MIAMI _ Giancarlo Stanton turned inevitability into reality _ and history _ Monday night.
He hit his 43rd home run of the season, breaking the Miami Marlins' single-season record with a two-run shot to left field in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Marlins Park.
For Stanton, it was his fifth consecutive game with a homer, also a franchise record, plus his 10th long ball in 11 games and 22nd in 34 games.
The Marlins' single-season mark was previously held by Gary Sheffield, who hit 42 in 1996. The major league record for consecutive games with a long ball is eight, set by Don Mattingly in 1987 and tied by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1993.
Stanton's torrid stretch earned him National League Player of the Week honors Monday, capping a week in which he homered six times in seven games.
"Just been really fun to watch, as much as anything," manager Don Mattingly said Monday afternoon. "It's good to see him basically being able to do the things he's doing. And it looks like he's having some fun. When he's doing that, it puts us in a lot better position."
And Stanton's teammates have just gone along for a ride. Over the weekend, that meant a sweep of the Colorado Rockies. On Monday, it meant a 2-0 lead in the first inning _ before the Marlins had even made an out. Dee Gordon singled before Stanton went deep.
"I'm just enjoying the show," reliever Kyle Barraclough said. "It seems like every day he's putting one in the seats. Keeping the fans happy, keeping the dugout happy. It's fun to watch, when he gets going like that."
