If the Miami Marlins are going to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, they are going to need their best players to perform like their best players.
Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez are doing exactly that.
The two right-handers are pitching with the kind of urgency that fits a team fighting for its postseason life.
Alcantara has returned to his ace form, while Pérez is showing why the Marlins have long viewed him as a potential frontline starter.
Together, they are giving Miami a formidable one-two punch at the top of the rotation with 37 games remaining in the regular season.
Alcantara enters the stretch run coming off another dominant outing Friday against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
It was another example of the veteran right-hander pitching deep into games and keeping Miami competitive even when its offense has struggled.
A week earlier, Alcantara threw seven scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels at loanDepot park, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out eight.
The performance also made him the Marlins’ career leader in innings pitched.
Pérez has been just as impressive.
Pérez tossed six scoreless innings Sunday in Cincinnati, allowing two hits and striking out five as the Marlins defeated the Reds 7-1 to win the series at Great American Ball Park.
For Pérez, it was another statement performance in a stretch that has made him one of the most important pieces of Miami’s playoff push.
He entered Sunday with a 3.39 ERA and had posted a 1.86 ERA over his previous 10 starts, including seven scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday at loanDepot park.
Now the Marlins head to Philadelphia for a three-game series against the Phillies, with Alcantara preparing for his biggest start of the season.
He is scheduled to start Wednesday against Aaron Nola at 6:05 p.m. ET, while Pérez is lined up to pitch Saturday against the Washington Nationals in Miami.
The Marlins sit three games back of the final National League Wild Card spot, as the club continues to chase the Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
Alcantara is the veteran who has already carried a team through a playoff race.
Pérez is the young pitcher who could become the next ace of the rotation.
With October baseball clearly within reach, Alcantara and Pérez are pitching like two players who believe the Marlins belong there and aren't willing to let the opportunity slip away.