Field Level Media
Jun 29, 2018
Right-hander Sandy Alcantara took advantage of a six-run third inning to record his first major league win in his 2018 season debut Friday night, pitching the Miami Marlins to an 8-2 victory over the New York Mets in the opener of a three-game series in Miami.
Lewis Brinson opened the third-inning uprising with a solo home run, and JT Riddle capped it with a three-run shot, providing Alcantara (1-0) all the offense he would need to snap the Marlins' three-game losing streak.
Mets rookie Corey Oswalt (0-1), making his first big-league start, couldn't finish the third inning and took the loss.
Acquired from St. Louis in the Marcell Ozuna trade in December, Alcantara made 14 starts at Triple-A before getting his first shot with the Marlins on Friday. He allowed three hits and walked five in five innings, but limited the Mets to a single run before leaving with a 6-1 lead. He struck out two.
The 22-year-old pitched eight times for the Cardinals last season, all in relief.
After Brinson ignited the big third inning with his 10th homer of the season, J.T. Realmuto followed a walk to Derek Dietrich and a single by Brian Anderson with an RBI single to increase the lead to 2-0.
Oswalt, making his just second big-league appearance, got a second out before Starlin Castro singled for a three-run lead, after which Riddle belted his fourth homer of the season to make it 6-0.
Oswalt was pulled at that point, having allowed six runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
The Marlins, who had totaled just four runs during their three-game losing streak, added single runs in the sixth and eighth, sandwiching a Mets tally against the Miami bullpen in the top of the eighth.
The only run allowed by Alcantara was the result of an RBI double by Devin Mesoraco in the fourth inning that got the Mets within 6-1.
Riddle had two hits and three RBIs for the Marlins, who improved to 2-3 on their 10-game homestand.
Brinson collected a single, double and homer, scoring twice, while Castro had two hits and two runs scored. Miami won its third straight against the Mets after losing the first four head-to-heads this season.
Jose Bautista had two hits, including a double, for the Mets, who lost for the ninth time in their last 10 games.
New York has allowed five or more runs in all nine of the losses.
--Field Level Media