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Sandy Alcantara K’s 14, Bryan De La Cruz’s walk-off sends Marlins past Mets

Sep 8, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins center fielder Bryan De La Cruz (77) follows through on his double against the New York Mets during the second inning at loanDepot Park Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports
Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

Sandy Alcantara struck out a career-high 14 batters over nine innings, and Bryan De La Cruz smashed a two-out, walk-off single off the wall in center field in the 10th, leading the Miami Marlins to a 2-1 win over the visiting New York Mets on Wednesday night.

De La Cruz drove a 98-mph fastball off closer Edwin Diaz (5-6).

The loss was controversial for the Mets (70-70), who believed they scored a run in the top of the 10th when Marlins right fielder Jesus Sanchez dropped a fly ball. But the ball was called foul and stood on video review.

Alcantara, who got a no-decision, finished two strikeouts short of Ricky Nolasco’s franchise record of 16 in 2009.

Tossing a career-high 114 pitches, Alcantara allowed just four hits, one walk and one run as Miami improved to 58-81.

Michael Conforto produced New York’s only run with a homer.

Mets lefty Rich Hill was superb in a six-inning no-decision. He allowed just five hits, no walks and one run while striking out eight. Of his 83 pitches, 64 were strikes, and a lot of those were slow curveballs that mesmerized the Marlins.

Hill preyed the most on a pair of Marlins rookies, striking out Sanchez three times and getting Jazz Chisholm on strikes twice. All five of those strikeouts came swinging at off-speed pitches below 70 mph. Those two batters went a combined 0-for-6 against Hill.

Miami opened the scoring in the second as De La Cruz doubled and scored on Alex Jackson’s line-drive single that deflected off the glove of leaping shortstop Francisco Lindor. Jackson entered the at-bat hitting just .145, but he made contact on an 0-2 curve.

Conforto, who struck out in his first two at-bats, tied the score 1-1 in the seventh with his 12th homer of the season. The 422-foot line drive to left was his third career homer against Alcantara.

After Javier Baez’s drive was ruled foul in the top of the 10th, the Mets failed to score, setting the stage for De La Cruz’s heroics in the bottom of the inning.

–Field Level Media

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