Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara suffered a tough-luck loss on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
A Nick Maton two-run home run was all the Phillies needed to beat the Cy Young candidate, who was brilliant on the mound otherwise.
In seven innings of work, Alcantara allowed eight hits and two runs, with a walk and four strikeouts.
It wasn’t a vintage Alcantara outing, but he showed that even if he is not at his best, he can keep any lineup at bay.
In the process, he extended his home dominance.
“No pitcher in MLB has thrown more innings at home this season than Sandy Alcantara of the @Marlins (106.0). His ERA is just 1.61 at loanDepot Park in 2022,” Stats By STATS tweeted on Wednesday.
No pitcher in MLB has thrown more innings at home this season than Sandy Alcantara of the @Marlins (106.0).
His ERA is just 1.61 at loanDepot Park in 2022. pic.twitter.com/2N0kVddgae
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) September 13, 2022
Alcantara Alone Makes The Marlins Interesting
Even in a season in which the Marlins didn’t compete at any point (they are currently 58-84 and with no hope of making the postseason), Alcantara has given fans a reason to go to the stadium, at least every five days.
In 29 starts, he has pitched a league-leading 203.2 innings.
He has a 2.43 ERA and a 3.11 Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP, with a 22.7% strikeout rate and a 6.0% walk rate.
The fact he induces so much contact on the ground (53.7%) helps him get quick outs and pitch longer.
With a little less than three weeks remaining on the regular season calendar, the talented righty has accumulated 4.8 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
The Marlins are expected to take a step forward next season if they play their cards right: they have several young, impactful players and (theoretically, at least) some money to spend.
Alcantara will be there to lead yet another quest to the playoffs.
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