Palms 8, White Sox 6 — Bats Wake Up to Stop the Slide
By Vin Castillo, Miami Sun-Sentinel
MIAMI — For the first time in a week, Coca-Cola Palms Park was loud for the right reasons.
The Miami Palms shook off their recent funk Wednesday night, riding home runs from Edwin Encarnación, Matt Wieters, and Matt Koch to an 8–6 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
“We needed this one,” manager Scott Hatteberg said with a relieved grin afterward. “It’s not about any single play — it’s about getting that feeling back, where every guy in the lineup thinks we’re going to get the next big hit.”
The offense answered the call early and often. After falling behind 2–0, Miami erupted for three runs in the third, capped by Encarnación’s booming two-run triple to right-center — his fourth of the year after hitting his ninth homer on the season in the 2nd.
Koch followed in the sixth with a solo homer, and Wieters crushed a two-run shot to put the Palms up 8–6, giving the bullpen just enough breathing room to hang on.
“It felt like every time they punched, we punched back,” Wieters said. “We haven’t done that in a while.”
Starter Brian Kragh battled through five innings, allowing four runs and striking out five. Reliever Mike Morin gave up a brief lead in the sixth, but Wandy Peralta steadied things with two scoreless frames, and closer Chris Martin sealed his 16th save with a tidy ninth.
Yairo Muñoz continued his breakout season, going 4-for-5 with a double, while Nick Markakis reached base four times and scored twice.
“This lineup’s got too much experience to stay quiet for long,” said bench coach Forrest Davis. “They’ve been pressing. Tonight they just played.”
The win snapped a two-game skid and evened the short homestand at one game apiece. The Palms (27–24) will go for the series win Thursday before heading out for an interleague trip to Atlanta.
Miami Palms 8, Chicago White Sox 6
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Chicago White Sox (1-1) Miami Palms (27-24)
Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave Player AB R H BI BB SO P A E LOB Ave
------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- --- ------ -- - - -- -- -- - - - --- ---
Robert, Jr. cf 5 1 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 2 .444 Munoz ss 5 1 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 .325
Mazara rf 5 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 .400 Markakis lf 2 1 1 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 .316
Moncada 3b 5 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .444 Sohn cf 4 0 1 1 0 0 5 0 0 2 .280
Jimenez lf 4 1 0 0 1 0 7 0 0 2 .222 Encarnacion dh 4 1 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 4 .275
Grandal c 5 1 2 0 0 1 6 0 0 1 .250 Korb 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 3 0 0 .273
Brugman dh 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 .000 Pfaff 1b 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 .300
Abreu 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 0 0 .333 Wieters c 4 1 1 3 0 1 7 0 0 0 .239
Anderson ss 4 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 .333 Holt rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 .237
Mendick 2b 4 2 3 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 .556 Koch 2b 4 2 2 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 .268
-- - - -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- - - -- -- -- -- -- -- ---
Totals 39 6 13 6 2 7 24 6 0 8 Totals 35 8 13 8 3 6 27 4 0 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Chicago White Sox 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 6 13 0
Miami Palms 0 2 3 0 0 3 0 0 8 13 0
LOB- Chicago White Sox 8, Miami Palms 7; 2B- Moncada(1), Robert, Jr.(1), Mendick 2(3),
Koch(5), Korb(5), Munoz(10); 3B- Moncada(1), Encarnacion(4); HR- Anderson(1), Mendick(1),
Encarnacion(9), Koch(3), Wieters(9); RBI- Moncada(1), Robert, Jr.(2), Anderson 2(2),
Mendick 2(4), Encarnacion 3(34), Koch(10), Wieters 3(20), Sohn(13); SF- Sohn(2);
RLSP- Jimenez 2, Robert, Jr. 2, Grandal, Mazara, Brugman, Encarnacion 2, Sohn,
Pfaff;
DP- Chicago White Sox 1, Miami Palms 1;
Chicago White Sox IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Giolito(L 0-1) 6.0 11 8 8 3 6 12.00
Colome 2.0 2 0 0 0 0 0.00
Miami Palms IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Kragh 5.0 8 4 4 1 5 3.40
Morin(W 2-1)(BS 1) 1.0 4 2 2 0 1 4.38
Peralta(H,5) 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 3.24
Martin(S,16) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2.00
Pitches-strikes- Giolito 99-58, Colome 23-15, Kragh 72-45, Morin 26-17, Peralta 20-12,
Martin 6-4; Batters faced- Giolito 31, Colome 8, Kragh 24, Morin 7, Peralta 7,
Martin 3;
Temp - 86, Sky - Partly cloudy, Wind - SE 10mph
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