Miami 5 at NY Mets 2 - Recap

NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning before putting the game out of reach with a monstrous three-run shot in the eighth inning of the Miami Marlins' 5-2 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday at Citi Field.

The Marlins (44-40) have alternated wins with losses in each of their past five games. The Mets (45-38) had their five-game winning streak snapped.

Stanton's first homer landed several rows back in the left-center field bleachers, and his second one landed in the second deck. The two-homer game was the first of the season for Stanton and the 17th of his career. The five RBIs were his most in a game since April 18, 2014.

In between his blasts, Stanton also preserved a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh -- and kept left-hander Wei-Yin Chen in line for the win -- by making a sliding catch of a sinking liner by Juan Lagares with two outs and two runners on.

Chen (5-3) allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out five over seven innings. It was only the second time this season he allowed fewer than two runs in a start and the first time he did it over more than five innings.

The only Mets player to reach base against Chen in the first 6 2/3 innings was Yoenis Cespedes, who singled in the first, homered in the fourth and walked leading off the seventh. James Loney singled with two outs in the seventh before Stanton's nifty catch.

Right-hander Fernando Rodney gave up a homer to pinch hitter Alejandro De Aza in the eighth before A.J. Ramos earned his 25th save with a hitless ninth.

Left-hander Steven Matz (7-4) took the loss for the Mets after allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six over seven innings.

Jose Reyes went 0-for-4 for the Mets while making his major league debut at third base in his first game back with the club for whom he played his first nine major league seasons. Reyes, who was released by the Colorado Rockies on June 25 after serving a 52-game suspension for an offseason domestic-violence arrest, received a warm ovation prior to his first at-bat and sheepishly doffed his batting helmet.

NOTES: To make room for INF Jose Reyes on the active and 40-man roster, the Mets optioned INF Matt Reynolds to Triple-A Las Vegas and shifted 3B David Wright (neck surgery) to the 60-day disabled list. ... Mets C Travis d'Arnaud, who wore No. 7 before Reyes' arrival, gave Reyes his old number. D'Arnaud chose 18 as his new number because he is a fan of recently retired NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. ... Marlins 1B Justin Bour (right ankle) returned to Miami for an MRI. Manager Don Mattingly said he didn't expect Bour to be back before Wednesday afternoon's series finale. ... Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of Major League Baseball approving the Marlins and Colorado Rockies as expansion teams to begin play in 1993.