Marlins Defeat Mets: Stanton Homers Again

Mar 17, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) scores a run as New York Mets catcher Juan Centeno (36) waits on the throw during a game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Marlins rebounded from two disappointing losses yesterday to defeat the New York Mets by the score of 10-7 on Monday afternoon. The offensive explosion for Miami was led by a 3-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth inning, his third of spring training.

Henderson Alvarez turned in another strong performance this spring, throwing 4 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run and striking out 5. The strikeouts were particularly pleasing considering that Alvarez often pitches to contact and can be prone to getting roughed-up if he isn’t inducing his usual ground-balls.

On the other side of the coin, Marlins’ reliever Chaz Roe struggled again this spring giving up 5 earned runs in less than an inning of work. The outing pushed his ERA to 12.86, and further’s cements his status as a minor leaguer. Chris Hatcher, Henry Rodriguez, and Carter Capps also got some work in today, with only Carter Capps giving up an earned run, largely due to inheriting Roe’s mess.

The Marlins offense was on point today scoring runs in 5 of the possible 8 innings, including 4 multi-run innings. Miami struggled last year posting crooked numbers on the scoreboard, so it was nice to see them scoring runs in bunches. Stanton was again the star going 2-3 with 3 RBI’s and 2 runs scored. Stanton pushed his batting average to .306 this spring, a welcome sight for those familiar with Stanton’s typical slow starts. Adeiny Hechavarria also turned in a solid performance going 3-4 on the afternoon.

The victory extended Miami’s spring training record to 12-7, giving them the second best record in the Grapefruit League, and the top mark among all National League teams. The experience that this young Marlins’ team has been gaining has been excellent and points to more good things to come. Most believe that the Marlins’ are still a couple of years away from really contending in the National League East, but this spring has been very encouraging and indicates that it might not be as far off as some think.

Tomorrow Miami will face the Houston Astros, with Jacob Turner getting another spring start for the Fish. While Turner likely has the 4th rotational spot on lock-down, He needs to start stringing together some quality starts to be considered for the future plans in Miami. I am hopeful that he can rediscover the magic that made him highly sought after just a couple of years ago.

Let us know what you think about the Marlins fast start this spring in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading and Go Fish!