Maybe it was the breather Giancarlo Stanton requested and received, or the move one spot down in the batting order that rejuvenated his home run swing.
Perhaps it was Mets pitching.
Stanton hit his 55th homer — and his first in nine days — while driving in four runs to help the Miami Marlins beat New York 13-1 Monday night.
Batting third for the first time this year, Stanton hit a three-run line drive into the home run sculpture at Marlins Park in the fourth inning against struggling right-hander Matt Harvey (5-6). With that, the MLB home run leader ended a drought of 29 at-bats without one.
"I thought he looked better, obviously," manager Don Mattingly said.
Stanton came into the game batting .147 in his previous 19 games. He has been rested and held out of the starting lineup three times in the past 10 games, including Sunday, when he asked to sit out.
The break helped, he said.
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"For sure, at this point," Stanton said. "Early in the year when you have a day off, you kind of feel sluggish afterward. With all the miles we've tallied up through the year, it feels good to have them now."
The Marlins, back home after a dismal trip extended by three games due to Hurricane Irma, won for only the fourth time in the past 21 games.
"It felt like we've been on the road for three weeks," Stanton said.
His homer total is the highest since Ryan Howard hit 58 in 2006. He added a run-scoring single in Miami's seven-run fifth.
Every Miami starter got a hit, and seven New York pitchers combined to allow 19 hits.
Marcell Ozuna had four hits, including his 34th home run . Dee Gordon also had four hits, among them a two-run triple, and earned his 55th stolen base. Ichiro Suzuki added two hits and an RBI, while rookie Brian Anderson drove in two runs with his first career triple.
Dan Straily (10-9) gave up one run in five innings and struck out eight.
"We got beat up a little bit on the road trip," he said. "It's nice to get back home and do some laundry and win a game."
