MIAMI (AP) — Sandy Alcantara threw his major league-leading third complete game and the Miami Marlins beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 Wednesday night.
The All-Star right-hander allowed six hits, walked one and struck out three on 105 pitches for his third career shutout. Alcantara (10-4) is the first Marlins pitcher to reach double-digit victories in a season since Caleb Smith won 10 in 2019.
“I am very happy about that, hopefully it won’t be just 10 but 15 or 20,” Alcantara said.
Alcantara snapped a tie with Houston’s Framber Valdez for the league lead in complete games.
Luke Williams had three hits and stole a career-high three bases while Jesús Aguilar homered for the Marlins, who snapped a nine-game home losing skid.
The Reds loaded the bases and with two out in the first, but Alcantara retired Donovan Solano on a force at home and Aristides Aquino on a fly to left field.
After Cincinnati forced him to throw 22 pitches in the inning, Alcantara needed 83 the remainder of his outing.
“To get out of that was big,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I felt at that point, he was going to settle in and they were in for a full dose of Sandy.”
In the lead-up to the All-Star break, Alcantara had completed at least seven innings in 13 consecutive outings. But he lasted 11 innings total in his first two starts following the break.
“Pitching only one inning in the All-Star got me out of rhythm,” Alcantara said. “That one inning held me back a bit. But we are fine now.”
Aguilar put Miami ahead 1-0 with his solo shot in the fourth. He drove a slider from Reds starter Mike Minor into the seats in left for his 13th homer and the Marlins’ first lead in the series.
Garrett Cooper’s two-run double in the fifth made it 3-0. Williams…
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