Sandy Alcántara dominates on Opening Day

MIAMI. — Dominican right-hander Sandy Alcántara once again looked like one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, starring in a dominant outing in the Miami Marlins’ 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day. The Miami ace threw seven solid innings, becoming the first franchise starter to achieve this on Opening Day in the last 11 years. Alcántara allowed just one unearned run, with four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts, needing only 73 pitches to complete his dominant performance.

You may be interested in:Clayton Kershaw returns to the Dodgers as a special assistant after his retirement

The 2022 National League Cy Young winner once again showed his best version, after a difficult comeback in 2025 after Tommy John surgery, sending a clear message that he is back in top form. The Marlins also counted on the contribution of their new acquisitions. Veteran Austin Slater prevented a run with a powerful throw from the outfield in the fourth inning, while prospect Owen Caissie produced the first run of the game with a double in his first at-bat with the team. Later, Javier Sanoja connected a simple tow that ended up being the decisive run of the game. The Miami bullpen did the rest of the work. Andrew Nardi retired two important outs in the eighth inning, Anthony Bender got out of a pressure moment with a key strikeout, and Pete Fairbanks closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save. With this performance, Alcántara not only led the Marlins to victory in the season opener, but also demonstrated that he is ready to once again be the leader of the rotation and one of the team’s main figures in 2026.