Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara was cruising through 8 1\/3 scoreless innings pitched on Tuesday until he yielded a double to the Reds’ Matt McClain with one out in the top of the ninth inning. After walking the next batter\u2014Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz\u2014Marlins manager Clayton McCullough, apparently feeling uneasy about the Marlins’ 2-0 lead with the tying runs aboard, emerged from the dugout and signaled to the bullpen for a pitching change. <\/p>\n
Needless to say, the move was not received well by Marlins fans, who loudly booed McCullough as he headed to the mound to take the ball from his ace, who had thrown 95 pitches. <\/p>\n
Loud boos towards Clayton McCullough in Miami as the fans wanted to see Sandy Alcantara finish the game pic.twitter.com\/Vcu9TQ7WlE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The move, which backfired when Marlins reliever Anthony Bender allowed the tying runs to score leading to the club’s eventual loss in extra innings, was also unpopular with Alcantara. <\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I deserve to be asked how I feel before getting taken out of the game,\u201d Alcantara said. \u201cThis an area where I get to 95 pitches and a righty on deck, it is what it is. Just got to get ready for my next outing.\u201d<\/p>\n Bender allowed one run on a sacrifice fly from the Reds’ Sal Stewart and the tying run on a wild pitch. McCullough in the top of the 10th turned to reliever Calvin Faucher, who allowed three runs to cross the plate on an RBI single and two-run double, and John King, who allowed one run on a groundout to give the Reds a commanding 6-2 lead. <\/p>\n Sandy Alcantara after his outing \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/ON0hHlQid1<\/a><\/p>\n