MIAMI -- Not only is Giancarlo (aka, "Cruz") Stanton driving baseballs over fences, the four-time All-Star has catapulted the Marlins into National League Wild Card contention.
Stanton belted a two-run home run in the eighth inning on Sunday, reaching 50 on the season, as the Marlins rolled past the Padres, 6-2, to complete a three-game sweep.
Sammy Sosa on Aug. 26, 2001, reached 50 home runs, and Stanton is the earliest to reach that milestone since. He's the sixth player to reach 50 home runs before the end of August.
In the series, Stanton went 8-for-10 with three home runs and eight RBIs.