Cleveland Guardians at Miami Marlins

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
CLE	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	3	5	0
MIA	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	4	0

This one had a built-in storyline before the first pitch: Alcantara (10-4, 3.99 ERA) entered as the hottest arm in the league, chasing a 7th straight win and the kind of run no Marlins starter had put together since Jose Fernandez. Across from him stood Messick (7-5, 2.73 ERA), a first-time All-Star making a start in his home state after growing up in Plant City, about a 4-hour drive up I-75 from loanDepot Park.

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FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Guardians(48-46)

WLLLL

3

+1.5-182+135o7.5+125

Marlins(52-42)

WWWWW

2

-1.5+178-133u7.5-127

Best BetMarlins -119

Postgame

Miss — Cleveland's 4th- and 5th-inning runs held up despite Miami's late rally, busting the home moneyline pick.

Pregame

Miami went off at -116 on the moneyline for good reason entering the day — a 6-game winning streak and Alcantara at his absolute best made the Marlins the play. Cleveland answered with a road win behind small-ball scoring, snapping both Alcantara's personal streak and Miami's team streak in the same night.

Cleveland showed up missing its best hitter. Jose Ramirez remains on the 10-day IL working his way back from a hand issue, and Angel Martinez is out too, leaving a lineup that's been scuffling to score without its usual thump. Miami wasn't fully healthy either — outfielder Owen Caissie went down with a calf strain just a day before this game, and the bullpen is thin with John King and Anthony Bender both shelved.

Parker Messick

(8-5)·2.68 ERA

Jul 4 vs White Sox

ND

5.0IP

1ER

3K

3BB

100P

07/10 Lineup

Sandy Alcantara

(10-6)·4.01 ERA

Jul 4 @ Athletics

W

8.0IP

1ER

8K

1BB

100P

07/10 Lineup

None of that stopped the Marlins from riding into the weekend as one of the best stories in the National League — a half-game off a wild-card spot and openly planning to buy at the deadline instead of dealing Alcantara away. Cleveland, meanwhile, arrived having dropped 4 of its last 5, an offense that's been running on fumes since Ramirez went down.

Cleveland Guardians

(48-46)

Jul 9W@ Twins5-2

Jul 8L@ Twins5-6

Jul 7L@ Twins1-3

Jul 5Lvs White Sox6-7

Jul 4Lvs White Sox1-3

Miami Marlins

(52-42)

Jul 9Wvs Mariners8-4

Jul 8Wvs Mariners2-0

Jul 7Wvs Mariners6-5

Jul 5W@ Athletics9-8

Jul 5W@ Athletics7-2

Cleveland's lone win in that stretch came the night before against Minnesota, and it was just enough momentum to carry into Miami. The Guardians scratched across 2 runs in the 4th and another in the 5th, building a lead before Alcantara had settled into the sort of run he'd been on all July. It was the kind of scrappy, no-stars-needed win Cleveland has had to manufacture with Ramirez out — small-ball damage instead of a big swing.

Cleveland Guardians

(3)

• 10-Day-ILJose Ramirez (3B) — Ramirez (hand) has been hitting off a tee and is expected to face overhand pitching soon, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.07/05
• 10-Day-ILAngel Martinez (LF) — Martinez (foot) took batting practice Saturday for the first time since landing on the injured list, MLB.com reports.07/05
• 15-Day-ILTim Herrin (RP) — X-rays on Herrin's left elbow came back negative following his removal from Wednesday's game against Minnesota, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.07/09

Miami Marlins

(8)

• 10-Day-ILOwen Caissie (RF) — Caissie was diagnosed with a mild right calf strain Thursday, Craig Mish of FanDuel Sports Network Florida reports.07/09
• 15-Day-ILJohn King (RP) — The Marlins placed King on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left lateral ankle sprain.07/09
• 15-Day-ILAnthony Bender (RP) — The Marlins placed Bender on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right shin stress reaction.06/30
• 60-Day-ILJosh Ekness (RP) — Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Monday that Ekness is expected to miss approximately six weeks due to a right calf strain, Kyle Sielaff of Marlins.tv reports.06/21
• 60-Day-ILAndrew Nardi (RP) — The Marlins transferred Nardi (ribcage) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.06/01
• 60-Day-ILRobby Snelling (SP) — Snelling underwent internal brace surgery Friday to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow.05/22
• 60-Day-ILRonny Henriquez (RP) — The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
• 60-Day-ILAdam Mazur (SP) — The Marlins placed Mazur (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08

Miami didn't go quietly. The Marlins answered with a run in the 6th and another in the 7th, cutting it to 3-2 and putting the tying run in the picture late, but they couldn't finish the rally. Alcantara's win streak is over, and so is Miami's 6-game roll — a reminder that even the hottest team in baseball can get out-executed on a given night.

For Cleveland, it's a get-well night more than a turnaround — a 5-run, 4-hit outing on the road is still modest for a lineup that's been searching for answers since Ramirez's injury. For Miami, it's a blip, not a crisis: the Marlins are still 52-42, still buying at the deadline, and still Alcantara's team to ride into the stretch run.