The opening-week gem delivered by Sandy Alcantara is a distant memory by now. Those eight shutout innings were almost exactly a month in the past when the starting pitcher took the mound Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians and now the clunkers come with just as frequently as the sparkling outings the Miami Marlins hoped for from their 23-year-old starter.
The Indians jumped on Alcantara early Tuesday at Marlins Park and, aided by multiple Miami errors, piled up six runs against the right-handed pitcher in the first three innings. For the third time in six starts this season, Alcantara gave up at least four earned runs and this time it wasted a strong offensive effort for the Marlins, who dropped the series-opener 7-4 in Miami.