Marlins Aim For Series Win Over Mets In Wednesday Rubber Match
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QUEENS (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Miami Marlins slumbering giant has been slowly waking up over the past few weeks.
On a day when Major League Baseball unveiled its selections for the All-Star Game, Giancarlo Stanton provided a reminder that he carries plenty of star power.
Stanton homered twice and drove in all five runs in Tuesday's 5-2 victory for Miami, which completes a three-game set at the New York Mets on Wednesday afternoon.
Stanton, who was batting .193 on June 15, registered his first multi-homer game of the season to move into fourth place among active players with 24 blasts against the Mets.
Stanton's career high-tying five RBIs snapped New York's five-game winning streak and pulled the Marlins within 1 1/2 games of the second-place Mets in the National League East.
Jose Reyes, signed by New York following the completion of his 51-game suspension for domestic violence and subsequent release by the Colorado Rockies, was 0-for-4 in his first game back with the team.
Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom looks to earn back-to-back victories for the first time since his winning his first three starts of the season when he opposes Justin Nicolino in the series finale.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Justin Nicolino (2-4, 5.34 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (4-4, 2.62)
Nicolino had another shaky outing in Atlanta on Friday but came away with a no-decision after allowing four runs on seven hits over five innings to remain winless since May 3.
The 24-year-old Nicolino has given up 14 runs and 29 hits over his last three turns and is 0-4 in nine starts since his last victory.
He permitted two runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision versus the Mets on June 4.
DeGrom halted a two-month winless drought last time out against the Chicago Cubs, giving up one run and three hits while striking out seven in five innings before rain ended his night.
He had notched six consecutive quality starts prior to that outing but had nothing to show for it but three losses. Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna are each 6-for-19 versus deGrom, who is 3-1 with a 2.80 ERA against Miami.
WALK-OFFS
- Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes, an NL All-Star selection along with RHPs Noah Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia, has hit safely in nine straight games.
- Ozuna was joined on the All-Star squad by RHPs Jose Fernandez, A.J. Ramos and Fernando Rodney, a recent acquisition from San Diego.
- Mets C Travis d'Arnaud gave his No. 7 to Reyes and switched to No. 18 in honor of Peyton Manning.
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