Miami Palms Blog

 The Miami Palms wrapped up a sweep of the Detroit Tigers on Sunday with a 4–2 victory behind a pair of long balls from Brock Holt and Frank Sohn, steady pitching from Erik Fedde and the bullpen, and a strong bounce-back effort from the short-handed lineup. With Brett Gardner out for the foreseeable future, the Palms shuffled their outfield and leadoff situation. Frank Sohn slid to center field and promptly delivered, launching a solo homer in the first inning to put Miami ahead early. Brock Holt, making his first start in a week, followed with a two-run homer in the second and later added a solo shot in the fifth for a three-RBI day. “Holtie was huge for us today,” said manager Scott Hatteberg. “The power was nice, but it’s the versatility and spark he brings that’s just as valuable.” Fedde earned his second win of the season with five innings of two-run ball, settling in after a bumpy fourth inning when the Tigers tied the game 2–2 on RBI hits from C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoo...

 The Miami Palms rode another strong start from Dylan Bundy and a clutch blast from Chris Korb to edge out the Detroit Tigers, 3–2, on Saturday night in Miami. But the win came with a significant cost: center fielder Brett Gardner exited with what the team later confirmed as a lower leg injury. He will be placed on the 60-day injured list. After Pat Grant hit the game tying homer a batter before, Korb provided the go ahead swing in the bottom of the 7th, crushing a solo homer off Tigers reliever John Schreiber to flip a 2–1 deficit into a 3–2 lead.  “We’ve seen Korby do that all year,” said manager Scott Hatteberg. “Big moment, and he doesn’t try to do too much.” Bundy, coming off a rough start his last time out, was electric through six shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out seven. He left with a 1–0 lead, but Cody Allen gave up two runs in the top of the seventh to briefly hand the lead to Detroit. The blown save was Allen’s first, but he ultimately picked...

  By Vin Castillo | April 24, 2020 | Coca-Cola Palms Park The Miami Palms kicked off their homestand with a 4–2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, but the win came with a cost: starting pitcher Manny Parra was placed on the 10-day injured list after the game, following his eight-inning effort. Parra (2–4) was sharp in what turned out to be a gritty final outing before his stint on the shelf. The lefty scattered seven hits across eight innings, allowing just two runs—both earned—and striking out eight without issuing a walk. “He was as locked in as we've seen him,” said manager Scott Hatteberg. “That’s a tough one to swallow because we were starting to see him round into form.” The Palms offense provided steady support behind a 12-hit attack, led by Edwin Encarnación, who belted his fifth home run of the season and added an RBI double in the fifth. Matt Wieters also stayed hot at the plate, doubling twice and driving in a run, while Frank Sohn’s seventh-inning trip...

 ANAHEIM — If you’re only getting one start on a road trip, you might as well make it count. Miami’s Brian Kragh delivered eight masterful innings Thursday night at Angel Stadium, silencing Los Angeles bats and guiding the Palms to a 3–1 win and a split of the four-game series. Kragh allowed just five hits, one run, and didn’t issue a walk in a clinical 65-pitch outing. He struck out four and never allowed more than one base runner in any inning. For a rotation still waiting on the return of injured ace Jarod Lantz, Kragh’s performance was a revelation. “He was in total control,” said manager Scott Hatteberg. “He worked quickly, he attacked, and the Angels never looked comfortable. That’s the kind of start that sets a tone — and now, we take that home with us.” Kragh’s pinpoint command and economical effort earned him his first win of the season and helped the Palms return to .500 at 13–13. Chris Martin worked a clean ninth for his sixth save. The Palms took the lead in the fif...

ANAHEIM — The Miami Palms did all their talking early Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, then let the bullpen handle the punctuation. Powered by three home runs and a relentless attack in the first three innings, the Palms tallied a in in their series with the Angels with a 10–5 victory. Brett Gardner continued to swing the hottest bat in the Miami lineup, going 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Matt Wieters and Nick Markakis also went deep, part of a 17-hit performance that saw every Palms starter reach base at least once. “After a couple tough ones here, it felt good to hit them early and force the game on our terms,” said Gardner, whose fourth home run of the season came to lead off the game. The Palms jumped out to a 7–0 lead after two frames, chasing Angels starter Shohei Ohtani from the game after just two innings. Ohtani surrendered seven runs on six hits and three walks — a far cry from the dominant version Miami feared entering the series. “He’s got electric...

