Sandy Alcantara struck out 11 batters, and Bryan De La Cruz homered as part of his first career four-hit game, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 4-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.
The Marlins (63-89) improved to 15-3 this year against Washington (52-99). That ties Miami’s record for most wins over one opponent in the same season, matching the Marlins’ mark against the New York Mets in 2004.
Miami can break its record with a win over the Nationals on Sunday.
Alcantara (14-8) continued to make his case for the National League Cy Young Award, allowing three hits, one walk and one run in eight innings, lowering his ERA to 2.32. He has 199 strikeouts this season.
This year, Alcantara is 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA in five starts against Washington.
De La Cruz hit his 11th homer of the season and his fourth this month. He finished 4-for-4, falling a triple short of the cycle. In the eighth inning, he stroked his second double of the game and stopped just short of going for third.
JJ Bleday added a two-run single, and Miguel Rojas had an RBI double to power Miami’s offense.
Dylan Floro pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save of the season and his second in two nights.
Joey Meneses homered for Washington’s only run.
Erick Fedde (6-11) took the loss, allowing nine hits, one walk and four runs in 5 2/3 innings. He had entered Saturday with a stellar record against the Marlins, going 4-1 with a 2.24 ERA in 10 career starts.
Washington opened the scoring in the first as Meneses slugged his two-out, none-on homer on a first-pitch sinker. His drive was measured at 360 feet.
Miami took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on a rally set up by Brian Anderson’s single and Garrett Cooper’s walk. With two outs, Bleday drove them both in with his single to center.
De La Cruz’s 410-foot blast to center gave Miami a 3-1 lead in the fourth. He unloaded on a first-pitch curve.
Miami made it 4-1 in the sixth with a rally started by two-out singles from De La Cruz and Jacob Stallings. Miguel Rojas then struck an RBI double to right.
–Field Level Media
