Mets at Marlins
The Miami Marlins may not be able to afford Giancarlo Stanton someday, but in the meantime, they are certainly getting their money's worth. The 24-year-old slugger, who leads the National League with 34 home runs and is tied for the major-league lead with 99 RBIs, tries to help keep Miami in postseason contention when the Marlins host the New York Mets on Tuesday. Miami is 5 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot with three teams to pass after its 9-6 victory Monday.
Stanton, who has played every game this season, belted a solo shot Monday and has gone deep a team-record 22 times at Marlins Park - eclipsing the previous single-season record at home of 21 set by Dan Uggla in 2009. The Californian also has 62 RBIs at Marlins Park, three shy of breaking the team record set by Miguel Cabrera in 2007 and equaled by Hanley Ramirez in 2009. Miami's Brad Penny returns to the rotation and opposes Jonathon Niese, who has lost two straight starts.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jonathon Niese (7-10, 3.48 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Brad Penny (1-0, 5.40)
Niese yielded five earned runs and 17 hits over 14 innings in his last two turns, including a 6-1 loss to Atlanta on Thursday. The 27-year-old Ohio native is 4-5 with a 3.87 ERA in 15 starts against Miami, but 1-0, 1.42 ERA in three turns at Marlins Park. Stanton is 9-for-24 with two homers, five RBIs and eight strikeouts versus Niese.
Penny's first two appearances since 2012 were starts in early August, when he recorded a victory and a no-decision while yielding five earned runs in 10 innings. The 36-year-old Oklahoman's last two outings came in relief, including a scoreless inning in the Marlins' 5-2 loss in Atlanta on Friday. Penny is 5-13 with a 6.25 ERA in 23 games against the Mets - last facing them in relief while with San Francisco in 2012 - and has trouble with David Wright (12-for-20, four homers, 10 RBIs, five walks).
WALK-OFFS
1. New York's 2B Dilson Herrera, 20, the youngest player in the majors and the only one to rise there from Class A this season, recorded his first major-league home run and triple Monday in his fourth game after registering his first hit Saturday and first RBI on Sunday. Herrera, from Colombia, was undrafted.
2. Miami had lost five straight games to the Mets before its victory on Monday.
3. The Mets committed six errors - one shy of the club record, including three during the eighth inning Monday when Miami broke a 6-6 tie with three runs.