Sandy Alcantara is on the mound for the Miami Marlins in Game 1 of the NLDS. He was also on the mound when the 2019 Washington Nationals unburied themselves.
I really wish the Washington Nationals were competing in the NLDS this year, I really do. Since they are not, I am going to look for any reason to remember the run through the playoffs and World Series last year. That’s what we do isn’t it? Hold onto past successes. When I saw the Miami Marlins starting pitcher for Game 1 of the NLDS was Sandy Alcantara, a smile came over my face.
Alcantara is deserving of the first game start with a respectable 3-2 record and 3.00 earned run average. Last year he represented the Marlins in the All-Star game, even though he would finish with a record of 6-14. His losses being most in the National League.
His June 27th start last year is the reason he gains notoriety in the piece today. For on this day he took a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning against the visiting Washington Nationals. And then the wheels fell off.
Entering this game, the Nationals were well into resurrecting their season. They were a long ways from the 19-31 cavern they’d slid into, though had yet to climb above .500. The Nationals sat with a record of 39-40.
Back to the Alcantara sixth inning, which started innocently enough. A Trea Turner base knock was followed by a ground out and a HBP to Anthony Rendon. Juan Soto popped out, and Alcantara was one out from wriggling off the hook.
Then an 0-1 pitch to Big City was deposited in the right field bleachers. Matt Adams tied the game with one swing of the bat. Kurt Suzuki doubled and Victor Robles sent the first Alcantara offering he saw into the left field bleachers.
A 4-1 deficit was soon a 6-4 lead. Alcantara would get out of the inning, though the damage was already done. The Nationals would tack on a few insurance runs and make a winner out of Stephen Strasburg.
The Nationals would even their record at 40-40 and that night Alcantara was on the mound would be the last time the 2019 Washington team would play a game under .500 the rest of the year.
When I saw Sandy Alcantara’s name listed as a probable pitcher for the opening game of the NLDS, my mind went back to a time when the 2019 Washington Nationals were able to climb above ground for the last time.