Marlins regaining steam ahead of series finale vs. Mets

A 12-game losing streak bookending the All-Star Break threatened to undo all the progress the Miami Marlins made getting back into the wild-card race throughout June and the first week of July.

Fortunately, the Marlins still had more time to reverse the course of their season.

Miami will look to continue their timely surge Sunday afternoon when they visit the New York Mets in the finale of a four-game series between the National League East foes.

Sandy Alcantara (11-6, 3.82 ERA) is slated to start for the Marlins against fellow right-hander Robert Stock, who will make his season debut after being promoted from Triple-A Syracuse.

The Marlins remained hot Saturday as Tyler Phillips earned the win by tossing five efficient innings in a 6-2 victory.

The win was the fifth in the last six games for the Marlins dating back to Monday night, when they snapped the 12-game skid with an 8-7 walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The hot week makes it more likely the Marlins will either stand pat or add at the trade deadline, which arrives Monday at 6 p.m. ET. Miami resides 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the race for the last NL wild-card spot.

"I think everyone wanted to be that person that had the big hit or made the big pitch," Phillips said of the Marlins, whose losing streak was preceded by a 26-8 stretch from June 1 through July 9. "It just wasn't working out for us in that moment. Finally got that one out of the way against a good team in Philly and from there you just continue to build and continue to trust the process."

While the Marlins recovered from their 12-game losing streak, the sight of Stock on the mound Sunday will be a reminder that the Mets' season was derailed by their 12-game skid from April 8-21.

At 47-65, the Mets are on pace for 94 losses -- their most since 2003, which was also the last time they finished last in the NL East.

Stock will start in the rotation spot that could have been occupied by Clay Holmes, who is ready to return from a broken right leg suffered May 15. But with Holmes a candidate to be traded, the Mets asked him to make one more rehab start instead for Double-A Brooklyn.

"I get both sides," Holmes said. "I know there are other factors."

Alcantara earned the win Tuesday after tossing seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Phillies. He has allowed one run or fewer in four of his last seven starts.

Alcantara is 6-5 with a 2.96 ERA in 18 starts against the Mets.

Stock made his most recent start for Syracuse on July 25, when he gave up one run with six strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. The 36-year-old made two relief appearances for the Boston Red Sox last season -- his first big league action since 2021, when he was 0-2 with an 8.00 ERA in three starts between the Mets and Chicago Cubs.

Stock threw two scoreless innings of relief in his lone appearance against the Marlins on Sept. 16, 2020, when he was pitching for the Red Sox.