Sandy Alcantara recorded his second complete game of the season on Wednesday afternoon, lifting the Miami Marlins to a 7-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Showing the form that made him the National League Cy Young Award winner, Alcantara (4-9) allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven to help snap Miami's 10-game road losing streak. It was his first win since June 27 against the Boston Red Sox.
Luis Arraez had two hits and two RBIs, raising his MLB-leading batting average to .376. Jacob Stallings added two hits and drove in two runs.
The Marlins salvaged a split in the "Citrus Series" to improve to 2-9 since the All-Star break. Tampa Bay is 2-8 in its last 10 games.
Alcantara, who threw 97 pitches on Wednesday, previously tossed a complete game on April 4 against the Minnesota Twins. He has gone the distance 11 times in his career.
Tampa Bay's Zach Eflin (11-6) was tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings. The Rays announced he was taken out due to left knee discomfort.
A three-run fourth inning broke things open for Miami. Garrett Hampson started the rally with a bunt single, with Eflin making a sliding attempt to field the ball -- a move that led to the left knee discomfort.
Yuli Gurriel singled and Jon Berti was intentionally walked to fill the bases. Stallings had an RBI single, Dane Myers lifted a sacrifice fly and Arraez added a ground-rule double to give the Marlins a 5-1 advantage.
Miami added insurance in the fifth inning on Bryan De La Cruz's home run off Calvin Faucher. Arraez added an RBI single in the sixth.
The Marlins got on the board with two runs in the second inning. Gurriel doubled with one out and scored on Berti's single to center. Stallings' RBI double to left brought home Berti from first.
Tampa Bay scratched back with a run in the third inning. Josh Lowe doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jose Siri's RBI single to right field put the Rays on the board.
In the ninth inning, the Rays picked up singles from Brandon Lowe and Luke Raley but Alcantara retired Isaac Paredes on a line drive to center.
--Field Level Media
Miami | Tampa Bay | |
Sandy Alcantara | Player | Zach Eflin |
Win | W/L | Loss |
9.0 | IP | 4.0 |
7 | Strikeouts | 3 |
5 | Hits | 7 |
1.00 | ERA | 11.25 |