MIAMI _ There is no mystery in why the wheels came off of the Miami Marlins during the final month after they had played themselves into wild-card contention.
The answer was in those numbers spinning on the scoreboard under the opponents' runs column.
Even though Miami hitters have shown the ability to put up crooked numbers with regularity, it has been difficult to offset the jackpots regularly jingling on the other side of the ledger like berserk Vegas slot machines. Consequently, it's clear that top priority will be on improving the pitching as the Marlins move into the Derek Jeter era.
Rookie left-hander Dillon Peters made a case Thursday for being given consideration in future plans as he earned his first major league win in his final start of 2017, a 7-1 victory against the Braves at Marlins Park.
Giancarlo Stanton contributed a pair of homers: his 58th a towering drive off a hanging breaking ball from Julio Teheran in the fourth, then smashed No. 59 off the base of the window wall above left field off Rex Brothers in the eighth.
The latter went 467 feet, off the bat at 119 mph, according to Statcast.
Stanton is the first player with at least 58 homers since Ryan Howard in 2006, and no one had hit more than 58 since 2001, the year Barry Bonds set the record with 73 and Sammy Sosa had 64.
Peters held the Braves without a run for 5 2/3 innings on two hits. It was his sixth start and by far his best since shutting out the Phillies for seven innings in his debut on Sept. 1.
Prior to the game, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said that in recent series at Milwaukee, Arizona and Colorado it was painfully obvious what his club lacked in relation to playoff-caliber teams.
"We tried to put our best foot forward, we got beat every series. Four of those games we gave up more than 10 runs," Mattingly said. "It's really, truly hard to compete if that's the case. At some point I think that things have to get addressed to give yourself a chance to win as an organization."
The implication is it will likely require trading away some established hitters in an attempt to upgrade the pitching.
The Marlins' staff ranked 13th of 15 teams in the National League with a 4.48 ERA. The starters were 14th with a 5.14 mark.
No doubt, there will be an infusion of arms from outside the organization. The No. 1 prospect within is left-hander Trevor Rogers, the top draft pick in June who has yet to pitch in a pro game.
On Thursday, right-hander Trevor Richards was named the organization's Pitcher of the Year after going 12-11 with a 2.53 ERA in 146 innings split between High-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville. Richards, 24, rates as only the No. 18 prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com.
Peters, 25, is listed at No. 4 after making a notable leap up the ladder this season. His elevation to the majors was expedited, perhaps a bit early, by a rogues gallery of others who failed to hold on to rotation spots this season.
Peters, who missed 2 { months with a fractured thumb, took a step back in his previous two starts when he allowed a combined 13 runs in 7 2/3 innings. But Thursday his breaking ball was sharp as he struck out four, though he also walked four on 99 pitches. He recovered nicely after issuing back-to-back walks with one out in the fourth.
Prior to Stanton's first homer, the Marlins built a 4-0 lead mostly on small ball. Dee Gordon sparked a third off Julio Teheran with a leadoff triple in the gap in right-center and scored on a wild pitch. Justin Bour had a two-run single with the bases loaded.
A pair of dribblers that went for infield hits, by Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto, also figured prominently in the inning.
