The Marlins lost again on Thursday, 4-3 to the Mets at home in Miami, the eighth loss in their last 11 games. But the Marlins' Wild Card chances aren't waning because of Giancarlo Stanton, who remained red hot.
Giancarlo Stanton homers in 3rd straight game, but Marlins lose
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Stanton was 2-for-4 on Thursday, including an eighth-inning blast that pulled the Marlins to within a run.
Since the calendar flipped to September, Stanton has homered every day, 5-for-12 (.417) with three home runs and a double in three days. It’s not a recent phenomenon either; Stanton has 13 home runs and 36 RBI in his last 36 games, hitting .286/.420/.619 during that span.
Stanton’s only home run streak longer than his current stretch was a four-game stretch from Aug. 14-17, 2011.
The 24-year-old prodigious power hitter leads the National League in home runs (36), RBI (102), on-base percentage (.402), slugging percentage (.566), total bases (290), OPS (.968), OPS+ (165) and walks (90).
He will be a prime candidate for National League Most Valuable Player, though likely to fall victim to the undercurrent of support for Clayton Kershaw 's sublime season on the mound. In the latest odds released by Bovada on Tuesday, Kershaw was the NL MVP favorite at 2/3 odds, but Stanton is close behind at 6/5.
No National League pitcher has won MVP since Bob Gibson in 1968. A continued hot finish to the season by Stanton could keep it that way.
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