THE PALMS’ SEASON-TURNING INNING?

 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. Instead, the Palms took eight innings of frustration and turned it into fuel.

Single. Fielder’s choice. Single. Productive out. And Chris Korb, with ice water in his veins, delivers his third hit of the night to drive in two.

That’s not luck. That’s identity.

THIS TEAM GOES WHERE KORB AND THE VETERANS TAKE THEM

While we’re here, can we point out something? Chris Korb is having a borderline All-Star season.

He’s hitting for average. He’s driving in runs. He plays a clean third base. He doesn’t chase junk. He barrels everything. And when the moment requires composure, he provides it.

You know who else has quietly stabilized this team?

  • Nick Markakis – refuses to age, spraying hits, constantly on base.

  • Matt Wieters – handles the pitching staff like a wizard and sneaks in clutch hits.

  • Edwin Encarnación – when he gets a mistake, he punishes it.

  • Brock Holt – doing Brock Holt things. Annoying pitchers. Playing everywhere. Hitting bombs just often enough to be confusing.

We spent April talking about the kids. May has been about the adults in the room.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ROTATION

Johnston’s gem was legendary, but don’t overlook what Brian Kragh did Thursday: 7 innings, no walks, five strikeouts, total command. He set the tone, again.

Between Johnston, Kragh, and Fedde, the Palms suddenly have three starters you trust. That’s not nothing. That’s a foundation.

And guess what? Dylan Bundy is coming.
There’s a version of this team—soon—where starting pitching becomes a weapon.

BUT I’M NOT LETTING THE FRONT OFFICE OFF THE HOOK

This team is 25-21.
They've tread water through inconsistency, injury, shaky defense, and one overworked closer.

If the front office doesn’t get them a legitimate bullpen bridge or a righty bat off the bench in the next month? That’s malpractice.

THE VIBES REPORT

🔥 Chris Korb is That Dude.
🔥 The veterans just put the team on their shoulders.
🔥 The losing streak didn’t break them—it sharpened them.

😬 The bullpen is duct tape and prayer.
😬 The bottom of the lineup disappears too often.
😬 “Winning close games” can flip fast if the pen collapses.

SO… WAS THAT THE TURNING POINT?

It might have been.

Sometimes a season shifts not with a 10-0 blowout, but with a two-run single in the top of the 9th in Texas, when nobody would’ve blamed you for losing.

They didn’t just win.
They refused to accept losing.

The Palms are flying home with swagger. The crowd will be loud. The homestand is winnable.

If they rattle off four of six or better, we’ll look back at Korb’s swing and say:

“That’s when everything changed.”

And if they don’t?

Well, I’m sure I’ll have something to say about that too.

— Rhys

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