NEW YORK -- Sandy Alcantara was superb on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, and it helped the Marlins defeat the Mets, 5-1, and win the four-game series.
Alcantara looked like the pitcher who dominated the National League in 2022, when he won the Cy Young Award. Playing in his first season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Alcantara had one of his best games of the season, throwing seven innings and allowing one run on four hits while striking out six.
Alcantara’s fastball was clocked as high as 100.3 mph. In fact, he reached the century mark four times in the game and had 17 swings and misses. The Mets scored their lone run off Alcantara in the seventh inning, right after frustration boiled over on New York’s side.
After he was hit by an Alcantara pitch to put runners on first and second, Mark Vientos voiced frustration to the Marlins' righty about getting plunked. Seconds later, both benches and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown. New York scored later that inning when Jeff McNeil came home on a groundout by Cedric Mullins.
"I don't know what he was thinking,” Alcantara said. “It was a changeup and he started staring at me and I didn't like that. It just happened. Sunday, you [are fired up], the next day, you are sitting at a bar drinking together. It just happened."
According to his childhood friend, Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards, Vientos was not upset over getting plunked.
“I talked to him a little bit,” Edwards said. “He said he was a little upset about Sandy quick-pitching, I think, more so than about the pitch. I’m sure, out of hindsight, he probably looked at the video and saw a changeup, not a fastball. No one would throw a changeup intentionally. He was more upset about [quick-pitching].”
The skirmish between the two clubs couldn’t take away the fact that Alcantara was back to his old self on the mound. During the first half, he wasn’t sure if he would get his groove back. Before the All-Star break, Alcantara was inconsistent, going 4-9 with a 7.22 ERA. One could understand the disappointing numbers. He was out of action for more than a year, so rust played a role in his slow start.
“After losing close to two years, coming back was hard,” Alcantara said. “I think I was thinking too much and I was getting tired quickly. After the second half, my arm started reacting to the game. Everything has turned out great now.”
Throughout the first half, Alcantara still had a positive attitude. He thought about the family who raised him in the Dominican Republic.
“I come from a family that put you in the right direction,” Alcantara said. “I think you have to do the same thing. It’s going to be the first time you are going to have bad outings, so you have to understand that. You have to be comfortable with what God gave to you. Every time I had a bad day, I just took it. I know when he gives me a good day, I’m going to feel good.”
Alcantara has felt good since the All-Star break, going 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 57 innings.
“After the second half, my mentality went completely different -- my workouts, my routine. Everything was different,” he said. “The way I have been attacking the hitters, you can see I’ve been getting more strikeouts and more ground balls.”
The Marlins scored all five runs off Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, who lasted 4 2/3 innings. Agustín Ramírez highlighted the scoring with a two-run homer in the third inning.
The Marlins have been playing much better than what the prognosticators expected, with some predicting the club would lose 100 games or more. But Miami is 65-72 and in third place in the NL East. They still have an outside chance of finishing the season with a .500 record or better.
“There are a lot of young players that are hungry all the time. They want to be out there, have an opportunity to play the game and win the game,” Alcantara said.
Alcantara loves the positive outlook and wants to stay with the team for the foreseeable future.
“I want to stay here. Miami grew on me. My family lives there. They feel comfortable over there,” Alcantara said. “It’s close to my country. An hour and 40 minutes [by plane]. Who wouldn’t want to be in Miami? It’s the right place for me.”
However, Alcantara heard all the trade rumors throughout the first half and it didn’t bother him.
“I’m a player. I have to be ready for any move or opportunity,” he said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be traded. I travel with the team, support my teammates. If they make a move, I can’t control that. Every day I go out there and do my best.”