By Walter Villa, The Sports Xchange



MIAMI - The Miami Marlins finished the first half season with a surge.

Giancarlo Stanton hammered a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning to lead Miami to a 7-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at Marlins Park.

With the win, the Marlins (47-41) swept the Reds (32-57) for the first time since 2003.

Stanton, though, didn't sound impressed.

"No one is going to remember the half-time record," Stanton said after the Marlins tied the New York Mets for second place in the wild-card race.

"This is when we've got to make a push and see who is going to peel off and who is going to keep going. Press on the gas, man."

Stanton, who has slumped for most of this season and had a batting average of .192 late last month, has still managed to close the first half with impressive power numbers: 20 homers and 50 RBIs. He is hitting .233 overall and .370 during a seven-game hit streak.

Again, though, Stanton wasn't doing any cartwheels in regards to his numbers and even mocked how bad he was at times during the first half.

"You could have picked anyone in the stands and put them in right field a month ago," said Stanton, who leads the team with seven game-winning RBIs. "It's pretty good now. It's not where I want it to be, but there have been strides. I had a good week. Keep it going."

Miami's Mike Dunn (1-1), who set a franchise reliever record with his 369th appearance, earned the win by pitching a scoreless fifth inning. The previous record for Marlins relief appearances was held by Braden Looper.

Reds left-hander Cody Reed (0-4) took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, in 4 2/3 innings.

"I just made that one bad pitch to Stanton," Reed said. "The guy is getting paid 300-something-million to hit home runs -- he does that from time to time."

Perhaps the Reds' loss was predictable because the Marlins are 15-6 against left-handed starters, the best record in the majors in that category.

Early on, though, the Reds hit Marlins starter Tom Koehler - who escaped with a no-decision - hard. Cincinnati scored one run in the first, and the Marlins had to feel fortunate it wasn't far worse.

Of the first five Reds batters, there were four hard, line drives and one walk. But the only run scored was on an RBI single by Jay Bruce. It was RBI No. 63 for Bruce, who leads all NL outfielders in that statistic.

Miami took a 2-1 lead in the second. Miguel Rojas doubled to the right-field corner and scored on a one-out single to right by Adeiny Hechavarria. Bruce may have had a play at the plate, but he double-clutched before he threw, and the toss sailed.

Hechavarria took second on the throw and scored on a two-base passed ball. Catcher Tucker Barnhart appeared to get crossed up, and the ball glanced off his glove and his shin guard before rolling 30 feet into foul territory.

Miami had never previously scored on a two-base passed ball.

But it was also the second time in two games that a Reds catcher has been crossed up by his pitcher, resulting in a passed ball and a run each time.

The Reds' fourth inning was similar to the first. The first five batters got hits, and yet Cincinnati was held to two runs. Brandon Phillips lined a two-run double that one-hopped the wall in left to give Cincinnati a 3-2 lead.

Barnhart then singled to center, where Marcell Ozuna charged the ball and threw out Phillips at the plate on a close play. The Reds, surprisingly, did not challenge the call, even though Phillips appeared to be safe.

Reds manager Bryan Price said he had no choice.

"All I have is what I get from the video room," said Price, who then watched Miami take momentum back with Stanton's homer followed by a three-run sixth inning. "I don't have the ability to go and see the replays. Challenging plays sounds like a great idea until you lose your challenge. Then it's not a great idea."

It was the second straight game in which Ozuna threw out Phillips. On Saturday, Ozuna gunned him down at third.

Again, though, Price remarked how difficult the situation was, in this case for third-base coach Billy Hatcher.

"(Ozuna) had to make perfect throws," Price said. "You don't want to make the first out of the inning at home plate. ... It's a tough position to be the third-base coach.

"We don't play (the Marlins) all the time. We know they have arm strength. And we also know there are times we need to push it to score runs. It's a play decided by three or four inches. You are down to the bottom of your lineup. Sometimes that plays into the decision."

NOTES: Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki, while pinch-hitting in the seventh, was struck on his left knee by a pitch from Reds RHP Raisel Iglesias. Suzuki is 10 hits shy of 3,000 for his major-league career. ... Marlins 2B Dee Gordon, serving an 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, will begin playing minor-league games on July 17 and is eligible to return to the majors on July 28. He is ineligible for the postseason this year. ... After Tuesday's All-Star Game, Miami returns on Friday, when it opens a weekend series at the St. Louis Cardinals. ... Cincinnati returns home on Friday to start a six-game homestand, including a weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers. ... Marlins 1B Justin Bour (sprained ankle) is expected to return after the break.