Sandy Alcantara looks strong in another loss by the Marlins

By David Levin | Aug 17, 2019

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 16: Sandy Alcantara #22 of the Miami Marlins pitches against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 16, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

What does Sandy Alcantara have to do to get a win for the Miami Marlins? The starter is now 4-11 this season.

It’s hard to look at 3-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies and think that starter Sandy Alcantara pitched a solid game at Coors Field. The stats would tell you a different story. The 23-year-old once again took the mound for the Marlins and showed the signs of a developing, maturing pitcher whose lineup failed to give him any run support on Friday night.

The topic continues to be a major story of the 2019 season. For everything Alcantara did right, becoming only the seventh road pitcher since 2014 to go at least seven innings at Coors Field while giving up two or fewer runs and three or fewer hits, he could not get the victory and fell to 4-11 on the season.

In a game where statistics mean everything, the numbers don’t justify the dominance of the player who was on the wrong end of the win-loss column.

"“I don’t think it matters where he’s pitching, to be honest with you,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after Miami’s 3-0 loss to the Rockies. “When he’s aggressive, his stuff is good enough that it’s gonna play.”"

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If there is a pitcher on the Marlins staff who has been slighted by poor hitting this season, it’s Alcantara, the Marlins lone All-Star representative. With a fastball that hit 98 mph in a stadium that is 5,280 feet above sea level, the player the Marlins hope can become a front-line starter in the future was as good as he has been all season.

The month of August has been good to Alcantara, as Manny Randhawa points out.

"“Alcantara may just be finding consistency, both in mindset and results. He has a 3.20 ERA over his three August starts, following his last July outing in which he gave up a career-high seven runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Twins,” he writes. “His average four-seam fastball velocity has ticked up, from an average of 95.4 mph before August, to 95.9 mph this month.”"

In other news: Lewin Diaz continues to pay dividends for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The first baseman, acquired in the deal that sent Sergio Romo to the Minnesota Twins, hit his sixth home run in 17 games for Double-A Jacksonville, going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.

The Marlins No. 13 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, posted a .283/.336/.558 line with 25 homers, 31 doubles and 74 RBIs in 107 games across two levels and organizations.

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