Alcantara Shines as Marlins End Skid with 7-3 Victory Over Nationals

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Miami Marlins ended their five-game losing streak with a commanding 7-3 victory against the Washington Nationals on Monday night, thanks in large part to a strong performance from pitcher Sandy Alcantara. Alcantara delivered seven solid innings, allowing three runs and seven hits while striking out five batters without issuing a walk.

After struggling in his previous two outings, where he surrendered a total of 14 runs, Alcantara (4-4) rebounded effectively. The Marlins initially fell behind 3-1 but turned the game around with a three-run sixth inning. Pinch-hitter Heriberto Hernández sparked the rally with a two-run homer that leveled the score, and Connor Norby later drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI double off Richard Lovelady (2-3).

The Marlins continued to build on their lead in the ninth inning, with Liam Hicks hitting a solo home run and Kyle Stowers contributing a two-run shot. For Washington, Jacob Young managed to hit a home run, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Miami’s offense.

In addition to the home runs, Otto Lopez had a productive night at the plate, collecting three hits and a walk, boosting his league-leading batting average to .333. The game started with rough moments for Cade Cavalli, who walked three batters in the first inning, including one that allowed Miami to take an early 1-0 lead.

In a related move, the Marlins placed right-hander Josh Ekness on the 15-day injured list due to a right calf strain, effective retroactively from Friday. Looking ahead, the Nationals are set to start Miles Mikolas (1-4) on Tuesday night, while Miami has yet to announce their starting pitcher.