The Sports Xchange
Aug 13, 2017
MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton hit his 42nd homer of the season, tying a franchise record with No. 250 for his career and leading the Miami Marlins to a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park.
The Marlins (56-60) swept the series from Colorado (65-52). It was Miami's first three-game sweep since July 7-9 at the San Francisco Giants, and its first home sweep since beating the Philadelphia Phillies in May.
Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado, who leads the majors in RBIs with 100, was hit on the left hand on a pitch by Marlins starter Vance Worley. Arenado left the game immediately. It was a frustrating series for Arenado, who was ejected from Saturday's game after he was called out on a check swing.
Stanton, who leads the majors in homers, now shares the Marlins' single-season record with Gary Sheffield, who set the mark in 1996.
Stanton moved ahead of Mickey Mantle into 16th place in major league history for the most long balls in a player's first eight years. Since 1913, Stanton is the sixth-fastest player to reach 250 homers.
Miami starter Vance Worley lasted just four-plus innings and got a no-decision. Reliever Javy Guerra (1-0) got out of a two-on, two-out jam created by Worley in the fifth. Guerra pitched two hitless innings, earning his first major league win since 2014.
Colorado starter German Marquez (9-5) took the loss, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings. His streak of six straight quality starts -- a Rockies' rookie record -- was snapped. He had been 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA during that stretch.
Miami opened the scoring with two runs in the second. After J.T. Realmuto was hit by a pitch and Tomas Telis singled, the Marlins had runners on second and third with two outs.
On a 2-2 count, Worley hit an outside pitch to right field. Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez made a diving catch attempt but it was trapped, and his strong throw home could not prevent two runs from scoring.
Colorado took a 3-2 lead in the third. Like Miami's rally, this one was also started by a leadoff hit-by-pitch. After Charlie Blackmon was plunked and DJ LeMahieu singled, Colorado pounced.
Gerardo Parra had an RBI single, and Gonzalez hit a two-run single. Ryan McMahon nearly had an RBI groundout. But upon video replay, he was called out, and the Marlins took a run off the board on an inning-ending double play.
Stanton's homer, an opposite-field job to right in the bottom of the third, tied the score 3-3.
Miami took a 5-3 lead in the fourth on Mike Aviles' two-round double into the left-field corner.
Odrisamer Despaigne pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first major league save.
NOTES: Rockies rookie 1B Ryan McMahon, who made his first big-league start, got an eighth-inning single for his first hit. ... With a day game after a night game, five regulars were held out of the starting lineup. For Colorado, it was C Jonathan Lucroy, 1B Mark Reynolds and SS Trevor Story. For Miami, it was 1B Tyler Moore and 2B Dee Gordon. ... Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton leads the majors with 19 go-ahead homers, which is also a franchise record. Stanton's homer on Saturday was No. 100 for him in his career at Marlins Park. ... Rockies manager Bud Black (illness) was back in the dugout after missing Saturday's game. ... The Rockies return home on Monday to face the Atlanta Braves. Colorado RHP Chad Bettis, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November of 2016, will make his 2017 big-league debut. ... The Marlins on Monday open a three-game series against the visiting San Francisco Giants.