Sandy Alcantara pitched eight shutout innings, scattering just two hits and striking out 10, as the host Miami Marlins edged the Los Angeles Angels 2-1.
Alcantara (9-3), who made his 10th quality start in his last 11 outings, was lifted after 107 pitches. He leads the major leagues with 123 1/3 innings pitched on the season.
Miami reliever Tanner Scott allowed a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Ward, which scored Michael Stefanic. But Scott retired Jared Walsh on a line drive to center, stranding runners on first and second, for his 10th save.
Garrett Cooper and Bryan De La Cruz each hit solo home runs off Noah Syndergaard (5-7), and the Marlins extended their winning streak to six games.
Against Alcantara, the Angels managed singles by Luis Rengifo and Mike Trout.
The National League Pitcher of the Month in June, Alcantara now has a string of 11 straight starts of at least seven innings, the longest such streak since Rick Porcello had an 11-game run for the Boston Red Sox in 2016.
Facing a top of the order of Jonathan Villar, Trout and Shohei Ohtani, Alcantara came out throwing heat. In the first inning, the right-hander touched 100 mph four times and notched two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning.
Alcantara held the Angels without a baserunner for 4 2/3 innings before Rengifo’s line-drive single to right.
Syndergaard entered the game having a 7-1 record with a 2.16 ERA against the Marlins. All 12 of those starts came while he was with the New York Mets.
The Angels received five innings from Syndergaard, who surrendered two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.
All the damage done off Syndergaard came via the long ball. Cooper connected in the third inning, and De La Cruz went deep in the fifth.
Marlins right fielder Avisail Garcia was ejected by plate umpire Lance Barrett in the fourth inning for arguing a called third strike.
–Field Level Media
