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Miami Marlins Sandy Alcantara and New York Mets Kodai Senga in Early April Duel Between International Aces

Matt TallariniApr 2, 20256 MIN READ
Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins pitches in his first home game since Tommy John surgery, facing the Mets and Kodai Senga on April 1, 2025

On a Tuesday night in Miami, two international aces returned to the mound with something to prove. Sandy Alcantara, in his second start since Tommy John surgery, and Kodai Senga, in his first outing of the 2025 season, each worked five innings as the Miami Marlins beat the New York Mets 4-2 at loanDepot Park. The game offered a glimpse of what both clubs hope will be the foundation of their respective rotations in the future.

Sandy Alcantara – Aces Don’t Rush Back

Alcantara allowed a solo home run to Brandon Nimmo in the second inning but cruised through the rest of his outing. He retired the side in order in the first and fifth, stayed ahead in counts, and struck out four without issuing a walk across five efficient innings on just 70 pitches.

His only trouble came in the third. After Luisangel Acuña doubled and Francisco Lindor tied the game with a single, Alcantara battled through a long at-bat with Pete Alonso, ultimately inducing a groundout to end the inning. He later got revenge on Nimmo, freezing him on a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner—Nimmo had already started toward first, convinced it was ball four.

Given a fresh two-run lead in the fifth, Alcantara kept rolling. He struck out Jesse Winker with a perfectly placed 89 mph changeup, got Acuña to ground up the middle, and induced a pop-up from José Siri to end the frame.

Manager Clayton McCullough pulled Alcantara as the top of the order came around for a third time—a stretch that has historically challenged Alcantara, who allowed a .295 average and .925 OPS in those situations in 2023. Ronny Henriquez entered in the sixth and struck out Lindor to start a bullpen stretch that closed out Miami’s 4-2 win.

In the postgame following Alcantara’s first win since September 2023, he admitted, “There’s some things happening that make me take more time to recover between starts,” as he continues his return from Tommy John surgery. Though his velocity dipped, manager Clayton McCullough said, “It’ll be a process for him… I felt Sandy pitched his butt off and competed, like he always does” as MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola reports.

From Azua to All-Star

Alcantara, 29, was born in Azua, Dominican Republic. He earned All-Star nods in 2019 and 2022 and won the National League Cy Young Award in 2022. That season, he led the Majors with 228.2 innings pitched and six complete games, pairing that volume with a 2.28 ERA. His heavy sinker and durability made him one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball.

The Cardinals debuted Alcantara in 2017 before trading him to Miami in the Marcell Ozuna deal. He steadily improved until his elbow gave out late in 2023, when a UCL tear required Tommy John surgery. The Marlins placed him on the 60-day injured list to start 2025, with a return expected no earlier than midsummer.

Internationally, Alcantara pitched for the Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He made just one start in Pool D but entered the tournament as one of the most respected arms in the field. He’s in Year 4 of a five-year, $56 million deal signed in 2021.

Kodai Senga – First Start of 2025

Kodai Senga’s 2025 debut started with a jolt. Xavier Edwards doubled on the game’s first pitch, and Kyle Stowers crushed a center-cut four-seamer 421 feet to straightaway center. Four pitches in, the Mets were down 2-0.

From there, Senga settled in. He struck out the side in the third and finished with eight strikeouts across five innings, leaning heavily on his signature ghost forkball. That pitch generated all four of his swinging strikeouts, including an 81 mph beauty to Nick Fortes that dropped off the table. Fortes could only offer a crooked smile.

Senga’s best work came in the second and third. He used the forkball back-to-back to strike out Jonah Bride and Graham Pauley, then opened the third by freezing Edwards with one for strike three before striking out Stowers to end a clean frame.

The game began to unravel in the bottom of the fourth, but the turning point came one half-inning earlier. Mark Vientos chopped a routine grounder to third that Graham Pauley bobbled. It should’ve gone for an infield single, but Vientos slowed his final steps, and Pauley recovered to throw him out. Instead of extending the inning, the Mets went quietly. In the bottom half, Lindor’s second error prolonged things, and Senga—already nearing his pitch count—had to work overtime. Pauley later lined a two-run double off the wall.

All three hits Senga allowed came off fastballs. He returned for the fifth and struck out Stowers on pitch No. 77, a 97 mph heater that ended the inning and his night.

Kodai Senga – From Japan to Queens

Born in Gamagori, Japan, Senga made his name with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan’s Pacific League. A five-time Japan Series champion, he was a rotation mainstay for Samurai Japan in international play. He signed a five-year, $75 million deal with the Mets ahead of the 2023 season.

Senga’s MLB debut was a success. He earned NL All-Star honors, placed seventh in Cy Young voting, and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023. He struck out 202 batters in 166.1 innings with a 2.98 ERA. Though he missed most of 2024 due to shoulder and calf injuries, he returned in time for the playoffs and is under contract through 2027 with a conditional 2028 option.

Prior to his start in Miami, Senga had logged a 2.99 ERA across 30 MLB starts, racking up 211 strikeouts in 171.2 innings with a 1.200 WHIP. The Mets rely on Senga to lead their rotation under second-year manager Carlos Mendoza.

Next Game and Upcoming Series

The series between the Mets and Marlins wraps on Wednesday, April 2, at 4:40 p.m. EDT at loanDepot Park. After that, the Mets return to Citi Field for their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, while the Marlins travel to Atlanta for a weekend series against the Braves. The two clubs will meet again in New York from April 7 to 9.

 

(Photo Source: AP / Rhona Wise)

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