Major League Baseball

Stanton homers to help Fernandez and Marlins beat Mets, 7-2

Published Jul. 24, 2016 12:26 a.m. ET

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MIAMI (AP) When Giancarlo Stanton reached the dugout after hitting a majestic go-ahead homer Saturday night, Jose Fernandez greeted him with a grin and a flurry of punches to the chest, one slugger pounding on another.

Stanton homered and had his first four-hit game since 2012, driving in three runs to give Fernandez all the support he needed, and the Miami Marlins beat the New York Mets 7-2.

Miami rocked Jacob deGrom (6-5), who allowed 10 hits and five runs, both season highs, and lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his shortest outing since August.

The longest hit was by Home Run Derby winner Stanton, who put Miami ahead to stay in the third inning when he pulled a two-run homer off the left-field scoreboard above the 401-foot sign. For that he earned a giddy greeting from Fernandez.

''I wanted to punch him hard. I was afraid I was going to hurt my hand, though,'' Fernandez said. ''Every time he comes to bat, you don't know if he's going to hit it 10,000 feet.''

Stanton added an RBI single in the fourth and singled in the first and sixth, hiking his average to .241 after a prolonged slump.

''It was a weird vibe in the first couple of innings,'' Stanton said. ''It was kind of back and forth, and who was going to make the bigger punch was going to win the game. Luckily it was us.''

Fernandez (12-4) gave up two early runs but went seven innings to match his career high for victories, achieved in his 2013 rookie season. He also had two hits, raising his average to .265, and drove in the first run.

''Even when I was at the plate, I was ready to do whatever it takes to win this game,'' Fernandez said. Nothing unusual there - he improved to 26-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 37 starts at Marlins Park.

DeGrom was coming off the first complete game of his career, a one-hit shutout in his last start, but his anticipated pitcher's duel with Fernandez failed to materialize. The right-hander allowed at least two baserunners in every inning he worked, and his ERA rose to 2.73.

''I wasn't very good,'' deGrom said. ''Seemingly everything I threw went down the middle, and I paid for it.''

DeGrom's best moment came at the plate, where he doubled to lead off the third, his first extra-base hit since July 2015. He scored on a single by Yoenis Cespedes, and James Loney's sacrifice fly gave the Mets a 2-1 lead.

But that was all they managed against Fernandez. He hit 99 mph in the first inning, and his final pitch was a 98-mph fastball to Cespedes for strike three.

Christian Yelich led off the Miami third with a single, and Stanton dented the scoreboard with a homer that landed between the words BALLS and STRIKES.

''That was one of those pretty ones,'' manager Don Mattingly said.

''I didn't break any lights,'' Stanton said, ''so that was good.''

The homer was Stanton's first since he won the Home Run Derby, and his 21st this year. He has six homers in 10 games against the Mets this season, including three this month off deGrom.

Yelich had three of the Marlins' 16 hits, and Martin Prado drove in two runs.

''Guys did a really good job with deGrom, battling him and making him throw a bunch of pitches,'' Mattingly said. ''We've been good with those type of guys. It's the soft-tossing guys we've had a lot of trouble with.''

SUZUKI UPDATE

Miami's Ichiro Suzuki grounded out as a pinch hitter to end the eighth and remained four hits shy of 3,000.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: 1B Lucas Duda (back) visited the team, took swings for the first time since his injury and said he hopes to be ready for a rehab assignment in a couple of weeks. ''I feel good. I'm progressing on the right track,'' said Duda, who hasn't faced pitching yet.

REHAB

Marlins: 2B Dee Gordon went 2 for 13 in his first four games with Triple-A New Orleans as he prepares to return next week from an 80-game suspension for a positive drug test. Mattingly said reports regarding Gordon's progress have been encouraging. ''He's swinging the bat good and looks good for a guy who hasn't played in a while,'' Mattingly said.

UP NEXT

RHP Jose Urena (1-1, 6.23) is scheduled to start Sunday for the Marlins in the rubber game of the series against LHP Steven Matz (7-6, 3.56).

''We've got to get the series,'' Stanton said. ''Tonight won't mean much without that.''

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