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Stanton eyes milestone in middle tilt with Mets

Sep 2, 2014 - 2:42 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Miami Marlins All-Star Giancarlo Stanton has never reached 100 runs batted in during his career and will try to achieve the feat Tuesday in the middle portion of a three-game series versus the New York Mets.

The slugger homered for the 34th time this season in Monday's 9-6 win over the Mets and has 99 RBI, the most since Dan Uggla drove in 105 in 2010. The club record for RBI in a season is 121 by Preston Wilson in 2000.

Stanton has a chance to become the first Marlin to lead the National League in homers and RBI. He leads the NL in both as well as on-base percentage (.401) and slugging percentage (.554).

Casey McGehee and Marcell Ozuna both had two RBI in Monday's come-from-behind win for the Marlins, who won for the second time in the last six tries and sit 5 1/2 games off a wild card spot. The Marlins were coming off a disappointing 3-6 road trip.

Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez gave up four runs -- three earned -- in 2 1/3 innings and left the game with an oblique strain. He is considered day-to-day. A.J. Ramos got the win with a scoreless eighth and Steve Cishek struck out two batters in the ninth for his 32nd save.

"Those obliques are dicey, for sure," manager Mike Redmond said. "We'll see. That's something we'll evaluate over the next couple days, as far as his availability for his next start."

Brad Penny will make his fifth appearance (3rd start) with the Marlins Tuesday and the veteran right-hander is coming two relief appearances. In his last start Aug. 14 versus Arizona, Penny did not record a decision in a 5-4 win and allowed four runs in five innings.

Penny won his return to the Marlins on Aug. 9 at Cincinnati and has struggled against the Mets in his career, going 5-13 with a 6.25 ERA in 23 games (21 starts).

The inconsistencies of the Mets continued on Monday and they have alternated results over the previous five games. After taking two of three from Philadelphia, the six runs weren't enough to claim victory last night.

Dilson Herrera hit the first home run of his career in a four-run third inning and David Wright drove in two runs. Zack Wheeler avoided a loss and allowed five runs -- two earned -- in 4 2/3 innings. Jeurys Familia was saddled with the defeat in relief for New York, which fell to 5-6 in the last 11 games and 31-39 on the road.

"I tried to get the job done and I had a bad day," Familia said.

New York, which comitted six errors, had won five in a row against Miami and is 8-6 in the series.

The Mets will send Jon Niese to the mound Tuesday and he is 7-10 with a 3.48 earned run average. Niese has lost two straight starts and is 2-6 in his last eight outings. In last Thursday's 6-1 setback to Atlanta, Niese pitched well in defeat and gave up three runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Niese has allowed no more than three runs in each of his last four starts. The lefty has made 15 career starts against the Marlins, but has a 4-5 record and a 3.87 ERA to show for it.