‘I’m ... ready’: Marlins’ Alcantara keeps Yankees in check for third complete game of 2023

Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara got Aaron Judge to whiff on a 98.7 mph sinker to end the eighth inning Saturday, rebounding from his one long inning against the New York Yankees by striking out the side in order.

As he made his way to the dugout, he was bracing for a conversation with Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Alcantara was already at 104 pitches, more than he had thrown in all but three games this season entering the day.

The conversation, as Alcantara recalled it, was brief.

“You ready?” Schumaker asked him.

“I’m [expletive] ready,” Alcantara responded.

So the Marlins’ ace jogged back to the mound for the ninth inning with Miami up by two runs. An announced crowd of 33,980 at loanDepot park roared for the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner who has been inconsistent for most of the 2023 season but is trying to close the season on a high note as the Marlins compete for a playoff berth.

Alcantara gave up a leadoff single in the ninth to Gleyber Torres, putting his outing in jeopardy of ending.

But Alcantara responded by striking out Giancarlo Stanton, getting Billy McKinney to flyout to left field and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to groundout to third base.

Win secured. Complete game secured. Latest bounceback effort secured.

Behind 116 pitches thrown from Alcantara’s right arm, the Marlins defeated the Yankees 3-1 on Saturday.

It was his MLB-leading third complete game of the season and the 12th overall in his career, all with the Marlins. That’s the third-most in franchise history, behind only Dontrelle Willis (15) and A.J. Burnett (14).

His other complete games this season were his shutout of the Minnesota Twins on April 4 and his nine innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 26.

“Today,” Schumaker said, “was as good as you have seen him. Maybe the Twins game matches that, but with where we’re at in the season, for him to do that ... it was a really impressive outing at a time when our team needed it the most.”

On Saturday, Alcantara held the Yankees to just five hits and two walks while striking out ten. He effectively mixed in all of his pitches, throwing 37 sinkers, 28 changeups, 26 sliders, 23 four-seam fastballs and two curveballs.

His velocity and command both remained stable through the very end of the game, too. The velocity on his 116th and final pitch, a sinker: 98.8 mph.

“That guy’s nasty,” said second baseman Luis Arraez, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give Alcantara all the run support he would need. “We need that guy.”

And Saturday was just the latest key performance in a turnaround second half of the season so far for Alcantara.

Alcantara has pitched at least six innings in all six of his starts since the All-Star Break. He has a 2.45 ERA in that span, giving up just 12 earned runs on 36 hits and seven walks with 41 strikeouts over 44 innings.

The 44 innings are the most by any pitcher since the All-Star Break. The 2.45 ERA is the fifth-best among pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings since the All-Star Break, behind only the Phillies’ Michael Lorenzen (1.26 ERA in 35 2/3 innings), the Padres’ Blake Snell (1.97 ERA in 32 innings), the Reds’ Graham Ashcraft (2.11 ERA in 38 1/3 innings) and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (2.43 ERA in 33 1/3 innings), the latter of whom starts Sunday against the Marlins. The 41 strikeouts are also the fifth-most on this side of the All-Star Break.

For comparison, Alcantara pitched to a 4.72 ERA in his first 18 starts of the season, failing to complete at least six innings seven times and allowing at least four earned runs nine times.

“I just think the quality of the strike that he’s throwing is better than it was in the first half,” Schumaker said. “It wasn’t just throwing strikes. It’s the command of all his pitches in the strike zone and the part of the strike zone that he wants it. The strength has always been there. The pitch characteristic has always been there. It’s just where he’s been throwing it.”

On Saturday, Alcantara was efficient with his pitch count Saturday despite rarely having a clean inning.

He allowed a baserunner in five of his first eight innings, yet threw 16 or fewer pitches in all but one inning. This included three innings where he needed less than 10 pitches.

The only inning when his pitch count got elevated was the seventh, when he gave up his lone run of the game on a Kinler-Falefa single that scored McKinney, who reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on a balk. Alcantara responded in the eighth by striking out the side in order — Kyle Higashioka looking, Jake Bauers and Judge swinging.

With Alcantara’s pitch count as high as it was after eight innings, Schumaker had a decision to make: Either let Alcantara go out for the ninth inning and try to end the game on his own or go to closer David Robertson out of the bullpen.

Schumaker went the latter route two Alcantara starts ago, when he was at 101 pitches over eight shutout innings and the move burned him.

This time, Schumaker said, was different.

“Watching the eighth inning, it was as good of an inning as he pitched the whole game,” Schumaker said. “All his pitches were still working. The velocity was still where he wanted. Where he wanted to place the slider and changeup was still there. ... At this point, he works so hard in the weight room and in between outings that it’s not like he’s not conditioned for over 100 pitches. Felt like the way he’s been feeling that it was time to let him go.”

So Schumaker gave Alcantara the ball for the ninth inning. It paid off.

“My preparation, what I do — not just outside but inside — they’ve just got to believe,” Alcantara said. “I believe in myself. Give me the opportunity. If I get in trouble, then take me out.”