The Fish King showcased his ace pitching performance at home, dominating the Padres for seven strong innings amid trade rumors.

Sandy Alcantara may have chosen Wilmer Roberts' "Nunca Creyeron" as his entrance music for the last time during a home game with the Marlins today.

The pitcher, who has struggled since returning from Tommy John surgery, stifled Dylan Cease, another target for the trade deadline on July 31, in today's game where the Marlins defeated the Padres 3-2.

Alcantara threw a season-high seven innings on 98 pitches, allowing just one unearned run due to an error, giving up four hits, striking out four, and issuing no walks. He induced nine groundouts, including two double plays that ended innings, returning to his former Fish King form.

"A lot of people don't believe in me, but as long as I believe in myself, I don't care what they say," Alcantara said. "I just trust God's plan and focus on pitching. No matter what others say or what happens, I will fight for my team."

Alcantara retired the first ten batters he faced until Luis Arraez broke through with a ground ball single that pierced the defensive shift in the fourth inning. A throwing error by catcher Nick Fortes allowed Arraez to advance to second, and then Manny Machado delivered a two-out, RBI single to left field on a 2-0 count.

In the seventh inning, with a 3-1 lead, Alcantara maintained a two-run advantage after retiring Machado following a leadoff double. After Gavin Sheets' fly ball advanced the runner, Alcantara fell behind 3-0 to Xander Bogaerts but battled back to full count, resulting in a fly out to center field.

"We all know his struggles this year have been widely discussed," said manager Clayton McCullough. "The resilience Sandy showed comes from his competitive spirit, and today we enjoyed and celebrated this fantastic start."

"I’m just happy for Sandy. He’s always been relentless, and today he dominated the opponent in a crucial start to help us win the series at home,"

Alcantara, who will turn 30 on September 7, is one of the most talked-about names ahead of the trade deadline. There is always a demand for pitchers, and his relatively affordable contract remains under team control: $17.3 million in 2026 and a $21 million team option for 2027 (with a $2 million buyout).

"I don’t know about those rumors," Alcantara said. "I’m just honored to play for this team. I only know I need to focus on traveling with the team for away games. If something happens, it will happen. I just need to concentrate on competing and working."

Alcantara's inconsistent performance since his return has raised doubts about his ability and asking price. Before the final game of the series, he ranked last among 85 MLB starters with an ERA of 7.14 over more than 90 innings.

However, even during his struggles, Alcantara has regained his ability to eat innings. Including today’s game, he has pitched six full innings in seven of his last nine starts.

"He was tough to hit today," Machado said. "He’s back to form... completely different from when we faced him at home in May. Obviously, he struggled in the first half of the season, but today was a totally different story—commanding all his pitches, especially the slider, made it hard for us to adjust."

Padres manager Mike Shildt added, "He looked more like that Cy Young version of Sandy."

If this is Alcantara's last home start in Miami, he leaves behind a legendary legacy as the only Cy Young winner in franchise history.

In this rare era of pitchers eating innings, Alcantara has built a reputation as an "iron man" on the mound. On May 19, 2019, he completed his first career shutout on just 89 pitches and subsequently made his first All-Star appearance. Four months later, Alcantara threw another shutout.

In the Marlins' franchise history at home, Alcantara ranks second with seven complete games, is tied for third with four shutouts, and has a 3.20 ERA (minimum 25 starts), which ties him for sixth place.

Alcantara is expected to start next Wednesday in St. Louis against the Cardinals, the team that signed him as a Dominican teenager and traded him to the Marlins in December 2017 as part of the Marcell Ozuna deal.

"I hope to be remembered as a competitor who seizes opportunities," Alcantara said of his aspirations. "I love learning everything. If they want to call me 'caballo' (workhorse), I gladly accept it. I'm very grateful for the opportunities I've received here."