MIAMI -- Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara reached 200 innings for a second consecutive season as he continues his push for the National League Cy Young Award, but Nick Maton’s two-run homer spoiled the achievement in Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to the Phillies at loanDepot park.
Alcantara secured the milestone on reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper’s groundout to open the fourth. The last Major League pitcher to reach the 200-inning benchmark within 29 starts was Corey Kluber (203 2/3) in 2017. Kluber won the American League Cy Young Award that season.
With seven innings in the series opener, Alcantara has matched that total. In doing so, he became the seventh pitcher in club history to record multiple 200-inning seasons and the fifth in back-to-back campaigns, following Dontrelle Willis (three seasons from 2005-07), Carl Pavano (‘03-04), Ryan Dempster (‘00-01) and Kevin Brown (1996-97).
“Always feels good,” Alcantara said. “I’ve got to keep doing everything that I’ve been doing since I got here to the Marlins, because I’m going to be the No. 1 all the time. I’ve got to reach 200 innings every year. Just want to keep healthy, keep doing my job and keep being the best.”
Getting to that 200-inning plateau has become rare in modern ball. Alcantara was one of only four pitchers to accomplish the feat in 2021, and the company might be as exclusive in ‘22. St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas is second to Alcantara, with 181 1/3 innings, followed by Astros righty Framber Valdez (179 2/3). Three weeks remain in the season.
“He doesn't have to throw 200 innings for us to appreciate Sandy,” manager Don Mattingly said. “He's throwing the ball really well. He's doing everything the way you're supposed to do for that No. 1 guy you kind of lean on. It does speak to durability, but the durability doesn’t come if you're not working and doing what you have to do to be able to do that. So taking pride in that, I think, is something special. It's probably not as common as it was in the past when more guys did it. But in today's game it’s pretty rare.”
Alcantara’s start wasn’t without its share of traffic, with his only clean frame coming in the fifth. In his eyes, though, his stuff got nastier with runners on base. Philadelphia recorded two stolen bases on the night, the second of which put a runner at third with one out in the third, but Kyle Schwarber popped out and Rhys Hoskins struck out on a 100.1 mph fastball. Alcantara then stranded the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth, when Maton grounded out to the mound.
But Maton got the last laugh in the seventh, knocking the go-ahead shot over the right-field wall on a 98.9 mph sinker with two strikes. Last Thursday, Maton took Alcantara deep in the third. He is the only player with multiple homers off Alcantara this season.
"Well, my first at-bat he front-hipped me and got me,” Maton said. “He made me look kind of stupid. I thought maybe he'd try to do it again, and luckily, he did. You've always got to look for it on that guy. He throws 100 mph. You've got to be able to hit that before anything else. I was ready for it, and I got it."
Though this wasn’t Alcantara’s finest performance of the season, he once again showed his ability to bounce back. In his previous four starts, he compiled a 6.08 ERA and batters posted a .310 average against. During that span, his ERA went from an NL-low 1.92 to 2.43 (second).
Tuesday's series opener was the second time in less than a month Alcantara has faced the same opponent in consecutive starts. He surrendered six runs in 3 2/3 innings at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 21, then followed it up with his fourth complete game six days later. Last Thursday, Alcantara gave up five runs (three earned) over six frames in Philadelphia.
During the Bally Sports Florida broadcast, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. noted that Alcantara looked “a little bit amped” and hoped his pitcher would settle down. Alcantara did just that, aside from Maton’s decisive swing.
“That's amazing when you have to face back-to-back the same team,” Alcantara said. “They came here ready to face [me], but it doesn't matter to me. I just want to be outside. Doesn't matter what team I have to face and do my job.”