ATL 2, MIA 0; Sandy Gets No Run Support...Again

Once again, Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara pitched a gem. And once again, the Marlins offense gave him nothing.

Alcantara pitched eight innings of shutout ball in a 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

“Everything was working today,” Alcantara said. “My slider fastball command, my two-seam, my changeup.”

Alcantara entered the night averaging 3.33 runs of support per game, which was fourth-worst in Major League Baseball. He has thrown eight innings or more in five starts this season—tied with Adam Wainwright for the MLB lead—but the Marlins are now 1-4 in those games.

“It’s tough,” Alcantara said. “Because you throw a really good game and you lose. But, like I said, I can not do anything about it. I just have to keep my head up, keep doing my job, keep doing everything I can, and keep pitching.”

The Marlins offense couldn’t string together any chances, besides a short-lived rally in the sixth inning. Bryan De La Cruz led off with a single, but Alcantara couldn’t lay down a successful sacrifice bunt—he grounded to first baseman Freddie Freeman, who threw to second base to get the lead runner in De La Cruz. The Marlins then loaded the bases with one out, but followed it up with a foul pop fly by Lewis Brinson and a Jesús Sánchez strikeout.

“Obviously in a game like that, you look at all the little stuff,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “(Alcantara) is not able to get the bunt down in a way that’s able to move the runner. Miggy ends up getting a base hit right after that. So we don’t execute that little thing...that inning there is one of those that you think about. (Braves’ starting pitcher Huascar Ynoa) is making pitches too. It’s one of those games where both teams were having trouble getting guys across.”

The Marlins look to avoid the sweep on Wednesday. Jesús Luzardo will take the mound for Miami against Charlie Morton and the Braves at 7:10 p.m.

Baseball Savant

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1. Marlins
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5. Braves