Stanton Unleashes Prodigious Pop on Padres

Home run leader inches closer to 50 win a big night

"Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting … and walking Giancarlo Stanton."

- Sun Tzu


OK maybe that’s not entirely accurate but the legendary strategist would have been hard-pressed to find a way to deal with slugging Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.

On Friday night in Miami the man who gives pitching coaches nightmares went bonkers on the Padres with two more home runs, a double, and 5 RBI in an 8-6 Marlins win.

Stanton’s first missile was launched in the 1st inning when he hit a 462-foot shot off Padres starter Travis Wood. The All-Star right-fielder hit a solo dinger in the 3rd inning, giving him 49 home runs already. He has a real chance to be the 3rd player in history to reach 60 in a season who has not yet been tied to performance-enhancing drugs (Roger Maris and Babe Ruth are the others).

The Padres kept it close with homers of their own. Carlos Asuaje lifted his 3rd long ball of the season to right field in the 4th inning off of Marlins lefty Adam Conley. The Friars took the lead with a big 6th inning. Jose Pirela, who had a pair of knocks, singled to score Manuel Margot, who had a three-hit game. Wil Myers followed with a sacrifice fly and Jabari Blash drilled his 4th homer of the year to left-centerfield to put the Padres on top 6-5.

In the 7th inning Kirby Yates gave up a single to Dee Gordon then walked Stanton, which was probably the smart thing to do. But the Marlins have a few other boppers in that lineup and two batters later fellow All-Star Marcell Ozuna hammered a 3-run home run that turned out to be the game-winner.

Game two of the series is Saturday night when rookie Dinelson Lamet takes the mound against former Padres right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne.

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