Alcantara Falters Again as Loss Snaps Marlins' Winning Streak

A former Marlin made his old team pay. 

Jesus Sanchez hit a grand slam in the sixth inning put the Toronto Blue Jays well ahead of the Miami Marlins 8-1 on Tuesday in Toronto. Sanchez, who was on the Marlins last season, finished 2-for-4 for the Blue Jays. 

The Marlins (26-30) saw their four-game win streak snap. Sandy Alcantara lasted 5.2 innings with a season-high eight runs allowed on 10 hits to drop to 3-4 on the season. The 30-year-old pitcher has a 6.30 ERA in his last seven starts. 

“I think every start, whether it's veteran or not, Daniel (Moskos) and company get with him and it's discussed,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said during his postgame press conference. “The things that went well, the things that we're going to look to improve on moving forward and try to get some of the pitches with two strikes in better spots. Just had some pitches leak today over the plate that they put good swings on them.”

The Blue Jays (26-29) started the scoring in the second inning when Alcantara gave up a 373 foot home run to Ernie Clement who took it deep to left centerfield, putting Toronto up 1-0. 

The scoring didn't stop there as the Blue Jays added another run when Kazuma Okamoto drove in Daulton Varsho, who singled earlier in the inning, to increase the lead to 2-0. 

Jakob Marsee singled in the fifth inning to give the Marlins life. Marsee then reached third base after a throwing error by the Blue Jays catcher in an attempt to get Marsee who was attempting to steal second base. Hernandez singled to shortstop, scoring Marsee and giving Miami their only score of the day. Miami cut the lead to 2-1, and that's the closest they came to taking the lead all game. 

Yohendrick Pinango hit a solo shot for the Blue Jays in the sixth inning, but it was a grand slam by Sanchez that put the game out of reach for Miami. Sanchez hit a 98 mph fastball over the right field wall scoring Lenyn Sosa, George Springer and Varsho to put the Blue Jays up 8-1 for what would be the final score. 

“We just couldn't find a way to finish that inning,” McCullough said. “I'm sure the Otto (Lopez) play he makes often, and just wasn't able to there. We weren't able to stop the bleeding and they were able to put up a big number.”

Spencer Miles (2-0) earned the win for Toronto, for going 4.2 innings, giving up three hits and one earned run.

The series finale will take place Wednesday, May 27 at 1:07 p.m. Eury Perez will be on the mound for Miami, and Kevin Gausman will lead the Blue Jays. 

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