Sandy Alcántara Shines as Miami Marlins Defeat St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 on August 20, 2025

Wednesday, August 20th, 2025

Miami Marlins Defeat St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 Behind Sandy Alcántara's Strong Outing

Sandy Alcántara delivered an impressive performance, leading the Miami Marlins to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. The Marlins were able to avoid a three-game series sweep with a well-rounded effort, highlighting key contributions from several players.

Game Recap

Alcántara pitched seven strong innings, holding the Cardinals to two runs and scattering five hits while striking out a season-high nine batters. The veteran right-hander notched his third seven-inning outing of the season, showcasing command and resilience on the mound.

Rookie Máximo Acosta made a memorable impact, hitting his first career home run—a 418-foot blast to center field in the sixth inning off Cardinals starter Andre Pallante. This long ball extended Miami's lead to 5-2 and marked Acosta's first major league hit after going hitless in his first eight at-bats since his call-up.

Heriberto Hernández contributed three hits and drove in two runs for the Marlins while Troy Johnston added two singles and an RBI. Hernández scored in the second inning and then delivered a two-run single in the third to widen Miami's early advantage to 3-0.

The Cardinals got on the board in the fifth inning with Lars Nootbaar's RBI double, followed by Willson Contreras’ 17th home run in the sixth, which briefly narrowed the deficit. However, the Marlins consistently responded with timely hits to maintain their lead.

Andre Pallante took the loss for St. Louis, giving up five runs and eight hits over five and one-third innings while striking out four.

Key Moment

Jakob Marsee and Agustín Hernández executed a double steal in the third inning before Hernández’s two-run single, helping Miami build a decisive early cushion.

Key Stat

Sandy Alcántara made his 163rd career start, moving past Dontrelle Willis for second place on the Marlins’ all-time starts leaderboard. Ricky Nolasco remains the franchise leader with 197 starts.

Up Next

The St. Louis Cardinals will open a three-game series in Tampa Bay with right-hander Sonny Gray (11-6, 4.30 ERA) taking the mound. The Rays are set to counter with right-hander Joe Boyle (1-2, 4.68 ERA).

The Miami Marlins have yet to announce a starter for their upcoming home series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto will send right-hander Shane Bieber to the mound for his season debut.

In summary

The Miami Marlins secured a 6-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals behind Sandy Alcántara’s dominant pitching and key offensive contributions from Máximo Acosta, Heriberto Hernández, and Troy Johnston. The victory allowed Miami to avoid a sweep and featured notable milestones as Alcántara moved up the franchise record books. Both teams now look ahead to important upcoming series as the MLB season progresses.

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