ARLINGTON, Texas _ Giancarlo Stanton failed again Monday to hit three home runs in one game, but the Miami Marlins beat the Texas Rangers, 4-0, anyway.
Stanton stopped at a mere two long balls, a two-run shot to left field in the first inning and a solo homer to right field in the eighth inning at Globe Life Park. It was the 25th multi-homer game of his career, seventh of his season and fourth of his month.
On the season, Stanton has 32 dingers, tied with the Yankees' Aaron Judge for the most in the majors. With more than two months to go, Stanton is five away from his personal record and 10 shy of the franchise single-season mark.
Left-hander Adam Conley was as good as he has been all season. In his second start since returning to the majors, he scattered seven hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none.
It was Conley's first start without a walk in his last 36 tries, dating back to Sept. 16, 2015.
The Marlins' lightning-and-thunder combo at the top of the order put them on top five pitches into the game.
Dee Gordon _ the lightning _ led off with a soft ground-ball double off third baseman Adrian Beltre to shortstop Elvis Andrus in shallow left field. Stanton _ the thunder _ blasted a 429-foot homer to left for a 2-0 lead.
Miami added a run in the sixth when Marcell Ozuna doubled to center to score Christian Yelich from first.
Justin Bour, serving as the Marlins' designated hitter in the American League ballpark, left the game in the fourth inning with a strained right oblique. He is day-to-day.
It is not clear when Bour suffered his injury. He grounded into a double play in the first inning, his only at-bat. Ichiro Suzuki pinch-hit for him in the fourth.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas also looked banged up, a team trainer checking on his left shoulder after a dive on a single up the middle, but stayed in the game. The only other shortstop on the roster, rookie JT Riddle, is also dealing with left shoulder issues.
Beltre went 4 for 4, bringing him to 2,993 career hits.
