadowing names like Paul Skenes.
Well, as far as pitching goes, Alcantara is currently 2-0 with an impressive 0.74 ERA. That outpaces the reigning AL Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal (2.55 ERA) and Skenes (5.25 ERA). “The Miami Marlins will win the NL East, and Sandy Alcantara wins the NL Cy Young,” ESPN’s AJ Mass predicts.
Now, this might be the wildest prediction regarding the Marlins. Despite winning two World Series championships (1997 and 2003), the Marlins have yet to win a division title. Furthermore, Alcantara is the only name from Miami to have won a Cy Young back in 2022. Now, if both the predictions come true, then scratching Alcantara from becoming the only arm with consecutive shutouts would haunt the team further.
However, Alcantara proving to be a beast this year could alter his trading perceptions. So, a dominant performance in 2026 could only accelerate the Marlins’ approach to use Alcantara as a trade chip.
“I’m just a player; I want to be out there and compete. But, I mean, I don’t know. If they want me to stay for more years here, I’m ready to stay. If they want to trade me, I’m ready to leave, too,” Alcantara said.
So, despite Alcantara’s showing dominance at the mound, the Marlins fans could sense the impending risk.
Written by
Edited by
Arunaditya Aima