Sandy Alcantara made sure the Miami Marlins weren’t going to get swept on Sunday.
The veteran right-hander fired a complete game to help the Marlins beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 4-3 and salvage a game from the three-game series.
Alcantara (4-2) allowed three runs — all unearned — on six hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Alcantara threw a career-high 115 pitches and earned his fourth career complete game, the last of which came June 16, 2021, in a 1-0 loss to St. Louis.
The Braves made it close by scoring two runs in the ninth inning. Miami’s Jesus Aguilar nonchalantly dropped a foul pop at first and Travis d’Arnaud took advantage of the mistake with a double to left on the next pitch. Ozzie Albies doubled him home and eventually scored on a grounder to second, but Alcantara induced Adam Duvall to pop out to the catcher for the final out.
Alcantra improved to 3-1 in his career against Atlanta.
The losing pitcher was Ian Anderson (3-3), who worked six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts. It was the most runs Anderson has allowed since he permitted five in his first start of the season against Cincinnati.
The Marlins got a run in the first inning on Garrett Cooper’s sacrifice fly.
The Braves tied it in the fifth inning. Center fielder Jesus Sanchez misplayed Ozzie Albies’ fly ball, leading to a three-base error. Albies scored on a one-out single by Dansby Swanson. The Braves loaded the bases, but Alcantara got Matt Olson to ground out and end the threat.
Miami regained the lead in the sixth on Brian Anderson’s RBI single to left field.
The Marlins got two insurance runs in the seventh. Jacob Stallings drove in a run with a single and Avisail Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to right field.
Miami second baseman Jazz Chisholm had to leave the game in the third inning with left hamstring tightness.
Ronald Acuna Jr., who was 2-for-4, doubled in the fourth for Atlanta’s first hit. That extended his on-base streak to 29 games.
–Field Level Media
