Can Sandy Alcantara pitch another gem for the Marlins?

By David Levin |

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 31: Sandy Alcantara #22 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Marlins Park on March 31, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

The Miami Marlins send Sanday Alcantara to the mound on Saturday, hoping the youngster can help stop the bleeding of a four-game losing streak.

All the Miami Marlins are going to do is ask starter Sandy Alcantara stop the team’s four-game losing streak on Saturday. The Marlins and the Atlanta Braves play the second game of a four-game series at Sun Trust Park.

Alcantara was nearly perfect his last outing, lasting eight innings in the last win the Marlins have had this season. The team is currently 2-6. He is going to need more support from his teammates if the Marlins are going to get in the win column. The Marlins had a total of three hits on Friday in a 4-0 loss.

In his first start of the season, Alcantara struck out six batters without giving up a walk. His fastball topped 99 MPH at different points of the game. In the seven previous starts before last week, he proved to be an innings eater, lasting at least seven innings.

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The team has a young pitching staff that is still a work in progress. Two solid starts by Trevor Richards haven’t produced a win. Pablo Lopez, who started Friday night, encountered trouble in the fourth inning and could not recover.

“He gave up a pair of home runs along with three singles and the walk. Ronald Acuna opened the scoring with a two-run blast, and after a pair of groundouts, Tyler Flowers added a solo shot,” writes Kevin Kraczkowski of Marlin Maniac.“Lopez then walked Dansby Swanson and allowed a single to opposing starter [Kevin] Gausman. Ender Inciarte then brought Swanson home with a single before Lopez got Josh Donaldson to wave at strike three.”

Miami manager Don Mattingly told the media after the loss on Friday that Lopez is still learning on the Major League level. He and this staff will take time to get better.

“Everything is going to be a learning experience,” Mattingly said. “He wasn’t as aggressive that whole [fourth] inning.”

Miami’s issues have been giving up runs in clusters. The lineup hasn’t had many multiple run-scoring opportunities so far this season.

Now, the team gives the ball to Alcantara hoping for a mirror game like last week. Consistency has been Alcantara’s issue since being traded to the organization last year. Here is a chance to show he has solved that problem.

Next. Marlins fail to hit in 4-0 loss. dark

The 23-year-old is also trying to do something he did last season when he was first called up to the Major prior to the All-Star break – win his first two starts of the season.

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