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NEW YORK -- Curtis Granderson needed only three innings of playing time to do all sorts of damage.Granderson came off the bench and homered twice, Jose Reyes had four hits and the surging New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-4 on Tuesday night.Asdrubal Cabrera added to his recent tear at the plate, hitting a two-run homer after missing one start with a sore knee. Rookie right-hander Seth Lugo (2-2) gave up two runs in the first inning but recovered nicely as the Mets won for the eighth time in 10 games.Were playing good baseball. We just need to play consistently right through September, Reyes said.By taking the first two games of the four-game series, the defending NL champions moved ahead of slumping Miami for second place in the NL East. New York (68-64) remained 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the leagues second wild card.I think it helps having a little bit of pressure, Lugo said. Its a little easier when theres something on the line. Gives you focus.Looking to spark a scuffling offense, Marlins manager Don Mattingly shuffled his 2-3-4 hitters. It worked right off the bat, with Christian Yelich hitting a two-run homer in his first career plate appearance batting cleanup.It was Miamis first home run in eight games, but that was all for the Marlins until J.T. Realmuto hit a solo homer off Jim Henderson in the ninth. Jeff Francoeur tripled with two outs and scored on Dee Gordons single before Jeurys Familia struck out Marcell Ozuna for his major league-leading 43rd save in 46 chances.Familia matched his 2015 total and again tied the franchise record for one season, first set by Armando Benitez in 2001. Seven of Familias saves this year have come against Miami -- most for any major league reliever versus one team.New York has won nine of the past 12 meetings this season.Miami has dropped four straight and six of eight overall.We cant try to fix it overnight. Its not going to work that way. Weve just got to play good ball, starter Tom Koehler said.Granderson, batting for Lugo, connected against Koehler (9-10) for his second career pinch-hit homer leading off the sixth, extending the Mets lead to 4-2 with the clubs ninth pinch-hit homer this season.Alejandro De Aza added an RBI single later in the inning off Dustin McGowan.Granderson, who stayed in to play right field, launched a two-run shot in the seventh.Its tough to pinch-hit in any situation, he said. Not an easy task by any means.Reyes singled leading off the first and Cabrera went deep on the next pitch. It was the 17th home run this season and fourth in 11 at-bats for the reigning NL player of the week. He is batting .447 with four doubles and 11 RBI in 11 games since coming off the disabled list Aug. 19.Reyes and Cabrera got on base seven times in 10 combined plate appearances from the top two spots in the lineup.Slumping slugger Jay Bruce, who started over Granderson, doubled and scored on a two-out single by Wilmer Flores that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead.Before the game, manager Terry Collins said he thinks De Aza is the teams best option in center field right now. Bruce and Granderson, both with All-Star track records, have been sharing time in right as each tries to get going at the plate.Ive commissioned the commissioners office to give us a rover. They havent OKd that yet, Collins joked. So were going to do the best we can. But I think both of them are everyday players. We just dont have everyday spots.Lugo went six innings and retired the final eight batters he faced in his third major league start. He has won the past two.Struggling reliever Hansel Robles followed Lugo with two scoreless innings.LIKE A HAWKScott Hairston (2011) and Hawk Taylor (1964) were the only other Mets players to homer twice in a game they didnt start.TRAINERS ROOMMarlins: LHP Adam Conley (finger tendinitis) began a throwing program in Florida. It could take him about three weeks to return, Mattingly said.Mets: Rookie LHP Steven Matz (shoulder) is not ready to come off the disabled list and was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday night. Jacob deGrom will be moved up a day to start for Matz in the finale of the four-game series, Collins said. ... 2B Neil Walker sat out his third straight game with a stiff back.VEGAS, BABYThe Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League will remain the Mets Triple-A affiliate for at least two more years. The teams announced an extension of their player development contract through the 2018 season. Well aware of how inconvenient its been at times to have players travel across the country on red-eye flights when they get promoted to the big leagues, Collins sounded unenthused. The only thing thats good about it is theres enough flights out of Vegas late at night, he said. That situation is what it is, and I dont have anything else to say except we hope that those flights keep going.UP NEXTMarlins RHP David Phelps (7-6, 2.52 ERA) starts Wednesday night against 43-year-old RHP Bartolo Colon (12-7, 3.44 ERA). Retro Jordan 11s For Sale . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Cheap Air Jordan 11 Retro Orange .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. http://www.cheapjordans11online.com/cheap-air-jordan-11-retro-all-gold/ . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Cheap Air Jordans From China . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Cheap Air Jordan 11 Retro All Blue . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. MIAMI -- An NL All-Star jersey was draped over the chair at Giancarlo Stantons locker Sunday, and lately its looking like a better fit.The $325 million slugger ended a slump-marred first half of the season Sunday with a homer that put the Miami Marlins ahead to stay, and they completed their first series sweep of Cincinnati since 2003 by winning 7-3.Stanton didnt make the All-Star team but will compete in the Home Run Derby. He goes into the break with 20 home runs and 50 RBI, even though his play was nothing special for a prolonged stretch.You could have picked anyone in the stands and put them in right field a month ago, he said. Its pretty good now. There have been good strides.Stanton was batting .193 on June 15 but has raised his average to .233. His latest hit was a two-run homer in the fifth inning that gave Miami a 4-3 lead.How will he do in the Derby in San Diego on Monday?Well see, he said. Youre going to have to watch. I look forward to it a lot.I hope he hits some monumental ones, manager Don Mattingly said. Theres a building out there in left field down the line -- I think he can clear that.Thanks to three consecutive wins over Cincinnati, and despite Stantons struggles, the Marlins (47-41) have their best record at the All-Star break since 1997.Its time to press on the gas, man, Stanton said. We can peel off with everyone or we can keep going. No one is going to remember the halftime record.The last-place Reds, swept in Miami for the first time since 1996, were again hurt by a succession of baserunning mistakes and defensive lapses.We were awful today defensively, manager Bryan Price said.Miamis Adeiny Hechavarria scored from second base on a passed ball, a franchise first. All-Star center fielder Marcell Ozuna threw out Brandon Phillips on the bases for the second game in a row.Four Marlins relievers combined to allow two baserunners over the final five innings. Mike Dunn (1-1) pitched a perfect fifth to break the franchise record for career pitching appearances with his 369th.Reds rookie Cody Reed (0-4) allowed three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings to remain winless in five career starts.I just made that one bad pitch -- too Stanton, Reed said.dddddddddddd The guy is getting paid 300-something-million to hit home runs; he does that from time to time.Reds starters have an ERA of 5.86 this month. Miami improved to 15-6 against left-handers.BAD DEFENSESloppy fielding hurt Cincinnati in the second inning, when Miami scored twice. Miguel Rojas doubled and took advantage of All-Star right fielder Jay Bruces poor throw to score on a single by Hechavarria, who took second on the play.A pitch by Reed then caromed off catcher Tucker Barnharts shin guard, and when the ball rolled behind the first-base coaching box, first baseman Joey Votto was slow to react, giving Hechavarria time to score easily.Miami also scored on a passed ball in Saturdays win.SUZUKI UPDATEMarlins pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki crumpled to the dirt when hit on the left knee by a pitch from Raisel Iglesias in the seventh inning, but he stayed in the game. He needs 10 hits for 3,000.REVERSALSUmpire Mike Estabrook twice called Marlins out on plays at first base, and both rulings were quickly overturned by replay reviews. The second reversal gave Miguel Rojas an infield single, and he later scored on Realmutos two-out single in the sixth.TRAINERS ROOMMarlins: 1B Justin Bour (sprained ankle) is expected to return soon after the All-Star break.Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (elbow surgery), who made a rehab start Thursday at Triple-A Louisville, is expected to pitch again July 15 and July 20 before potentially returning to the Reds, manager Bryan Price said.UP NEXTWhen the Marlins visit the St. Louis Cardinals for three games beginning Friday, the starters are expected to be Wei-Yin Chen, Adam Conley and Koehler, with All-Star Jose Fernandez skipping a turn to help limit his innings pitched.After the break, the Reds return home to face the Milwaukee Brewers for a weekend series that begins Friday. The Reds plan to start, in order, Anthony DeSclafani, John Lamb and Dan Straily. Brandon Finnegan and Reed are scheduled to start the first two games of the following series against Atlanta. ' ' '