 Rhys Thomason | South Florida Sports Independent It’s not the record that tells you much — not yet. At 11–13, the Miami Palms could be anything. They’re a bloop and a blast away from relevance, or a couple of misfires from the kind of May malaise that derails seasons. But to hang around this team for even a few days is to know one thing for certain: this group thinks they’re more than the standings say they are. “I’ve been around some clubs that just kind of accept the rollercoaster,” catcher Matt Wieters said after Tuesday night’s 12-inning loss in Anaheim, still in partial gear. “That’s not this room. These guys don’t mope. It’s more of a ‘we’re going to get it right, eventually’ kind of vibe.” The Palms have seen the full spectrum already: blowout wins, last-gasp losses, slugfests, duels, weather delays, late scratches, and injury woes. And yet the tone in the clubhouse — even after three straight losses — isn’t resignation. It’s almost… constructive. Take Brett Gardner, the...

  By Vin Castillo, Coca-Cola Palms Park Beat ANAHEIM — The Miami Palms' west coast woes continued Tuesday night as they dropped their second straight in Anaheim, a 12-inning, 5–4 heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Angels. A bullpen that had been taxed the previous night held on as long as it could, but Jeremy Jeffress gave up the game-winning single to Michael Hermosillo, capping a long and grinding loss. “We’re running on fumes, man,” manager Scott Hatteberg admitted after the game. “But that’s no excuse. We had our chances.” The Palms (11–13) got rolling early when  Nick Markakis  launched a solo homer in the second.  Brett Gardner  went 3-for-6 with an RBI double in the fifth, and Yairo Muñoz added a two-out RBI single to cap a two-run frame. Miami led 4–1 after five and looked poised to even the series. But starter Erick Fedde walked four batters and couldn’t escape the fifth, eventually charged with three earned runs. Reliever Braden Shipley gave up a ...

  By Vin Castillo – Angel Stadium, Anaheim It was a hard-fought opener in Anaheim, but a three-run blast from Mike Trout in the seventh was the gut punch that sent the Miami Palms to a 5–3 loss Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels. The Palms jumped ahead early when Jaspero Gonzalez belted a solo homer in the first inning, his sixth of the year, continuing a scorching April for the second baseman. Matt Wieters added a solo shot in the seventh, and Chris Korb drove in a run with a single in the eighth, briefly cutting the deficit to one. But the damage had already been done. “That’s why he’s the best in the game,” Palms manager Scott Hatteberg said of Trout’s decisive home run. “We made one bad pitch to him, and he made us pay.” Dylan Bundy was tagged with the loss after allowing four earned runs over 6⅓ innings. He struggled with command, walking four, but still managed to strike out five. Braden Shipley was called on in relief and surrendered an insurance run in the eigh...

  By Vin Castillo – Coca-Cola Palms Park The Miami Palms wasted no time jumping on the Yankees in the homestand finale, plating six runs in the first inning—four of them on a grand slam from Chris Korb—as they cruised to a 9–3 victory Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Palms Park. Facing Masahiro Tanaka, the Palms put their first five batters on base, culminating in Korb’s no-doubt drive to left-center. It was the third baseman’s fifth homer of the year and the first grand slam for the team this season. Two batters later, Wellington Castillo joined the home run parade with a two run shot, sending Tanaka to the showers after just two-thirds of an inning. "Knew it off the bat," Korb said of his slam. "Fastball up, middle-in—it’s the one you dream about." Miami’s offense didn’t stop there. Edwin Encarnacion led off the fifth inning with a solo homer, his third of the season, and later added a sacrifice fly to bring his season RBI total to 13.  Manny Parra, winless ente...