Winning Streak or House of Cards?

 By Rhys Thomason

Six straight wins. That’s the number every Palms fan has in their head today. A sweep of the Yankees, a bruising of the Red Sox, and a commanding opener in Seattle. It feels like the dream scenario — the Palms’ bats bludgeoning, Manny Parra turning in his best start of the year, and even the middle of the order finally clicking.

But peel back the curtain, and you’ll see the same cracks that were there two weeks ago. The bullpen has been a circus act — Allan Persons came out with the win in New York, but only because the offense bailed him out after a shaky inning. Cody Allen has been searching for his command all spring, and Chris Martin can’t carry the leverage load by himself. You don’t win playoff races by hoping the 6th through 9th innings simply “work out.”

Manager Scott Hatteberg has been asking his starters to stretch deeper — Parra threw 102 pitches last night, Erick Fedde has been pushed hard, and Dylan Bundy is next up. That strategy looks fine on paper when the team is winning, but by June, it can turn a six-game winning streak into a six-week tailspin if arms wear down.

The Palms deserve their moment in the sun — they’re 22-15, tied for the best stretch in franchise history this early in the season. Just don’t mistake momentum for invincibility. A streak is a thrill; a bullpen collapse is a certainty unless something changes.

And when that day comes, we’ll see if Miami’s front office has the stomach to fix it.

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