Stanton Goes Deep To Power Marlins Over Mets
NEW YORK (CBSMIAMI/AP) — The Miami Marlins have been missing any sort of punch from its lineup since early July. The reason was simple; power-hitter Giancarlo Stanton was out after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
Stanton finally made his return to the lineup Tuesday night and what a show he put on. Stanton hit two two-run home runs to lead the Marlins in a route of the struggling New York Mets, 13-0.
The loss was New York's ninth straight loss at Citi Field.
If Stanton's massive comeback wasn't enough, Marlins shortstop Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to a career-high 26 games. Reyes' streak is the longest in Major League Baseball this year.
"It was good to get in a little groove there and hit some balls hard back-to-back," Stanton said. "We were all swinging the bat pretty well and we fed off each other and that's what made it work."
After going seven games without a home run, Miami hit four in one night to back Nathan Eovaldi (3-7). Greg Dobbs capped the outburst with a two-run shot in the ninth and the Marlins had 13 hits — nine for extra bases — in their highest-scoring game this season.
Eovaldi somehow worked around six walks in five-plus innings. Hit hard by the Braves in his previous outing, the 22-year-old rookie won for the second time in three starts with the Marlins since they acquired him July 25 in a trade that sent Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers.
"I was just able to bear down when I needed to. I was able to make the pitches and get out of jams," Eovaldi said.
The Mets went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 in all, one night after leaving 11 runners on base in a 4-2 defeat. It's their longest losing streak at home since another nine-game slide in 2004. The club record is 15 in 2002, according to STATS LLC.
New York's most recent win at home was July 7 against the Cubs. The Mets have dropped three straight overall and four of five. The only time they had a more lopsided shutout loss at home was a 16-0 blowout by Atlanta at Shea Stadium on July 2, 1999.
"We had confidence playing here in the first half," manager Terry Collins said. "Right now there's nothing we can do that's right. So we've just got to cinch up your belts, reach inside, find out what you're made of, find out who wants to compete in the last 50 games of the regular season, and those are the guys you want on your team."
Young (3-6) was coming off his best start of the year in San Francisco, but he lasted only 4 1-3 innings this time. He was charged with seven runs, seven hits and three walks, one intentional.
Miami goes for a three-game sweep Thursday at noon with Mets nemesis Josh Johnson on the mound against All-Star knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Stanton will be rested as planned, manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Playing with a wrap on his sore right hand, Reyes sent a solo shot into the second deck in right field with two outs in the first inning.
He rounded the bases enthusiastically to boos and a few cheers, the same sort of reception he's received during both trips back to Citi Field this season. A four-time All-Star shortstop with the Mets, Reyes left last December to sign a $106 million, six-year contract with the Marlins.
"I don't hit too many home runs, but when I hit one you know I'm going to enjoy it," he said. "It's always good to get a hit in the first inning. I feel more relaxed after that."
Carlos Lee followed with a walk and Stanton lofted a high fly to left-center, the first of his two home runs that would have stayed in the ballpark before the fences were moved in this season.
On the top step of the dugout, an excited Reyes flexed his biceps.
"I feel like every time he goes to home plate he's going to hit a home run," Reyes said. "We just need people in front of him to get on base and go from there."
Miami broke it open with four runs in the fifth. Justin Ruggiano doubled with one out, Reyes walked and the runners pulled off a smart double steal immediately after a mound visit by pitching coach Dan Warthen.
Lee looped a two-run single over a drawn-in infield and Stanton lined a 2-2 slider to left for his 21st home run. The ball hit high off the 16-foot Great Wall of Flushing behind the shorter fence that was erected this year.
"The first one I thought, no chance. But the second one I got pretty good," Stanton said.
Stanton also ripped a double and a single, one night after he had a sacrifice fly in his return from the disabled list. Asked how his knee was feeling, he smiled and said: "Terrible."
"He's still learning how to hit. This kid is going to be fun to watch," Guillen said.
Bryan Petersen added a bases-loaded triple in a four-run eighth, a ball that got past a tumbling Andres Torres in medium left-center.
Marlins second baseman Nick Green made a tough pickup to start a nifty double play in the sixth.
