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Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins knock off Arizona Diamondbacks

By The Sports Xchange
Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on August 10, 2017. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on August 10, 2017. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

After double-digit scoring wasn't sufficient the night before, the Miami Marlins again surpassed 10 runs and kept the Arizona Diamondbacks from clinching a postseason berth.

Giancarlo Stanton's 57th home run helped lead the Marlins to a 12-6 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

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Unlike Friday, when the Marlins scored eight runs against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zach Greinke but Marlins pitchers allowed 13 runs in a 13-11 loss, Miami took an early lead and relievers surrendered one run through the final five innings.

Stanton went 3-for-6 and was a triple shy of the cycle. Stanton drove in four runs and became the Marlins' season RBI leader with 124, breaking the previous mark of 120 set by Preston Wilson in 2000.

"RBIs are cool, too, because I'm always known for homers," Stanton said on the Marlins' postgame TV show. "To get up there in RBI you have to be a good hitter, too."

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Justin Bour homered for the fourth consecutive game as his two-run opposite-field shot in the eighth gave Miami an 11-6 lead. Bour's shot bounced off the left-field foul pole for his 25th home run.

Miami (73-81) took the lead for good with a five-run third and withstood home runs from Arizona's J.D. Martinez and Paul Goldschmidt. Martinez now has 43 homers and Goldschmidt connected for the 36th time this season.

The loss kept Arizona (89-66) within one game of clinching a wild-card berth.

"We didn't close the deal the way we wanted," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We are very proud what we accomplished at this point, but we got to reload for (Sunday) and make sure we do this thing right."

Brian Ellington (1-1) pitched two innings of relief for the win. Ellington struck out three around Martinez's solo home run.

"This ballpark you just don't feel comfortable," Miami manager Don Mattingly said. "You know things happen fast. The ball jumps. It's an offensive ballpark. It's not like a regular place where you get a couple of runs lead and start feeling comfortable late in the game. You don't feel comfortable here."

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Neither starter reached the fifth inning. Arizona's Taijuan Walker (9-9) allowed six runs and six hits, walked three and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings.

Despite enjoying four- and three-run leads, Miami's Dillon Peters was lifted for a pinch hitter after four innings. Peters surrendered five runs, six hits, walked three and struck out one.

Martinez's solo homer off Ellington in the fifth put Arizona within 7-6. Stanton leaped and attempted to catch Martinez's opposite-field shot before it landed over the wall in right-center field.

Stanton's solo homer and Bour's RBI single in the fourth gave Miami a 7-4 lead. Bour's single to shallow center scored Christian Yelich from second. Yelich originally was called out on second baseman Brandon Drury's throw to catcher Chris Ianetta, but Miami challenged the play and a video review overturned the call.

"It's tough, but I got to try to keep putting good barrel on the ball and the rest takes care of itself," Stanton said of his pursuit of reaching 60 home runs.

The Marlins erased a 1-0 deficit with a five-run third keyed by Stanton's two-run double and a fielding error by Walker off Dee Gordon's short dribbler that scored Miguel Rojas from third. Bour drove in a run with a single and Brian Anderson's sacrifice fly to deep center scored Miami's fifth run of the inning.

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"Offense did a really good job putting up runs," Walker said. "I just didn't do my job and have that shutdown inning. I have to do my job -- make the plays and get that shut down inning."

Goldschmidt's three-run homer off Peters in the bottom of the inning cut the deficit to 5-4.

Drury's home run to lead off the second gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead. Drury drove Peters' pitch above the wall in right-center field for his 13th homer of the season.

NOTES: 2B Dee Gordon favored his right leg as he attempted to beat out a grounder in the fourth inning. Although Gordon limped on his way to the dugout, he remained in the game. ... 3B Martin Prado, sidelined since mid-July because of a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery, is traveling with the Marlins on their road trip to Arizona and Colorado. Prado took batting practice before Saturday's game and is targeting possible pinch-hit opportunities the final week of the season. ... J.D. Martinez has 27 home runs since July 19, second behind Stanton. Martinez also drove in his 28th run of the month, tying Luis Gonzalez for the one-month record he set in March-April 2000. ... Saturday's crowd of 39,259 at Chase Field pushed the Diamondbacks past two million in home attendance for the season. Arizona has never drawn less than two million at home in the club's 19-year history.

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