MIAMI – Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara recorded his second career Maddux and fifth career shutout in Wednesday afternoon’s 10-0 victory over the White Sox at loanDepot park.
In terms of games played, this marks the earliest shutout and Maddux in a season since Nathan Eovaldi did so in the Rangers' sixth game last season. The most recent Maddux was the Cardinals’ Sonny Gray last June 27 at Cleveland (89 pitches).
Alcantara, who hadn’t thrown a shutout since April 4, 2023, required just 93 pitches to dispose of the young and aggressive White Sox lineup. He permitted just three hits – all singles, including one of the bunt variety – and struck out seven batters.
After hitting Miguel Vargas with a pitch with two outs in the fourth, Alcantara retired 16 in a row until Luisangel Acuña’s two-out single in the eighth. He entered the ninth at just 84 pitches thanks to a five-pitch eighth.
Through his first two starts of the season against the Rockies and White Sox, Alcantara has allowed one run (none earned) on seven hits across 16 frames with 12 strikeouts and just two walks.
Batterymate Liam Hicks went deep and drove in a career-high-tying four runs. With an MLB-leading 12 RBIs through his five games to start the season, Hicks surpassed Casey McGehee’s total (10) set in 2014 for the franchise record.
Excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 season, Miami has won five of its first six games for the first time since 2014.