Sandy Alcantara Begins His Cy Young Campaign As the Marlins Move to 5-1

The Miami Marlins dropped the first game of the series to the Chicago White Sox to end their perfect 3-0 start to the season. After the White Sox spoiled Chris Paddack’s debut, the Marlins bounced back in a big way, led by back-to-back complementary baseball games.

Wednesday was about as perfect as you can get. Sandy put up a zero in the first, and the Marlins scored first, scoring in each of the first three innings.

A four spot in the 1st led by Liam Hicks, Connor Norby, and Owen Caissie rbi hits. The Marlins cashed in on the should have been double play that was hit straight back to Shane Smith.

In the second, it was Liam Hicks again, the MLB’s rbi leader hit a sky-high two run homer to drive in Xavier Edwards.

In the third, the Marlins tacked on two more thanks to the bottom of the order as Heriberto Hernandez and Graham Pauley got on for Javier Sanoja who drove them both in with an rbi single.

Hicks would later add another rbi on a single (off a lefty!) in the 6th, driving in Otto Lopez after his 1 out triple.

Otto Lopez homered in the bottom of the 8th for the Marlins 10th run of the game.

Elite Pitching Yet Again

But beyond the bats which were hot for the second straight night, the story was the Marlins pitching staff again, this time, Sandy Alcantara.

Alcantara made his second start of the year and has officially begun his Cy Young campaign, something I predicted he would once again be in the running for. Sandy has picked up where he left off last season with two strong starts both allowing no earned runs.

Against the White Sox, Alcantara was as dominant as you could imagine. He got through 9 innings only allowing three hits while striking out 7 in under 100 pitches for his fifth career shutout. It was his first complete game since 2023 and the first complete game from a Marlins pitcher since Braxton Garrett in 2024.

It was Alcantara’s 13th career complete game, trailing only Dontrelle Willis and AJ Burnett for the most complete games in Marlins history.

The Marlins 5-1 start provides some good cushion before they head up to the Bronx for their first big test on the road against the New York Yankees.

Other Notes

• Per Marlins Communications: C Liam Hicks has set a Marlins record with 12 RBI through his five games to start the season, surpassing the previous record of 10 RBI by Casey McGehee from March 31-April 4, 2014.
• Per Marlins Communications: 2B Xavier Edwards is the first player in Marlins history to collect at least one hit and score at least one run in six-consecutive games to start a season. The last player in MLB to record such a streak was Christopher Morel, who set a MLB record with one hit and one run in 12-straight games to start his 2023 season.
• Per Marlins Communications: RHP Sandy Alcantara today completed his fifth career shutout and first since April 4, 2023 vs. Minnesota.   It marks his 13th career complete game, marking the third-most complete games in Club history trailing only Dontrelle Willis (15) and A.J. Burnett (14).
• The Marlins sit alone in first place (NL East)
• Every starter reached base today (Marsee was the only one without a hit)