SAN FRANCISCO -- In the early days of 2023, the Marlins have thrived on razor-thin margins, beginning the season with a perfect 12-0 record in one-run games.

Satisfying as it may be to come out on top in close games -- especially after recording 40 losses decided by a single run in 2022 -- it wasn't a sustainable approach, and there was bound to be regression to the mean.

The Marlins came out on the wrong side of a one-run game for only the second time this season on Friday night, falling 4-3 to the Giants and ending their season-high-tying winning streak at four. Miami had multiple chances to put up a crooked number but fell short in the end, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

With the series-opening loss, the Marlins are now 14-2 in one-run games in 2023, still a far superior mark to the '22 squad. But they'd prefer not to live on the margins.

"Get more insurance runs, not just play with one-run leads," manager Skip Schumaker said. "It's just dangerous when that happens."

Returning to the ballpark where he launched his Cy Young Award-winning campaign on Opening Day 2022, Sandy Alcantara was solid his first two times facing the Giants' lineup but ended his night on a sour note, surrendering his team's hard-fought lead before exiting in the sixth inning.

Alcantara is no exception to the general rule that pitchers tend to fare worse when facing batters for the third time. But he has seen a steep dropoff compared with last season. In 2022, Alcantara allowed a .638 OPS the third time through the order, as compared with a .925 OPS in eight starts in '23 entering Friday's tilt.

That trend continued as Giants batters recorded three hits and two walks against Alcantara in the sixth inning, plating three runs to go ahead for good.

"You're not perfect," Alcantara said. "The game is 27 outs. You can't feel comfortable when you take the mound or when you step in the box."

Alcantara's unraveling began with a leadoff walk and a costly throwing error that placed a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out. He was able to get his next two batters to fly out, though they were both hit deep enough to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs.

"Could have kept it first and second; ended up being second and third -- puts you in kind of a hole there," Schumaker said of Alcantara's throwing error.

After allowing two more base hits that bookended a walk, Alcantara's frustrating night was over.

"I'm tired of letting that [stuff] happen to me consistently," Alcantara said. "I've just got to find a way to be more aggressive every time when I've got a lead. I think I just feel a little bit comfortable when my team gives the lead to me."

Run support has been a luxury for Alcantara this season, as the Marlins averaged 2.49 runs in his first eight starts. He was backed by a three-hit effort from Luis Arraez, who raised his batting average to .388, and a three-RBI night from Bryan De La Cruz, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games -- but failed to get the shutdown inning to keep his team on top.

Alcantara's only win of the season came on April 4, when he shut out the Twins over nine innings. Since then, he has gone winless in seven straight games, with Miami dropping six of them.

The Marlins remain confident in their ace, emphasizing that his underlying numbers show that he's been better than the numbers he's put up thus far. And Alcantara can look back on his decorated career -- and the Cy Young Award on his mantle -- to remember what he's capable of as a pitcher.

But the frustration has built with every uneven start of late, and Alcantara will have to find a way to push through. 

"It's difficult in the moment, for sure," catcher Jacob Stallings said. "We're all competing, and it just takes discipline. But it's easier said than done."