Marlins’ Alcantara pitches 1:57 CG, majors’ 1st this season
MIAMI (AP) — Sandy Alcantara pitched the major leagues’ first complete game this season, a three-hitter that led the Miami Marlins to a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, who pitched six of the big leagues’ 36 complete games last season, struck out five and walked one in a 1-hour, 57-minute game that was the shortest of the season.
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“My focus was to finish the game,” Alcantara said. “It doesn’t matter how many pitches.”
Avisaíl Garcia homered in the second inning for the game’s only run.
“Seeing Sandy on the other side too many times, it was a treat to watch not only during the game but in the four days he prepares,” said Marlins first-year manager Skip Schumaker. “He is a special human and an even better player.”
Twins starter Kenta Maeda, who missed last season after having Tommy John surgery, struck out nine before leaving in the sixth with apparent arm fatigue. The 34-year-old Maeda (0-1), who had not pitched since Aug. 21, 2021, allowed three hits and threw 79 pitches.
“Happy for him with his first outing after surgery and we’re excited to see him back on the mound,” Twins catcher Christian Vázquez said. “When he’s on, he’s on, and he’s going to help us win a lot of games.”
Alcantara (1-0) threw 68 of his 100 pitches for strikes. He bounced back from a 5 2/3-inning outing on opening day against the New York Mets in which he allowed three runs and walked four.
“This is a game that you try to improve because there are highs and lows in a season,” Alcantara said. “I heard some negative comments after the first game and I like that. I know what I have and today I was able to quiet some people.”
Alcantara retired the first 11 batters before Trevor Larnach beat out a soft grounder to third for an infield single in the fourth.
The crowd of 10,668 cheered Alcantara as he jogged to the mound to start the ninth. Alcantara allowed Carlos Correa’s one-out single before retiring Larnach on a double-play grounder for his 10th career complete game and fourth shutout.
Schumaker had reliever A.J. Puk warming up in the ninth but opted to stick with his ace.
The Twins lost for the first time after starting the season with four straight victories.
García gave the Marlins the only run they would need when he drove Maeda’s slider over the wall in left for his first homer. García received a clock violation during the at-bat.
Machado 1st player ejected over pitch clock violation
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado became the first player ejected in an argument that followed a pitch clock violation, getting tossed in the first inning as the San Diego Padres lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-6 on Tuesday.
San Diego wasted a 5-1 lead and José Herrera singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth, when the Diamondbacks were helped by two errors. Josh Rojas scored the final run when he stole home as part of a double steal. Rojas had three hits and two RBIs.
The big drama came seven innings earlier when Machado was ejected by plate umpire Ron Kulpa after being called out on strikes on a pitch clock violation ending the first.
Nelson Cruz and Xander Bogaerts homered for the Padres. Kevin Ginkel (1-0) got the win and Luis Garcia (0-1) the loss. Drey Jameson allowed Trent Grisham’s homer in the ninth but earned his first save.
PHILLIES 4, YANKEES 1
NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit his 200th career homer on the game’s second pitch from Domingo Germán (0-1) and added an RBI single as the Philadelphia Phillies became the last team in the major leagues to get a win this season.
The NL champions had been outscored 37-12 during an 0-4 start and were on the verge on their poorest beginning to a season since dropping their first seven games in 1934.
Andrew Bellatti (1-0) pitched the fifth for the win.
RAYS 10, NATIONALS 6
WASHINGTON (AP) — Luke Raley, Josh Lowe and Yandy Díaz homered in the ninth inning as Tampa Bay rallied. At 5-0, the Rays are off to the best start since the 2016 Baltimore Orioles won their first seven games.
Raley hit his third homer in two nights, a leadoff drive in the ninth off Kyle Finnegan (0-1) that tied the score 6-6. Lowe followed with a shot into the second deck in right-center. With two on and one out, Diaz capped the outburst with a three-run homer.
Ryan Thompson (1-0) pitched one inning for the win.
BREWERS 9, METS 0
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rowdy Tellez, Brian Anderson and Garrett Mitchell hit consecutive home runs off Max Scherzer (1-1) in the sixth, and Wade Miley earned his 100th win. Milwaukee has outscored the Mets 19-0 in consecutive games.
Anderson and Mitchell also connected for back-to-back homers in the seventh off Brooks Raley. Anderson, who homered Monday, had a two-run double in the first against Scherzer and finished with six RBIs.
Miley (1-0) gave up five hits in six innings, and the Mets were shut out in consecutive games for the first time since June 2021 against Atlanta.
Scherzer allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. The only other time the three-time Cy Young Award winner gave up three successive homers came in July 2017 with Washington at Arizona when David Peralta, AJ Pollock and Jake Lamb went deep in the first.