PHILADELPHIA -- The Marlins came to Philadelphia as the hottest team in the Majors. Two lopsided losses later against the equally hot Phillies, Miami will turn to its ace to get things back on track.
“The first two haven't gone real well here,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Sandy tomorrow; we’ll look to bounce back and try to salvage the last one.”
That would be Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner and longtime Miami ace.
The Marlins were trying to turn the page quickly after the Phillies launched three home runs against Tyler Phillips in an 8-2 win Tuesday, hopeful that Alcantara can play the stopper role in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale.
“He's our ace for a reason, so we all kind of look to him and expect that,” catcher Liam Hicks said. “It’s just two games, so hopefully we can shake it off and just come out and put some runs up tomorrow.
Runs have been an issue for the Marlins offense during the first two games, as Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo and the Philadelphia bullpen have held Miami to two runs -- both coming Tuesday night on Esteury Ruiz’s seventh-inning home run.
Philadelphia held an 8-0 lead at the time thanks to an early offensive eruption against Phillips, a former Phillie who grew up in nearby Lumberton, N.J.
Making his first career start against his former club at Citizens Bank Park -- less than 10 miles away from his Southern New Jersey high school -- Phillips suffered from location issues in the early innings.
Bryson Stott’s two-run triple highlighted a three-run first, while Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm each launched a two-run homer in the second. Kyle Schwarber hit his 25th homer of the season in the fourth, accounting for the final run on Phillips’ ledger.
“I just chalk that one up to a good old-fashioned [butt]-kicking,” Phillips said. “Throw the ball not in the zone, then you throw it in the middle of the zone when you're behind in the count, it's probably going to leave the park, especially with a good-hitting team like that.”
After being outscored 15-2 in the first two games of the series, the Marlins are hopeful that Alcantara can continue his strong June in an effort to avoid a three-game sweep.
“He's the type of guy that you expect to go six-plus innings every time,” Hicks said. “I think he really takes pride in putting that effort in. You see him in the weight room after every outing; he really prides himself on going long in the game. That's kind of what we need tomorrow, and I think he's expecting to do that.”
Alcantara is 6-4 with a 4.25 ERA this season, but he’s 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA in three starts this month, striking out 19 batters while issuing only two walks in 22 innings.
“I think he’s just getting back to what he's really good at,” Hicks said. “He’s obviously got a really good mentality on the mound and the sinker-changeup combo. The pitching coaches have worked really hard with him to expand the arsenal, because that's what the scouting report is on him. He’s got the sweeper now, the four-seamer; now it’s just getting more comfortable using all those weapons.”
Wednesday figures to present a big challenge for the former National League Cy Young Award winner, who went 0-3 with an 8.31 ERA in three starts against the Phillies last season.
“He recognizes; he's got such good awareness,” McCullough said. “For most of his career here, that's what he's been and been counted on. I don't think it will be anything new for him. He’ll just be more focused on going out there and executing his pitches.”