'Just got to keep my head up': Alcantara looks to turn page on May struggles 

TORONTO -- Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara made sure to walk over to Kazuma Okamoto and apologize before leaving the field to a chorus of boos from the crowd of 42,815 at Rogers Centre in Tuesday night’s 8-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

A dejected Alcantara had just handed the ball over to manager Clayton McCullough after hitting a career-high four batters (the last being Okamoto) and giving up a season-high eight runs over 5 2/3 innings, becoming just the second pitcher since earned runs became official in both leagues in 1913 to allow at least eight earned runs and hit four batters in a game (Carl Doyle, 1940).

When May began, Alcantara had a 3.04 ERA through seven starts, with all but two of them of the quality variety.

“I think Sandy's really close to being that vintage-level Sandy, and it's a lot better than I think he started last year for sure,” president of baseball operations Peter Bendix had said earlier this month. “He still has a few things that he needs to improve on, but he's much, much closer to that vintage level, the guy that you expect seven, eight innings, every time out.”

The 30-year-old Alcantara’s season ERA has since ballooned to 4.66. After allowing just two earned runs over his first three starts, he has a 6.53 ERA across his last nine (51 IP/37 ER).

His four outings -- three of them this month -- with at least six earned runs allowed are the most in the Majors, and so are his 10 starts since last season in his return from elbow surgery.

“I don't know,” Alcantara said. “Maybe I'm getting old in the league. People start to know myself a lot. But it's part of the game. [Some days] you feel like you can throw a complete game, [some days] you throw three innings. You’ve got to keep competing. It doesn't matter what happens.”

What’s even more unusual is the fact Alcantara has pitched into the sixth inning in three of the four blowups, so he has still managed to provide length in defeat.

It was apparent from the get-go that Alcantara was missing up with his location, as he surrendered a first-pitch homer to Ernie Clement to open the second. His 94.2 mph sinker was 3.71 feet above the ground, making it the highest pitch he has allowed a home run on in his career.

In the third, Alcantara permitted just one run despite the Blue Jays crushing four hard-hit balls (min. 95 mph exit velocity) in the frame. That was all the Blue Jays, holding onto a 2-1 lead, would tag Alcantara for entering the six-run sixth.

“Tough time getting the ball down,” McCullough said. “There were just some pitches left elevated, kind of more middle. Sometimes when he had count leverage, they put some good swings on. He had some stretches there he was able to get some early outs, and actually was in a pretty good place going out for the sixth with his pitch count. … Don't usually see him lose some pitches arm side like that.”

Alcantara, who began losing the grip on his breaking pitches, gave up another solo homer -- this time to Yohendrick Piñango -- to lead off the frame. After consecutive outs, Brandon Valenzuela singled and Alcantara hit a batter. It looked as though Alcantara would escape the jam when George Springer sent a ball toward the left side of the infield to secure another quality start, but it deflected off shortstop Otto Lopez’s glove for an RBI single.

Jesús Sánchez later took his former teammate deep for a grand slam. Alcantara then hit another batter, drawing McCullough from the dugout, boos from the Blue Jays faithful and an apology from Miami’s righty.

“We just couldn't find a way to finish that inning,” McCullough said. “I'm sure Otto probably tells you it's a play he makes often, and just wasn't able to there. And then we weren't able to stop the bleeding, and they were able to put up a big number.”

The good news is the next time Alcantara takes the mound, it’ll be a new month. Next Monday is June 1, and the opponent will be Washington, a team he beat in a forgettable May.

“It's not easy, especially myself,” Alcantara said. “I just want to be out there, do my best to help the team to win the game when the game doesn't go the way that you want. But it is what it is. I’ve just got to keep my head up. Tomorrow, I’ve just got to come here, supporting my teammates. Doesn't matter what happened. I know I'm going to be mad for a couple days, but I’ve got to be ready and prepare myself for my next outing.”