MIAMI –– In the top of the first inning on Wednesday night, Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Joey Votto hit a dribbler down the first base line. The soft grounder went underneath the glove of Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara, a Cy Young award favorite, and Votto reached first base to load the bases.
Against Alcántara, who entered the game with a 1.99 ERA, you usually only get one chance. On Wednesday, as the Reds lost 3-0 to the Marlins at loanDepot Park, the Reds didn’t take advantage of theirs.
"In the first inning, he kind of gave us some hope," Reds starting pitcher Mike Minor said. "He got out of it. That guy's really good."
The Reds ended the first inning with two soft ground outs to the pitcher. Alcántara was in control the rest of the way, pitching a complete game shutout. In nine scoreless innings, Alcántara only allowed six hits.
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Alcántara had the Reds swinging and missing at all five of his pitches. He covered the entire zone with his 100 mph sinker and his 100 mph four-seam fastball. The Reds got two runners on base in the seventh inning, and Alcántara promptly forced Reds center fielder Albert Almora Jr. to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The Reds had him on the ropes once following his defensive mistake in the first, but Alcántara was almost unhittable after that. He’s known for his consistency, durability and success late in the game. In the eighth inning, Alcántara was still blowing by Reds hitters with 99 mph pitches.
“That guy is really special," Reds manager David Bell said. "He’s having a great season, (and) he’s a great talent, and he’s going to be a good pitcher for a long time. We created an opportunity for ourselves in the first inning We weren’t able to score there, and then he just cruised the rest of the way."
Alcántara has the second-best ERA in baseball while leading the league in innings pitched. Facing the Reds, he was even better than he usually is.
"He throws 99, fills up the zone, gets ahead of hitters and makes good pitches with two strikes," Reds catcher Michael Papierski said. "He has those numbers for a reason. He threw the ball well today."
Minor said he felt as good as he has all season, striking out the side in the second inning and keeping the Marlins off the board until the fourth. But a common theme in Minor’s starts this season has been allowing runs in his second and third times through the order, and that trend continued in Miami.
"I thought the changeup (and the) curveball was good," Minor said. "The slider was bad and that's what got hit tonight. Two bad sliders. They made me pay on those pitches. But early on, I was ahead a lot, and then guys got on base and then a couple of walks and some base hits there that cost me. Overall, I felt better mechanically and with my pitches."
Marlins designated hitter Jesus Aguilar crushed a slider over the middle of the plate for a solo homer to left field in the fourth. Then in the fifth, Minor allowed a single, a walk and then a two-run double. Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper gave the Marlins the lead with a double off the wall.
“I thought (Minor) had a really good slider, a really good changeup early," Bell said. "Really just two pitches – the pitch to Aguilar and to Cooper. But when you’re throwing strikes – up to that point, he hadn’t walked anyone – balls are going to get hit hard off you at times. It’s really important for Mike to keep throwing strikes."
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