Miami Palms Blog

  By Rhys Thomason – Sunday Column, May 17, 2020 It’s hard to know what to make of the Miami Palms right now. You look at their 26–23 record, and it says “competitive.” You watch them for a weekend like this one, and it says “tired.” The Brewers came in and did just about everything right in two of the three games, and the Palms looked like a team in need of more than just a Monday off. It’s not that there’s no talent here — there clearly is — but it’s starting to look like the gas tank is reading “E.” Erick Fedde, who had been counted on to help stabilize the rotation while Jarod Lantz rehabs and Blake Johnston finds his rhythm, was hit around like it was batting practice. He wasn’t alone. The bullpen didn’t hold up, either — but honestly, what’s left to hold up after a 15-run bludgeoning? The lineup, too, seems brittle right now. Brett Gardner and Jaspero González are on the shelf. Jason Roeder’s been tossed into the deep end. Yairo Muñoz continues to hit, Nick Markakis is do...

 MIAMI — Sunday’s matinee at Coca-Cola Palms Park looked like a chance to carry momentum into the off day. Instead, the Brewers emptied the tank and sent Miami into its break with plenty to think about. Milwaukee battered Erick Fedde and the bullpen for 20 hits and 15 runs in a 15–3 rout, handing the Palms their worst loss of the season and their fifth in seven games. “Sometimes you just tip your cap and move on,” said manager Scott Hatteberg afterward, his tone even but weary. “They were on everything. We’ll regroup tomorrow.” Fedde (2–3) never found his footing, giving up eight runs in just over three innings. The Brewers jumped out early with four in the first — capped by Justin Smoak’s three-run homer — and never let up. Smoak went deep twice, Ryan Braun added a three run shot, and Christian Yelich piled on with a long drive to right in the seventh. For Miami, Yairo Muñoz was one of the few bright spots, tripling and homering to drive in two of the Palms’ three runs. Brock ...

  By Vin Castillo, Miami Herald Coastal Edition Beat Writer It only took 24 hours for the Miami Palms to turn frustration into fire. After being held to two runs in Friday’s loss, the Palms returned the favor Saturday night at Coca-Cola Palms Park, defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 5–2 behind Dylan Bundy’s best outing in weeks and a pair of long balls from Nick Markakis and Matt Koch . A FRESH START Bundy, who’d been searching for consistency since mid-April, found a rhythm early. Mixing his fastball and changeup beautifully, he held Milwaukee scoreless through five innings and didn’t issue a walk all night. “It was all about tempo,” Bundy said afterward. “When I’m getting quick outs, it’s a good sign I’m trusting my stuff again.” Bundy went six strong, allowing just one run on five hits with six strikeouts. THE BIG INNING The Palms struck in the third when Yairo Muñoz singled with two outs. Frank Sohn drew a walk, and Nick Markakis got just enough of a hanging curve t...

 Coconut Coast was buzzing after the Palms salvaged a split in Texas, but the bats cooled off just enough Friday night as Miami dropped the opener of their six-game homestand, 5–2, to the Milwaukee Brewers. The biggest story? Missed chances early, and one big swing late. A ROUGH FIRST INNING FOR PARRA Manny Parra never quite settled in. Milwaukee loaded the bases with two walks and a single, and Justin Smoak made him pay— a three-run homer the opposite way to right-center. Just like that, the Brewers led 3–0 before many fans had found their seats. To Parra’s credit, he steadied himself and threw six straight scoreless innings after that first-frame disaster. But the early hole loomed. “I actually felt good,” Parra said postgame. “One pitch got out. I just wish we could’ve gotten that one back.” PALMS SCRATCH BACK, BUT CAN’T BREAK THROUGH In the 4th, Nick Markakis legged out a triple to right-center and scored on a Grant sacrifice fly. In the 5th, Yairo Muñoz singled, F...

  A Column by Rhys Thomason Let’s not kid ourselves. A few days ago, the Miami Palms looked cooked. They’d dropped five straight. The offense went missing like it took an unapproved vacation. The bullpen was suddenly mortal. The vibes? Please. The team played like they were carrying a refrigerator on their backs. Then came Wednesday’s explosion—10 runs, a shutout, the kind of cathartic win that teams pretend doesn’t matter emotionally but absolutely does. Blake Johnston threw a complete-game 3-hitter on 79 pitches. The lineup bludgeoned Texas pitching like they were getting even for the week before. It was the baseball equivalent of yelling into a pillow. But to me, Thursday’s win was the one to circle. Why? Because it wasn’t loud. It was smart. It was stubborn. It was the kind of late-inning, big-moment answer we frankly haven’t seen enough of from this club. THE 9TH INNING WAS A PERSONALITY TEST Most teams down 1-0 in the 9th on getaway day? They mail it in and head home...

  By Vin Castillo, Palms Beat Writer ARLINGTON — You could feel the tension in the dugout as the eighth inning ended. One run on the board for Texas. Zero for Miami. A brilliant start going to waste. A long flight home ahead. A series slipping away. Then the ninth inning happened. The Palms cobbled together a few singles, Chris Korb delivered a two-run single up the middle, and Miami stunned the Rangers 2–1 to steal the finale and split the four-game set. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. But it was tough, resilient baseball. “Sometimes you win by ten, sometimes you win by guts,” manager Scott Hatteberg said. “Tonight was guts.” KRAGH KEEPS THEM IN IT Brian Kragh delivered his best start since being called up, tossing seven innings of one-run ball without a walk. Efficient and poised, he kept the Rangers off balance with late life on the fastball and a sharp slider. “He looked like he’s been up here for years,” catcher Matt Wieters said. “Composed. Confident. He gave us a ...

  By Vin Castillo, Palms Beat Writer ARLINGTON — At long last, the storm broke. After four straight losses full of crooked innings and missed chances, the Miami Palms unleashed seven runs in the ninth inning and rode a complete-game masterpiece from Blake Johnston to bury the Texas Rangers 10–0 on Wednesday night. “We needed this one,” manager Scott Hatteberg said postgame, visibly relieved. “You could feel the whole dugout exhale in the ninth.” JOHNSTON: HIS BEST YET Johnston was untouchable. Three hits. Zero walks. Nine strikeouts. Efficient (79 pitches!) and fearless. Only one Ranger reached second base. “I didn’t even look at the pitch count,” Johnston said. “I just knew I wasn’t coming out.” It was the first complete game shutout this season—and it couldn’t have been timed better. BIG BATS WAKE UP The offense, quiet early, chipped away before exploding: Chris Korb crushed his 7th homer. Brock Holt added his 3rd. Matt Koch launched his first of the season....

  by Vin Castillo, Coca-Cola Palms Park Press ARLINGTON — What began as a tough series has quickly snowballed into a spiral. The Texas Rangers pounded out 19 hits against Miami pitching Tuesday night, cruising to an 11–5 victory and handing the Palms their fifth straight loss. Erick Fedde, making his ninth start of the year, couldn’t find footing against a relentless Rangers lineup. He was tagged for six runs in three innings, watching Joey Gallo rip a pair of doubles and Ronald Guzman and Elvis Andrus go deep. “Fedde’s stuff was fine in the ‘pen sessions, but tonight he was up in the zone too often,” manager Scott Hatteberg admitted. “You can’t do that against big league bats, especially in this park.” Edwin Encarnación briefly kept Miami afloat with a two-run blast in the sixth — his eighth homer of the season — and Greg García added a pair of RBI singles, but the Rangers kept adding on against the bullpen. Wandy Peralta and Jeremy Jeffress combined to allow five runs over th...