Alcantara sets 3rd Marlins franchise record of '26, this time for innings pitched in shutout win

MIAMI – Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara set the franchise record for career innings in Saturday’s 7-0 win over the Angels at loanDepot park.

Alcantara, who entered his 194th career start as a Marlin at 1,223 2/3 frames, needed just seven outs to surpass Ricky Nolasco. He retired the first six batters in order and matched Nolasco with a strikeout of Moisés Ballesteros to end the second, then surpassed him with a strikeout of Josh Lowe in the third.

The 30-year-old Alcantara went on to toss seven frames, extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 20. He scattered three hits, with one walk and a season-high-tying eight strikeouts.

This marks the third franchise record Alcantara has set this season; he became the Marlins’ all-time strikeout and quality starts leader in June and July, respectively.

Since making his Marlins debut on June 29, 2018, Alcantara's 1,230 2/3 innings are the seventh most in the Majors despite missing the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Since his first career quality start on Sept. 5, 2018, against the Phillies, Alcantara’s 113 quality starts rank fifth most in MLB.

Following a disappointing 2025 campaign in his return from the procedure, Alcantara has bounced back in ‘26 to embody the workhorse baseball had grown so used to watching. He entered Saturday leading the Majors in innings pitched (156 2/3) and quality starts (17) through 24 outings.

Alcantara is also the reigning National League Player of the Week after tossing 13 scoreless innings across two quality starts on July 28 vs. the Phillies and Aug. 2 at the Mets. The only other time Alcantara earned the honor was in May 2022 during his NL Cy Young Award-winning campaign -- the only one in club history

“There's been several cases already this season postgame where we've gone in there and presented Sandy with a game ball for something that he's done historically in his career,” manager Clayton McCullough said pregame. “I think this one, the innings, will mean a lot to him. … He expects to be the only one to pitch that day, and it means a lot to him. And again, what that means to a team, and certainly for us, the burden he's shouldered this season and how much that's meant to us is what he's been doing now since he's been a Marlin.”

The Marlins (59-59) snapped a four-game skid by providing Alcantara with an early cushion on a pair of two-run hits from slumping double-play duo Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez in the third, and another three runs in the fifth. It was more than enough support for Alcantara, who improved to 28-1 when given a lead of at least four runs in his career.