MIAMI -- One week after Sandy Alcantara threw a complete game against the Nationals, manager Dave Martinez encouraged his team to be aggressive in the strike zone versus the Cy Young Award candidate.

Hot-hitting Joey Meneses had gone 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in his last meeting with the righty, and he heeded Martinez’s advice to swiftly erase that zero on Saturday.

Meneses jumped on the first pitch he saw from Alcantara, sending a sinker out to right field at loanDepot park for his 11th home run in 45 games since debuting on Aug. 2.

“The last time I faced him, it seemed like I had let a few pitches get me to get deep in the count, and it seemed like it favored him,” Meneses said following the Nats’ 4-1 loss to the Marlins. “He’s a very good pitcher, and you don’t want to let that happen.”

It was Meneses’ first dinger in the first inning this season. All but two of his homers have come in the sixth frame or later.

“He was aggressive tonight against me,” said Alcantara. “I tried to go attack with a first pitch for strike, and you guys can see he swung early.”

Meneses’ home run was a quick sign for Alcantara to make adjustments that led to an eight-inning, 11-strikeout performance. He did not allow another run after the first-inning blast.

“I don't know if you guys can see the homer that I [gave up] tonight, but after that, I tried to locate my two-seam, try to throw my best slider tonight and try to strike out people,” he said.

When asked where Alcantara ranks among pitchers he has faced so far, Meneses repeated, “Number one, number one.” Matchups like this can be a measuring stick for what the 30-year-old rookie has accomplished and how he still can improve.

Meneses went 1-for-3 against Alcantara on Saturday with a groundout to third base and a swinging strikeout on the fastest slider of Alcantara’s career (94.9 mph).

“It’s obviously very difficult facing someone of his caliber, those kind of starters,” Meneses said. “It’s a matter of making adjustments, and it’s hard to make the adjustments as well. But it’s just a very difficult at-bat in general.”

Meneses won’t face Alcantara for the rest of the season, but he will step into the box against the playoff-hungry Braves, Phillies and Mets. His slash line stood at .324/.359/.571 with a .930 OPS following Saturday’s contest, with steep competition on the horizon.

“He’s been really [good] for us all year long,” said manager Dave Martinez. “And I’m not just talking about just with us -- I’m talking about the whole year. Even in [Triple-A] Rochester, he was very good. He comes up here and he doesn’t miss a beat. That says a lot to me.”