Marlins Morning News: Marlins complete sweep of Padres

Marlins News

The Marlins took care of business on Sunday, beating the Padres 6-2 and completing a three-game sweep of San Diego. Miami remains 4.5 games back of the Rockies in the race for the final wild card spot.

The Miami Marlins now have a 20 percent chance to make the postseason, up from less than one percent back on May 18, according to SportsLine.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his major league leading 50th home run Sunday and became the sixth player in Major League History to reach 50 dingers before the end of August.

Stanton is now on pace to hit 63 home runs this year, which would surpass Roger Maris’s “clean” record of 61 set in 1961.

Highlight 9/22-9/27 on your calendar as the Marlins have six games against the D-Backs and Rockies on the road. Your faithful correspondent hopes to be at all three games in Denver. That week could very well decide the wild card game for the two teams left standing.

Around the League

Greg Bird returned from the DL to help power the Yankees past the Mariners Saturday and Sunday. Bird had been out since May 2 recovering from ankle surgery.

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The first place Red Sox were swept in Boston by the Orioles for their fourth straight loss. Boston now leads the Yankees by only 2 ¹⁄₂ games in the AL East.

Check out this recent article from Pinstripe Alley on current and soon to be former Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. “The bubble for lucrative TV deals is about to burst,” according to Joshua Diemert.

Finally, Japan defeated Lufkin, Texas 12-2 Sunday to win the 2017 Little League World Series.