Long before taking the mound on Saturday night, Sandy Alcantara established himself as the ace of a young and talented Marlins rotation. In the second of three games against the Rays at Tropicana Field, the hard-throwing right-hander assumed the role of stopper.

Matched against former American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, Alcantara was in total command, striking out eight while allowing one run in six innings. Corey Dickerson connected on a two-run homer and Matt Joyce added a two-run single, as the Marlins rolled past the Rays, 7-3, to snap a string of nine straight losses in the Citrus Series.

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Alcantara (2-1, 3.78 ERA) took the mound with a chip on his shoulder, getting some payback against the Rays, who roughed him up last Sunday at Marlins Park. Tampa Bay scored five earned runs off the 2019 All-Star in his first start since Opening Day.

“It looked like he was on a little bit of a mission to show that he had some rust,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

Added Alcantara: “They got me a couple of days ago, and now I got them."

In terms of their playoff pursuit, the Marlins (17-17) got back to .500 after losing two straight.

The win did come at a price, with left fielder Harold Ramirez being carted off the field in the fifth inning with a left hamstring strain. Ramirez will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the severity.

If the Marlins are to indeed reach the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2003, the starting pitching is expected to lead the way.

Alcantara, who turns 25 on Monday, is coming of age as a leader at the top of the rotation, which also features Pablo López and a pair of rookies -- Sixto Sánchez and Trevor Rogers, who will start the series finale on Sunday. Veteran José Ureña, currently on the injured list, is expected to join the rotation in Atlanta next week to replace Elieser Hernandez, who is out for the season with a right lat strain.

“They have some talented pitchers,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Their starting pitchers that we’ve faced -- we haven’t faced the guy tomorrow yet -- but definitely the guys that we have faced between Sánchez, López and Alcantara, they’re all very talented. They throw their offspeed stuff in the zone for strikes. They have big fastballs, and when they get in rhythm, they can be challenging for any offense.”

With 101 pitches, Alcantara became the first Marlins starter to top 100 pitches this season.

“I'm ready to go more than that,” Alcantara said. “I'm ready to go 130, but the manager took me out, and I have to respect that decision. I just have to keep working hard to go deeper into the game.”

There was nothing fancy from Alcantara in his rematch. He was on the attack, feeding the Rays a steady diet of sinkers and four-seam fastballs (63 combined). His maximum sinker velocity was 98.5 mph, and his four-seamer topped at 98.9 mph.

“I just was going to go out and attack with my best stuff,” Alcantara said. “Those guys are really good right now. I was on the attack, trying to be consistent and throw strikes, and attack the hitters.”

The Marlins are now 4-9 on the season against left-handed starters, getting a measure of revenge against Snell, who gave up five runs (four earned) with eight strikeouts in five innings. Snell beat the Marlins last Sunday in Miami.

Dickerson belted a two-run homer in Miami’s four-run fourth inning. According to Statcast, the drive projected at 406 feet, with an exit velocity of 102.7 mph.

The Marlins’ first run scored on a passed ball by catcher Michael Perez on Lewis Brinson's strikeout, and Ramirez produced an RBI single in the inning.

“Sandy was amazing tonight,” Dickerson said. “That's what he expects from himself. Every time he goes out there, he's a bulldog. He's very confident. He believes in his stuff, and he should. The guys behind him are so talented and so good. Like I said a week ago, this rotation can be pretty lights-out. It's going to be really fun down this last stretch playing behind them.”