Sandy Alcantara questions Marlins' decision to end his bid for back-to-back shutouts in 9th inning

4 days ago 7

At the risk of cliché, let’s borrow the title of a classic Western film to go through Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara’s start on Tuesday.

The Good was the first eight innings, in which Alcantara ran through the Cincinnati Reds’ lineup like a buzzsaw and extended his season-opening scoreless streak to 24 innings. He was at only 82 pitches entering the ninth inning, putting him in position to become the first MLB player since 2015 to post back-to-back shutouts.

The Bad was the ninth inning, in which Alcantara allowed a one-out double to Reds second baseman Matt McLain, then walked Elly De La Cruz to put the tying run on base. At that point, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough pulled Alcantara at 95 pitches. The pair then watched the Reds tie the game against reliever Anthony Bender and win it 6-3 in the 10th inning.

It was a quick hook for Alcantara, which triggered boos from fans at loanDepot Park.

The Ugly was what came after the game, when Alcantara, while speaking with reporters, sent a pretty clear shot McCullough’s way about the decision to pull him.

Via Fish on First’s Kevin Barral:

“I feel like I deserve to be asked how I feel before getting taken out of the game. This an area where I get to 95 pitches and a righty on deck, it is what it is. Just got to get ready for my next outing.”

In response to a different question, Alcantara emphasized that in the future, he would like the ability to make his case to stay in:

“I’m just a player. I understand there’s a decision that you cannot control. It just happened … I think next time they have to make sure to ask me before taking me out of the game.”

That’s not exactly what you want to hear from a player who already raised eyebrows last week by calling out a lack of attendance at his start.

Although he had to settle for a no-decision on Tuesday, it’s hard to argue that any pitcher in MLB has had a more impressive start to the 2026 season than Alcantara. He began the season with seven scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies, then shut out the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

His line on Tuesday against the Reds: 8 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. His ERA is now 0.74 through 24 1/3 innings.

It’s not the highest degree of difficulty, given his opponents, but that’s still everything the Marlins could want to see from a pitcher who looked like the best in baseball back in 2022. He has struggled with injuries since then, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023 and posting a career-high 5.36 ERA in his return last season. He entered 2026 facing a make-or-break season, and he seems to be doing the former.

If Alcantara is once again looking like an ace and also signaling his unhappiness in Miami, it’s going to trigger more than a little trade speculation. That’s an area in which Alcantara is already well-versed.

Read Entire Article