Sandy Alcántara gets first career save as Marlins desperately cling to playoff hopes — SkimNews
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- Sandy Alcántara recorded his first career save, closing out a 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks in Wednesday's rubber match — just two days after throwing 101 pitches in a start against the same team.
- Alcántara walked Lars Nootbaar in the ninth, but pinch-runner Jordan Lawlar was thrown out trying to steal, sealing the save.
- Alcántara now leads the majors with 206 innings pitched this season and also paces MLB in starts and total pitches thrown.
- He became the first pitcher in nearly 40 years to earn a save on a day he entered with at least a share of the MLB innings-pitched lead, joining Andy Messersham (1975), Phil Niekro (1978), and Orel Hershiser (1987).
- The win pushed the Marlins above .500, but they remain 7½ games behind the Padres for the third and final NL wild-card spot.
- Manager Clayton McCullough said Alcántara communicated his own availability and confirmed he will stay on schedule to make his next start on Sunday.
- It was Alcántara's first relief appearance since his 2017 MLB debut season with the Cardinals.
Why it matters: The Marlins are 7½ games back of the Padres for the final NL wild-card spot with only days left in the regular season, yet Alcántara — already at a major league-leading 206 innings — volunteered to pitch out of the bullpen between starts. His stated commitment to doing 'whatever it takes' signals a roster pulling every lever to keep a dim playoff pulse alive, while McCullough confirmed Alcántara's Sunday start remains intact despite the unusual workload.
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