On Tuesday night, the Miami Marlins faced off against the Minnesota Twins in a game that seemed to fly by. The reason? A spectacular pitching performance by Sandy Alcantara.
In just shy of two hours, Alcantara crafted a complete-game shutout of the Twins, allowing only four hits and striking out five batters. He threw just 96 pitches and retired the Twins in order in the ninth inning to secure the win.
It wasn’t just the quick pace of the game that made it notable, though. Alcantara was simply dominant on the mound, using a powerful fastball and an effective slider to keep the Twins off balance all night. He induced 13 ground ball outs, demonstrating excellent command and control.
For Alcantara, this was an important outing. He had struggled in his previous few starts, allowing at least four runs in each game. But against the Twins, he looked like a different pitcher, mixing his pitches and working quickly to keep the defense engaged.
The Marlins didn’t need much offense to win the game, as they scored two runs in the fourth inning thanks to a clutch double by Garrett Cooper. But Alcantara’s performance was undoubtedly the highlight of the night, earning him his seventh win of the season and lowering his ERA to 3.12.
It’s not often that a game finishes in under two hours, but Alcantara made it look easy. He was efficient, effective, and in control from start to finish. For the Marlins, it’s a sign of what the young starter is capable of, and a good sign for the future.
