NEW YORK _ Struggling Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton was bypassed for his fourth All-Star selection earlier Tuesday, but he reminded the voters he's far from done.
Stanton pulverized two homers to account for all of the Marlins' runs and struggling starter Wei-Yin Chen threw seven solid innings in a 5-2 victory over the Mets at Citi Field.
The Marlins softened the blow of Monday's nightmarish 8-6 loss to creep back to 1 { games behind the Mets and still have a chance to take the series in Wednesday's matinee.
Before the game newly anointed Marlins All-Star pitcher Jose Fernandez waxed nostalgic about his first All-Star Game in his rookie season of 2013 when watching Home Run Derby in Citi Field.
"[I remember] seeing Yoenis Cespedes hit it 10,000 feet. It was for sure something special," he said.
Fernandez got another close-up look as Cespedes celebrated his starting All-Star selection by rocking a fat 91-mph fastball from Chen off the facing of the second deck facade. His 21st homer traveled 431-feet at 103-mph to stake the Mets to a 1-0 lead in the fourth that stood until the seventh.
That was all Chen (5-3) would give up as he pitched seven innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five and walking one. It was the left-hander's second victory since May 11.
Then Marlins manager Don Mattingly turned to his All-Star relievers, Fernando Rodney and closer A.J. Ramos, to close the deal. Although, Rodney, the former flawless closer for the Padres (17-of-17), who gave up the winning hit on Monday, was touched up for a pinch-hit homer by light-hitting Alejandro de Aza.
Ramos pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 25th save in 26 opportunities, and first since blowing his only one of the season last Friday.
Stanton crushed an 84-mph changeup from Mets starter Steven Matz on a line drive into the left-field bleachers. It scored newly named All-Star Marcell Ozuna, who led off the seventh with a single, and gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead.
Stanton's 16th homer left the park in just 3.6 seconds at 115-mph on a 16-degree launch angle and ended up 436-feet away. ESPN.com ruled it the second fastest homer of the season behind Mike Trout's 120.5 mph-rocket on April 25.
Since Matz (7-4), won seven starts in a row he has gone 0-3 with four no-decisions in his last seven outings. Other than Stanton's laser, Matz was superb, as he gave up five singles and two runs in seven innings while fanning six with one walk.
Stanton wasn't done though. After Christian Yelich was hit by a pitch and another single by Ozuna, Stanton unloaded on a fastball from reliever Erik Goeddel and sent it 424-feet into the second deck. It was Stanton's 17th multi-homer game, but first of the season.
It was his 15th career homer in Citi Field, two more than Chase Utley, and the most by any visiting player. Six of his last nine hits against the Mets have been homers, including another one off Matz in the young pitcher's season debut, a 10-3 Marlins' win on April 11.
