Sandy Alcantara took a different route to the finish line Wednesday night, stepping out of Miami’s rotation and into the ninth inning for his first major league save as the Marlins held off the D-backs, 4-3, at Chase Field.
Alcantara Closes Out Miami’s 4-3 Win in Arizona
| Game | Score | Alcantara season workload |
|---|---|---|
| Marlins at D-backs | Miami 4, Arizona 3 | 206 innings, 32 starts, 3.86 ERA |
The former National League Cy Young Award winner entered for a rare bullpen assignment after making 32 starts for Miami this year. His 206 innings lead the Major Leagues, and Wednesday marked his first relief outing since his 2017 rookie season with St. Louis.
Alcantara got Pavin Smith and Tim Tawa on long fly balls, then issued a two-out walk to Lars Nootbaar. Arizona tried to create one last opening, but pinch-runner Jordan Lawlar was thrown out attempting to steal, ending the game and putting the first save of Alcantara’s nine-year career on the board.
A Rotation Workhorse Gets a Bullpen Moment
The appearance came only two days after Alcantara started for Miami, allowing four runs across five innings on Monday. Rather than following his usual starter’s routine, he was handed the final outs in a one-run road game.
For a pitcher whose season has been defined by taking the ball every turn and carrying a heavy innings load, the save was a small but memorable change of uniform role: ace in the rotation, closer for one September night.
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Sandy Alcantara Records First Career Save in Marlins Win
SEO Description
Sandy Alcantara earned his first career save as the Miami Marlins beat the Arizona D-backs 4-3 at Chase Field.
