MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara had already thrown 104 pitches when he trotted out of the dugout and back to the loanDepot park mound for the seventh inning on Thursday. The Miami Marlins’ ace was likely on a short leash with his pitch count in triple digits for a third consecutive start.
He barely broke a sweat in his final frame of work.
Alcantara needed just seven pitches — and got assisted by two great defensive plays behind him — to record a perfect inning on the way to a 3-0 Marlins win over the San Francisco Giants to begin a four-game series. Miami improves to 21-28 after recording its third shutout victory of the season. The Giants fall to 27-23 and were shut out for the third time.
The 26-year-old righty’s final line: Seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts while allowing just five baserunners on three hits and two walks. He threw 111 pitches, 73 of which landed for strikes.
His sixth strikeout of the game — Jason Vosler swinging and missing on a 93.6 mph changeup — was the 500th of his MLB career.
It was Alcantara’s fifth consecutive quality start, defined as pitching at least six innings while allowing no more than three earned runs. The Marlins have won all five of those games and Alcantara has a 0.69 ERA (three earned runs in 39 innings) with 45 strikeouts against eight walks in that span to drop his season ERA to a National League-low 1.81, just passing teammate Pablo Lopez (1.83)
But early on, it seemed questionable if Alcantara would make it that deep into the game against a Giants team that entered the day ranked in the top-10 of MLB in a slew of offensive categories, including runs scored, on-base-plus slugging percentage and home runs.
Alcantara needed at least 19 pitches in three of his first four innings as San Francisco hitters put together lengthy at-bats.
But Alcantara settled in as the game progressed — as he always seems to do.
He needed just 14 pitches in the fifth inning, erasing a Joey Bart one-out walk when Tommy La Stella hit into an inning-ending double play.
He needed just 16 pitches in the sixth inning, striking out Mike Yastrzemski and Joc Pederson with a Wilmer Flores ground out in between.
And he needed just seven pitches in the seventh with the help of his defense. Luke Williams made a solid grab in left field on a Luis Gonzalez fly ball for the first out. Alcantara then fielded his position when Thairo Estra hit a soft grounder back to the mound. And then shortstop Miguel Rojas robbed Donovan Walton of a hit when he made an over-the-shoulder grab of a popup that looked like it was going to fall in shallow center field.
Alcantara punched his fist into his glove with a smile on his face as Rojas recorded the final out of his start.
And the offense, fresh of scoring 26 runs in a doubleheader split against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, gave Alcantara just enough run support. A Jacob Stallings single in the second drove in Avisail Garcia, who led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a Rojas walk. The Marlins then added two more runs in the sixth on a Jesus Aguilar RBI double and Rojas RBI single.
Steven Okert threw a scoreless eighth inning and Tanner Scott recorded his second save of the season with a perfect ninth.
Bracing for storm
A team spokesperson said the Marlins are aware of and monitoring the impending inclement weather that could come from Potential Tropical Cyclone One that is expected to impact South Florida and drop four to six inches — and in some areas up to a foot — of rain Friday and Saturday.
A tropical storm watch was issued for South Florida on Thursday.
As of Thursday night, Marlins game times have not changed. Friday’s first pitch against the Giants is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Saturday’s game is slated to start at 4:10 p.m.
Injury updates
— First baseman Garrett Cooper (intercostal tightness) hit in the cage pregame and was available off the bench.
— Right-handed pitcher Anthony Bender (back stiffness) played catch pregame.
— Right-handed pitchers Sixto Sanchez (right shoulder) is completing his dry mound work and is throwing at 75 mph. He has been throwing on flat ground from 105 feet.
— Infielder Joey Wendle (right hamstring) had a PRP injection Thursday.
— Third baseman/outfielder Brian Anderson (back spasms) is progressing and participating in baseball activities.
