DENVER -- The Marlins are trending in the right direction as the sun sets on their 2025 season. But if they are going to continue making strides forward in ’26, they’ll need their former ace to regain the form he had when he won the National League Cy Young Award in ’22.
Sandy Alcantara has looked more like his 2022 self recently, and that continued in Thursday afternoon’s 9-7 win over the Rockies at Coors Field to cap a series sweep and Miami’s seventh victory in eight games.
The right-hander went 6 2/3 innings at the most hitter-friendly venue in the Majors -- and a place where Alcantara has historically struggled, with a 7.56 ERA over three previous starts. He gave up three runs on five hits and two walks to go with eight strikeouts. He owns a 2.70 ERA over seven starts since Aug. 15.
Alcantara was backed by a big game at the plate from Liam Hicks, who went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the third inning and a two-run single in the seventh.
Otto Lopez and Heriberto Hernández also homered -- Lopez went back-to-back with Hicks in the third with a Statcast-projected 446-foot shot over the wall in left-center field, and Hernández belted a pinch-hit two-run homer in the ninth. Troy Johnston and Dane Myers each added an RBI single to help finish the sweep.
Jakob Marsee and Agustín Ramírez each had a pair of hits, with Ramírez doubling twice to become the first rookie in franchise history with at least 30 doubles (31), 20 homers (21) and 10 steals (12) in a season.