Behind Sandy Alcantara, Marlins vie for series sweep of Royals

Lately, the Miami Marlins have struggled to win with ace Sandy Alcantara on the mound.

Meanwhile, it's been more than three weeks since the Kansas City Royals lost a game started by All-Star Michael Wacha.

The visiting Marlins will look to avoid a fifth straight defeat in a start by Alcantara on Thursday when they face the Royals.

Miami is looking to complete a three-game series sweep of the Royals, who have won each of Wacha's last three outings.

Alcantara (13-8, 3.46 ERA) ranks among the major-league leaders in wins and starts (29), and nobody has thrown more innings (189 2/3) or recorded more quality starts (21) than the star right-hander. However, the Marlins have totaled just seven runs while losing the last four appearances made by Alcantara, who's posted three quality starts during that stretch.

Alcantara allowed four runs in the third inning during Miami's 5-4, 10-inning loss at Washington on Saturday.

"I thought Sandy was fine," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said of Alcantara's six-inning performance.

"Sandy finished up incredibly strong. ... He (gives) us a chance."

Alcantara is 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA in two starts against the Royals.

Fighting for a National League wild-card spot, Miami (71-69) entered the series after losing three of four at Washington. But, the Marlins won 6-3 on Tuesday over the Royals, then rallied from an early three-run hole by scoring six unanswered runs for a 9-6 victory on Wednesday.

"Every win at this moment of the year just gets bigger and bigger," Miami infielder Graham Pauley said.

Javier Sanoja, who homered among his three hits Wednesday, is 7-for-13 in the last three games for the Marlins.

Teammate Kyle Stowers also homered on Wednesday and is batting .356 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in his last 13 contests.

Wacha (8-8, 3.32), though, is 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA in seven career starts against the Marlins. He yielded a run over six innings of the Royals' 3-1 loss at Miami last season.

The 35-year-old right-hander also ranks among the major-league leaders with 18 quality starts for Kansas City, which last lost one of his starts on Aug. 11.

Wacha allowed just one run over 15 innings over his last two starts. He was brilliant Friday at Cleveland, when he gave up four hits and struck out a season-high 10 over eight scoreless innings of the Royals' 3-0 win.

"That's probably the best we've seen him all season," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said.

Carter Jensen hit two of his 21 home runs this season Wednesday for Kansas City, which has lost three in a row following a 12-1 stretch. This is the Royals' first losing series since being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers from Aug. 10-12.

Jensen is 4-of-8 with three RBIs in this series.

However, star Kansas City teammate Bobby Witt Jr. is 4-for-21 in the last five games.

--Field Level Media