SAN DIEGO -- When the Marlins dealt catcher
Starting pitcher
With nine home runs while playing catcher this season, Alfaro ranks third in among National League backstops, behind only the Cubs’
Defense is hardly Alfaro’s forte, however; he does have six passed balls this year. But if he calls a good game and hits the way he has, he’ll be forgiven for not having the softest hands. On the offensive side, he not only has taken his power to the next level with regular at-bats but he also has shown slight improvement in his strikeout rate (36.6 to 33.5 percent), suggesting a more well-rounded hitter emerging.\n\n“He’s a guy who’s been energetic,” manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s excited to be here. You can clearly see it. And the ball just jumps off his bat. He has a pretty good swing. We’ve tried to square him up and get him going to the middle of the field, let him know that’s where he needs to be.\n\n“He’s stayed with it. He’s worked at it, and he’s been pretty consistent.”\n\nThe presumed key to the Realmuto deal for the Marlins is 20-year-old right-hander Sixto Sanchez, who is ranked as the team’s [No. 1 prospect](http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2019?list=mia) by MLB Pipeline and is pitching above his age at Double-A Jacksonville. While they wait for Sanchez to develop, the Marlins can rest easy that they didn’t create a hole at catcher to get that arm.
**Richards’ changeup dazzles** \nRichards entered Sunday limiting opponents to a .183 batting average on his changeup. The Padres went 0-for-9 against the pitch, including six swinging third strikes and a foul bunt for strike three.\n\n“It’s a really good pitch,” Alfaro said. “He goes out and competes with all he’s got every time.”\n\nThe only hit against Richards came on rookie
**Notable** \n• The Marlins scored nine runs in back-to-back games for the first time since Sept. 22-23, 2017, at Arizona. The Padres turned to a position player