Miami.– Dominican Sandy Alcántara once again showed his best version on the mound and led the Miami Marlins to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays this Sunday, a result with which his team split honors in the so-called Citrus Series.
The right-hander pitched seven solid innings in which he allowed just one run and five hits, while also recording seven strikeouts to tie his season high. With this performance, Alcántara reclaimed the Major League lead in innings pitched with 89.1 frames.
The Cy Young Award winner continues to regain consistency after an uneven start and now has nine quality starts on the season, ranking among the best in the majors in that department.
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Miami’s defense also played a key role behind the Dominican pitcher. Venezuelan Javier Sanoja started an important double play and outfielder Owen Caissie prevented extra-base hits with an outstanding catch against the wall.
On offense, the Marlins reacted in the sixth inning thanks to an RBI triple by Dominican Otto López, who then scored on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Stowers to give the Miami team the definitive lead.
With the victory, the Marlins secured consecutive series for the first time since the start of the season and continue to recover after going through a five-game losing streak.
Rodriguez remains unstoppable with Arizona
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Eduardo Rodríguez continues to establish himself as the main starter for the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2026 season.
The left-hander maintains a 2.52 ERA in 13 starts and has found his changeup to be one of his main weapons to dominate opposing hitters.
Manager Torey Lovullo praised the Venezuelan’s growth and highlighted the evolution of his repertoire, especially after his performance with Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
Lovullo even publicly thanked manager Omar López for how he handled Rodríguez during the international tournament, asserting that the management of his pitches helped the pitcher arrive in optimal condition for the current Major League season.
Rodríguez, who faced teams like the Dominican Republic and the United States during the World Baseball Classic, has regained the confidence and level that made him one of the most solid pitchers in the American League.
