Sandy Alcantara pitched a two-hit shutout -- his first career complete game -- to lead the host Miami Marlins to a 3-0 win over the struggling New York Mets on Sunday afternoon.
The Marlins, who have the worst record in the majors, completed a three-game sweep for their longest winning streak of the season.
Meanwhile, with rumors circulating that New York manager Mickey Callaway may get fired, the Mets have lost a season-high five straight games. The Mets have also endured 19 consecutive scoreless innings.
Alcantara (2-4) won his first game since March 31. He allowed just two singles and one walk, striking out eight. He induced 19 swing-and-miss strikes among his 89 pitches and retired the Mets' leadoff batter in eight of his nine innings.
It was the first complete game by a Marlins pitcher since Edinson Volquez threw a no-hitter in 2017.
Miami's offense was led by two former Mets -- Neil Walker and Curtis Granderson. Walker went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored and Granderson hit a solo homer.
Mets starter Noah Syndergaard (3-4) took a hard-luck loss. He allowed five hits, one walk and two runs in seven innings, striking out three.
Mets second baseman Robinson Cano, who has drawn criticism this season for not running hard out of the batters' box, went 0-for-3, bouncing into two double plays. On one of those DPs, Cano did not run at all, thinking the ball was foul.
Miami opened the scoring in the sixth. Rosell Herrera, who was not in the original starting lineup but came in when Jon Berti was scratched due to a left oblique injury, started the rally with a hustle double to right-center.
Herrera, who got to second by challenging the arm of right fielder Brandon Nimmo, advanced on Alcantara's bunt single and scored when Granderson bounced into a double play.
The Marlins stretched their lead to 2-0 in the seventh. Walker pulled a leadoff double to right center, advanced on Starlin Castro's groundout and scored on Miguel Rojas' sacrifice fly to shallow center field, beating Juan Lagares' throw.
Granderson pulled his home run to right in the eighth. It was his fifth homer of the season.
--Field Level Media
NY Mets | Miami | |
Noah Syndergaard | Player | Sandy Alcantara |
Loss | W/L | Win |
7.0 | IP | 9.0 |
3 | Strikeouts | 8 |
5 | Hits | 2 |
2.57 | ERA | 0.00 |
NY Mets | Miami | |
J.D. Davis | Player | Neil Walker |
2 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
2 | TB | 3 |
.667 | Avg | .667 |