Marlins mash Mets with 7-run 5th, Stanton HR

September 18th, 2017

MIAMI -- was off on Sunday to recharge his batteries. The All-Star slugger energized the lineup in his return, launching a three-run homer and finishing with four RBIs in a 13-1 win on Monday night at Marlins Park. chipped in with a solo home run -- one of his four hits -- while Dee Gordon also had four hits, including a two-run triple in a seven-run fifth inning.
"It was nice to be able to put some runs on the board and kind of keep extending it where we could get some guys some rest out there in the 'pen," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after Miami's 19-hit outburst.

Seven of the Marlins' runs were charged to Matt Harvey, whose struggles continued. Harvey went four-plus innings, allowing 12 hits and striking out two. Since coming off the disabled list earlier this month, he has a 13.19 ERA.
"I don't really know what there is to say except for there is nothing to say," Harvey said. "It's terrible. It's not fun."
• Harvey at a loss to explain struggles
Stanton got back on track after being given Sunday off at Milwaukee because he was feeling fatigued. The 55 homers by Stanton are the most in the Majors since of the Phillies had 58 in 2006.

"Earlier in the year, when you have a day off, you kind of feel sluggish afterwards," said Stanton, who was batting third instead of second because didn't start. "But, with all the miles we've tallied up through the year, it feels good to have them now."
• Stanton climbs to 19th in single-season homers
Stanton's laser to center came off an 89.5-mph slider from Harvey in the fourth inning. Miami broke the game open the following inning with seven runs, with having two hits and driving in a run in the frame.
The Marlins were back in Miami on Monday for the first time since Hurricane Irma tore through Florida on Sept. 10, and prompted MLB to switch a "home series" with the Brewers, Sept. 15-17, to Miller Park in Milwaukee.

With the Rockies off on Monday, the Marlins staved off elimination from the second National League Wild Card spot for one more night. Their elimination number remains one.
Ozuna's homer, a leadoff shot in the seventh, was his 34th of the year. had an RBI single for the Mets in the fourth inning off Dan Straily, who worked five innings, allowing one run and striking out eight to improve to 10-9 with a 4.17 ERA.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Launching to 55: The way Stanton impacts the baseball, there's often a story for each home run he hits. What made No. 55 special? Stanton blasted the ball 455 feet with a launch angle of 17 degrees, according to Statcast™. Since Statcast™ began in 2015, that's the longest home run by any player with a launch angle of 17 degrees of less. The exit velocity was 114.2 mph. Stanton had gone 29 at-bats without a home run.
Even with the drive being a low liner, Stanton felt it had the height to clear the wall in center.
"Yeah, I did on that one," the slugger said. "Just get something to get the big part of the field, at least move them over, if you're not going to do damage. That was the thought process of the at-bat."
Seven-run fifth: The Mets were in striking distance entering the fifth inning, down by four runs. That's when the Marlins struck for seven runs, with Ichiro starting things off with a single. In his second at-bat in the inning, he delivered an RBI single. Gordon added a two-run triple. Stanton also had a run-scoring single. The Mets used four pitchers in the frame, starting with Harvey. Tommy Milone allowed two runs in one-third of an inning and was charged with three runs in one-third of an inning. Only escaped unscathed.
"That's that inning where everybody just kind of kept going," Mattingly said. "Ich is amazing. To keep watching him do his thing has been fun to watch."

QUOTABLE
"You're going to write what you're going to write anyway. And obviously, it's deserved. So whatever you want to write, there's nothing to say." -- Harvey, addressing media members after the loss
"It's no secret it's been a rough 15-16 days or whatever it's been for us. It's nice to be on the other side of one of those ballgames. We got beaten up a little bit on that road trip. It's nice to get back home for a couple of days, do some laundry and win a baseball game." -- Straily, on lopsided win after 2-8 stretch on the road

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
With 117 RBIs, Stanton is now fourth on the Marlins' all-time single-season RBI list. Preston Wilson holds the club mark with 121 in 2000, followed by Gary Sheffield (120) in 1996 and (119) in 2007.

WHAT'S NEXT
Mets: (6-5, 5.21 ERA) looks to rebound from the worst start of his career when the Mets return to Marlins Park for a 7:10 p.m. ET game Tuesday. Lugo, who is pitching with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, gave up eight runs (seven earned) last time out against the Cubs.
Marlins: (0-3, 4.35 ERA) will be making his 16th appearance and sixth start. The right-hander takes the mound for the second of three with the Mets at 7:10 p.m. ET at Marlins Park, where he is 0-2 with a 1.93 ERA in 23 1/3 innings.
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