COLUMN: Conley’s Calm Night Could Mean More for Miami

 by Rhys Thomason

The Miami Palms don’t ask Adam Conley to do much these days. He’s been in that vague gray space between “organizational depth” and “long man in the bullpen,” waiting for the moment someone’s arm tightens up or a doubleheader clogs the rotation. Wednesday afternoon against Boston was one of those moments.

And you know what? He didn’t look like an afterthought.

Five innings. Two runs. Seven strikeouts. The line isn’t Cy Young material, but it was the kind of steady, professional start that gives a team a chance to win. That’s exactly what Miami needed after the bullpen got stretched the night before.

Conley’s outing says something bigger, too. For all the attention on Dylan Bundy’s ace status and the injuries to Jarod Lantz, the Palms have quietly built something they never used to have: actual pitching depth. Between Conley, Brian Matusz, and Wandy Peralta, this team doesn’t have to panic if a starter falters or misses a turn.

Manager Scott Hatteberg praised Conley postgame — “He just went out there and gave us innings,” he said — but you could tell Hatteberg was savoring something more. The Palms didn’t have to chase this game. They didn’t need a miracle rally. They played from a position of strength.

For a franchise built on flashy bats and big swings, that’s progress.

The Palms are still figuring out who they are in 2020. But Wednesday, thanks to a pitcher who rarely makes the headlines, we caught a glimpse of a team that might finally be able to survive the grind.

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