Giancarlo makes decision easy for Mattingly

MIAMI — Before stepping to the plate in the sixth inning on Tuesday night, Giancarlo Stanton had a brief conversation with manager Don Mattingly. In a scoreless game, the three-time All-Star right fielder was informed he would be coming out of the game after his at-bat.

Stanton made the decision an easy one when he stepped up and knocked the ball out of the park. The opposite-field homer off Tanner Roark was the difference in Miami’s 1-0 win over the Nationals at Marlins Park.

The Marlins are still measuring Stanton’s playing time as he works back into playing the field five weeks after sustaining a Grade 3 left groin strain. Tuesday marked the first time he made back-to-back starts in right field, and in each game, he was replaced in the later innings by Ichiro Suzuki.

“We were just talking about playing another inning,” Mattingly said. “It was kind of at that point, if he makes the last out, how we’re going to get there and him possibly playing another inning.

“It didn’t make any …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com