End of Alcantara's dominant stretch was simply 'un-Sandy-like'

MIAMI -- All good things must come to an end. Of course, there’s plenty left of the 2022 season, but for now Sandy Alcantara’s ridiculously dominant streak has ended.

Despite a more “average” performance in his previous outing, Alcantara entered Friday seeking his third straight start with double-digit strikeouts. Instead, the NL Cy Young Award contender allowed a season-high eight hits and needed 52 pitches to get through the first two innings of the Marlins’ 6-4 series-opening loss to the Mets at loanDepot park.

The Marlins knew this would happen eventually. They knew that, at some point, Alcantara would step off the statistical podium he had graced for much of the season and would prove to be human once again. Yet even after surrendering four runs in five innings, he still leads the Majors in innings pitched (149 1/3) and the National League in ERA (1.99).

“You don't get to him,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “We're coming off an emotional series in New York. You come in here and you're facing one of, if not the best pitcher in the league, maybe baseball, and get down 3-0. That's a tip of the hat to our guys. You had to grind him. And we probably caught him on one of those very rare days where he's not his normal self, but you have to take advantage of it, too."

Alcantara wasn’t himself. He was going to the plate quicker than usual through the first three innings -- even Marlins manager Don Mattingly, self proclaimed “not a pitching guy,” noticed. But he trusted his ace, and gladly took five innings of Alcantara, even if it wasn’t the quality start to which Miami has grown accustomed.

“We know what’s going on,” Mattingly said. “[We know] it’s going to be a fiver -- five or six [innings] -- when he’s over 50 after two. [There’s a] pretty good chance he’s not going much past six unless -- six would be a stretch and that’s when he’s getting quick outs.

“You have confidence in Sandy that he's going to regroup. He's hard to put together, you know, a ton of good at-bats against. … His stuff is good enough that even when he's a little off, he’s not just going to get beat up. And so you're confident in that.”

It’s that understanding that even Alcantara’s mediocre stuff is still better than most, along with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr.’s intimate knowledge of Alcantara’s mechanics, that enables Miami’s coaching staff to rely on the right-hander to eat up innings and continue to pitch well.

Alcantara recorded a combined 22 called strikes and whiffs, just eight fewer than in his previous start on Sunday in Pittsburgh, when he went six innings and allowed two runs on two hits and recorded 10 strikeouts. In Alcantara’s last start before the All-Star break, when he struck out 12 over eight innings vs. the Phillies, he collected 36 called strikes and whiffs

It also helped that Alcantara was able to trust his defense and bullpen. Miami’s No. 4 prospect, JJ Bleday, showed off his skills in center field, making an impressive sliding catch for the final out of the first inning. Dylan Floro and Anthony Bass -- both of whom are potential trade targets as the 6 p.m. ET Tuesday Deadline approaches -- each provided a scoreless, hitless inning.

The main difference between Friday night and Alcantara’s typical dominance was that half of his pitches came in the first two innings. There was no doubt in Mattingly’s mind that he was going to get at least 100 pitches out of his ace, even after Alcantara allowed three runs in the top of the second inning and had thrown 69 pitches through three innings. Alcantara will return to his usual form eventually, but even his less-than-perfect self produces.

“Even when he's not as sharp as he can be, he's going to keep you in the game,” Mattingly said. "And so obviously not as good, not like we're kind of getting accustomed to and getting spoiled to him going seven, eight innings every time he goes out there. I'd say the last two have been a little un-Sandy-like, but we know that's going to right itself.”