The Cardinals Dominate the Series, but Alcantara Stands in the Way of a Sweep
The Cardinals have been on fire in their series against the Marlins, scoring an impressive 15 runs and racking up 22 hits in just two games. However, their hopes of a series sweep were put on hold on Wednesday night as they faced off against the formidable Sandy Alcantara.
Despite the Cardinals’ strong offensive performance, Alcantara proved to be a tough opponent. The Marlins’ pitcher only allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out nine batters over seven innings. His impressive performance led the Marlins to a victory in Miami.
The Cardinals may have dominated the first two games of the series, but Alcantara’s skill and determination stood in their way of a clean sweep. With his strong pitching, he was able to shut down the Cardinals’ offense and secure a win for his team.
As the series continues, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals can find a way to overcome Alcantara’s formidable presence on the mound. Will they be able to maintain their offensive momentum and secure a win in the final game of the series? Only time will tell.
Former Cardinal Sandy Alcantara Dominates as Marlins Defeat Cardinals 5-1 in Series Finale
MIAMI – After scoring a combined 15 runs and recording 22 hits in the first two games of the series, the Cardinals were unable to complete the sweep against the Marlins on Wednesday night. The reason? Former Cardinal Sandy Alcantara.
The right-hander led the Marlins to victory, allowing just one earned run and striking out nine over seven dominant innings. This was Alcantara’s eighth career start against his original team, and he lowered his ERA in those games to an impressive 1.66.
The only run for the Cardinals came on a home run by Willson Contreras in the sixth inning, his team-leading 17th of the season. The Marlins gave Alcantara an early 3-0 lead against Cardinals’ starter Andre Pallante, who struggled and ultimately fell to 0-4 in his four August starts.
At the Plate
Alcantara shut out the Cardinals on one hit through the first four innings. A passed ball on strike three led to the unearned run in the fifth, which scored on a ground-rule double by Lars Nootbaar, their only hit with a runner in scoring position. The only hit after Contreras’ home run was an infield single by Thomas Saggese with two outs in the sixth. The Cardinals struck out a total of 13 times, with Contreras, Nolan Gorman, and Jordan Walker all fanning three times.
On the Mound
Pallante struggled, allowing eight hits, walking three, and hitting two batters. He was able to escape bases-loaded jams in the second and fourth innings, allowing only one run. However, he was lifted after giving up a home run to Max Acosta, his first major-league hit, with one out in the sixth. Relievers Andre Granillo and Ryan Fernandez combined to walk four batters in the eighth, giving the Marlins their final run.
Key Stat
Pallante’s struggles continued as he fell to 0-4 in his four August starts, allowing 17 earned runs in just 17 innings for an ERA of 9.00.
Worth Noting
The three games in Miami drew a total attendance of 25,471. In his four starts in August for Triple-A Memphis, Quinn Matthews has worked 21 2/3 innings with a 2.91 ERA. He has allowed 16 hits, walked six, and recorded 30 strikeouts.
Up Next
The Cardinals will head to Tampa to open a three-game series against the Rays on Thursday night. Sonny Gray is scheduled to start for the Cardinals, while the Rays are playing their home games this season at the Yankees’ spring training facility after Tropicana Field was heavily damaged by a hurricane.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains for more Cardinals news and updates.
