Stanton Homers Twice As Marlins Rally Past Padres 8-6
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MIAMI (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton homered twice Friday, increasing his major league-leading total to 49, and tied a career high with five RBIs to help the Miami Marlins climb above .500 for the first time since April by beating San Diego 8-6.
Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run homer, his 30th, to put Miami ahead to stay in the seventh inning.
Stanton has nine multi-homer games this season, the most in the majors since Jose Bautista had nine with Toronto in 2010. Stanton's home run total is the highest in the National League since Prince Fielder hit 50 for Milwaukee in 2007 — and the Marlins still have 35 games to play.
Stanton is on pace to finish with 63 homers. He increased his RBI total to 105, tying his career high.
Led by their All-Star right fielder, the Marlins (64-63) have recovered from a 14-27 start to join the NL wild-card chase. They've won 11 of their past 14 games, and the latest victory thrilled a lively crowd of 22,489, which gave Stanton a standing ovation after his second homer and booed when he was walked in the seventh.
Two batters later, Ozuna homered off Kirby Yates (3-5) to increase his RBI total to a career-best 101.
Carlos Asuaje and Jabari Blash hit two-run homers for the Padres.
Stanton's first swing sent a pitch onto the left field concourse, traveling an estimated 462 feet to give Miami a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Dee Gordon rounded the bases ahead of Stanton, shaking his head with a grin of amazement at his teammate's binge.
The Marlins slugger barely cleared the wall — and the glove of a leaping Blash in right field — in the third inning for his 16th homer in August.
Stanton also made a diving catch in right field in the second to rob Blash of a hit.
The Padres held Stanton to a two-out, two-run double in the fourth, which put Miami ahead 5-2. All three of his hits came off Travis Wood.
Blash's fourth home run of the year off Dustin McGowan (8-1) capped a four-run sixth for the Padres to put them ahead 6-5.
Brad Ziegler pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save, all this month.
NICKNAME GAME
With players around the majors wearing nicknames on the back of their jerseys this weekend, Stanton chose "Cruz," which is what his mother calls him. Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton is his full name.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (tired arm) began a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League and threw 12 pitches. The Marlins hope Chen, 1B Justin Bour (right oblique) and 3B Martin Prado (right knee) will return sometime in September, manager Don Mattingly said.
UP NEXT
Stanton tries for homer No. 50 on Saturday against RHP Dinelson Lamet (7-5, 4.84). RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (0-1, 4.42) makes his second start of the year for Miami.
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