Sandy Alcantara Shines as Miami Marlins Top New York Mets 5-1 in Heated Series Finale on August 31, 2025

Sunday, August 31st, 2025

Miami Marlins Defeat New York Mets 5-1 Behind Sandy Alcantara's Dominant Start

Sandy Alcantara delivered an impressive seven-inning performance and Agustín Ramírez smashed a crucial two-run home run to propel the Miami Marlins to a 5-1 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday at Citi Field.

Marlins Secure Series Win Over Mets

The determined Marlins took three of four games from the Mets, snapping a stretch of seven consecutive series losses. For New York, it was a tough end to August, as the team finished the month with an 11-17 record, despite notching 177 runs and 53 home runs—both franchise records for a single calendar month.

Despite the loss, the Mets remain four games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds in the National League wild card race.

Alcantara Shines on the Mound

Alcantara improved to 8-11 on the season after giving up just four hits and striking out six across seven strong innings. His shutout bid ended in the seventh inning, following a leadoff single by Jeff McNeil and a hit-by-pitch to Mark Vientos, which sparked some tension and led to both benches and bullpens clearing, though no punches were thrown.

Alcantara regrouped quickly, inducing two forceouts that allowed one run to score before striking out Starling Marte to end the threat. Notably, Alcantara has posted a 2.82 ERA over his last eight starts, a significant turnaround after beginning the season with a 7.14 ERA through his first 19 outings.

Marlins' Lineup Capitalizes

Otto Lopez drove in the Marlins’ first run of the game with an opening-inning sacrifice fly off Mets starter Kodai Senga, who fell to 7-6 on the season. Ramírez’s two-run homer in the third inning and an RBI single from Heriberto Hernández in the fourth extended the Marlins’ lead.

Senga was tagged for five runs in 4 2/3 innings. Since returning from the injured list on July 11, he has a 5.90 ERA over nine starts.

Key Moment

Kodai Senga retired seven consecutive batters before Jakob Marsee doubled with two outs in the third inning. Agustín Ramírez seized the moment, launching a 386-foot home run to swing momentum firmly in Miami’s favor.

Key Stat

Senga has surrendered at least five runs in two of his last three starts—after previously allowing five or more runs just once in his first 49 major league starts.

Up Next

The Mets begin their penultimate road trip of the season on Monday, sending left-hander Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.01 ERA) to the mound against right-hander Charlie Morton (9-10, 5.25 ERA) and the Detroit Tigers.

Meanwhile, the Marlins head to Washington to take on the Nationals. The Marlins had not announced their starting pitcher, while left-hander Andrew Alvarez is set to make his major league debut for the Nationals.

In summary

The Miami Marlins broke their series slump by taking three of four from the New York Mets, powered by a dominant outing from Sandy Alcantara and timely hitting from Agustín Ramírez. Despite the Mets' offensive records in August, pitching struggles continue to hinder their playoff push. Key performances, tense moments, and shifting wild card standings made this NL East contest a highlight as both teams look ahead to crucial matchups in September.

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