Sandy Alcantara Is Getting No Help and the Giants Are About to Find Out Why That Matters

Two teams riding hot pitching collide Friday night at Oracle Park, and the Miami Marlins are bringing a serious chip on their shoulder. The Marlins won three of their last four games, while San Francisco has taken five of seven, but here's the thing: Alcantara has been absolutely robbed by his own offense.

The ace is 2-2 with a 3.06 ERA on the season, which sounds fine until you see the real story. Early in the year, Alcantara was a lockdown machine, allowing just two earned runs and 10 hits over 24 1/3 innings across three starts. Dominant stuff. Then his last two outings? His teammates gave him exactly two runs in each game. Both losses. That's not on him. That's a lineup that's leaving him out to dry, and now he gets a Giants team he's never beaten at San Francisco, going 0-3 in five appearances there (four as a starter).

Esteury Ruiz Could Change Everything for Miami's Bats

The Marlins hope they've got an answer coming. Esteury Ruiz is expected to make his season debut Friday after recovering from a strained left oblique. This matters because Miami's offense needs juice, and Ruiz is exactly the guy who can provide it. In 2023 with Oakland, he stole 67 bases and hit .254. The Marlins acquired him from the Dodgers in December, and in his final rehab outing at Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, he went off: home run, single, walk, and two runs. To make room, Miami designated outfielder Austin Slater for assignment. Slater spent his first seven-plus seasons with San Francisco, where he was beloved, but he hadn't homered in 12 games with the Marlins this year and was hitting just .174.

San Francisco's Pitching Also Shows Up, But Houser's Winless Streak Is a Problem

Adrian Houser takes the mound for the Giants, and yeah, his numbers look rough: 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in his first season with San Francisco. The good news for him? He's never lost to Miami, going 3-0 with a 3.22 ERA in five career outings against the Marlins. San Francisco just won two of three against the Dodgers (with Landen Roupp and Tyler Mahle delivering 3-1 and 3-0 wins), though they got shut out 3-0 on Thursday. Giants manager Tony Vitello was impressed by holding down Los Angeles' lineup for three straight games and wants to keep that momentum rolling.

First pitch Friday night. Two teams that know how to pitch. The question is whether Miami's bats finally show up for Alcantara, or if another frustrating night awaits.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.