Stanton’s homer soars in win
460-foot blast was his second-longest of the season.
MIAMI — Mike Trout watched Gianc arlo St anton slug 61 home runs on his way to the Home Run Derby title at last summer’s All-Star Game in San Diego.
Friday night, the American League’s two-time MVP didn’t have to wait long to see one fly over his head in his first game at Marlins Park.
Stanton crushed a two-run homer off Angels right-hander Jesse Chavez in the first inning that flew an estimated 460 feet to center field. The blast was Stanton’s second-longest this season, according to MLB Statcast (he hit a 468-foot shot May 7), and the tone-setter in Miami’s 8-5 victory.
In terms of distance, Stanton remains baseball’s king. He’s clubbed 25 career homers of at least 460 feet, 11 more than the next-closest team’s total (the Colorado Rockies) since he entered the majors in 2010, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The next three players on the list — Edwin Encarnacion, Justin Upton and Nelson Cruz — each have six.
Stanton’s 12th homer of the season — and the 10th in the past three seasons to travel at least 460 feet — fueled a four-run first inning for the Marlins, who tacked on another run in the second on a bases-loaded walk and then picked up a big threerun home run from Justin Bour in the sixth to improve to 7-14 at home this season.
For Bour, who was hitting .184 on April 29 and has raised his average to .285, it was his ninth home run in his past 14 games. He’s leading the majors in homers in May with nine.
Marlins starter Dan Straily scattered six hits, struck out six and walked two over 5⅓ innings to improve to 3-3 on the season. He’s the first Marlins pitcher to hit the threewin mark.
Miami (17-29) has won three of its past five games after dropping 10 of its previous 11 games. The Angels, playing in South Florida for the first time since 2011, have dropped three in a row.
Locke almost ready to go: Jeff Locke finally looks ready to join the Marlins’ rotation.
The 29-year-old left-hander and 2013 All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who has been out with biceps tendinitis since he first took the mound in spring training back in February, had his strongest minorleague rehab start yet Thursday night.
He toss ed s i x s c orel es s innings for Double A Jacksonville, scattering six hits and walking two as the Jumbo Shrimp blanked the Jackson Generals 5-0.
“He’s absolutely close,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “Sounds like he was really good last night.”
Locke, who is 1-0 with a 1.77 ERA in four rehab starts between Jacksonville and Single A Jupiter, believes he’s re ady to go. He threw 95 pitches total Thursday night. He threw 78 in the game, 53 for strikes. Then he went to the bullpen and completed his final inning of work to get his pitch count up.
“We’re right on the right track,” Locke said in Jacksonville after the game. “In my opinion, I’m ready to go.”
Locke was 9-8 with a 5.44 ERA in 19 starts and 11 relief appearances for the Pirates last season. He signed a oneyear, $3 million contract with the Marlins in the offseason.
When he comes back, Mattingly said, Locke will join the rotation.