Wednesday’s Game Report: Marlins 6, Cardinals 2
By Rob Rains
The Cardinals scored 15 runs and had 22 hits in the first two games of the series against the Marlins but standing in the way of a potential series sweep on Wednesday night was Sandy Alcantara.
So much for the hopes of winning three games in a row for the first time since the last week of June.
Alcantara scattered five hits, allowed one earned run and struck out nine over seven innings in carrying the Marlins to the win in Miami.
The former Cardinal has made eight career starts against his original team and lowered his ERA in those games to 1.66.
The only earned 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 Andre Pallante, who gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Cardinals fell to 1-9 in his last 10 starts dating back to June 20.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
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 the home run from Contreras 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 allowed eight hits, walked three and hit two batters. He was able to get out of bases-loaded jams in the second and fourth innings, allowing only one run. He was lifted after giving up a home run to Max Acosta, his first major-league hit, with one out in the sixth … Andre Granillo and Ryan Fernandez combined to walk four batters in the eighth, giving the Marlins their final run.
Key stat: Pallante fell to 0-4 in his four August starts, allowing 17 earned runs in 17 innings, 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 open a three-game series against the Rays on Thursday night in Tampa. Sonny Gray is the scheduled starter. The Rays are playing their home games this season at the Yankees’ spring training facility after Tropicana Field was heavily damaged by a hurricane.
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