BLUE JAYS HAMMER PALMS TO CLOSE MAY

 By Vin Castillo

TORONTO — The Miami Palms arrived in Toronto hoping to split the weekend and carry momentum back home. Instead, they ran headlong into a sharp Hyun-Jin Ryu and an unrelenting Blue Jays lineup, falling 10–1 Sunday afternoon as May came to a lopsided close.

Toronto struck early and never let go, tagging Brian Kragh for four runs in the first inning and five total before chasing him in the fifth. Randal Grichuk was at the center of nearly everything, collecting four hits, including a home run, and driving in three as the Blue Jays piled up 16 hits.

“We just couldn’t stop the bleeding early,” manager Scott Hatteberg said. “Against a club swinging it like that, you can’t spot them four in the first.”

The Palms briefly showed life in the second. Chris Korb singled, moved up, and eventually came home on a sacrifice fly by Frank Sohn — Miami’s lone run of the afternoon. That was about as close as it got.

Ryu settled in after that momentary wobble, carving through the Palms for seven innings while allowing just one run. Miami put nine hits on the board but stranded 11 runners, a frustrating theme that echoed through the dugout.

“Too many chances that went nowhere,” said Edwin Encarnación, who doubled but was left at second in the third. “You don’t beat a guy like that unless you cash in.”

The middle innings only widened the gap. Adam Conley was roughed up for four runs in the fifth, including extra-base hits from Grichuk and Travis Shaw, turning the game into a formality by the time the roofed stadium crowd settled back into its seats.

One small bright spot came in left field, where Emilio Miranda collected two hits in just his second big-league game, continuing an encouraging first impression after his recent call-up.

The loss sent the Palms out of Toronto having been outscored 18–3 over the two games of the series, dropping Miami to 33–28 as the calendar flips to June.

Still, there is reason for optimism as the team heads home. The Palms return to Miami for an 11-day, nine-game homestand against the Royals, Braves, and Blue Jays — a chance to recalibrate in familiar surroundings.

More importantly, help is on the way. Jarod Lantz made his final rehab start with Triple-A Jackson and is expected to be activated to rejoin the rotation on the 6th.

“That’s a big lift for us,” Hatteberg said. “Getting Jarod back changes the shape of things.”

After striking out in Toronto, the Palms will look to reset at Coca-Cola Palms Park — and let June tell a different story.

 Toronto Blue Jays 10, Miami Palms 1

 Sunday, May 31, 2020

 

 

 Miami Palms (33-28)                                      Toronto Blue Jays (2-0)                                 

 Player          AB R  H BI BB SO  P  A  E LOB   Ave      Player          AB R  H BI BB SO  P  A  E LOB   Ave      

 ------          -- -  - -- -- --  -  -  - ---   ---      ------          -- -  - -- -- --  -  -  - ---   ---      

 Munoz ss        4  0  0  0  1  3  0  1  0  2   .319      Bichette ss     5  0  2  1  0  2  1  1  0  0   .333

 Koch 2b         5  0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   .289      Gurriel, Jr. lf 4  1  2  1  1  1  5  0  0  1   .375

 Grant rf        5  0  2  0  0  0  3  0  0  2   .292      Guerrero, Jr. 3b5  1  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  1   .444

 Encarnacion dh  3  0  1  0  1  1  0  0  0  3   .270      Grichuk cf      5  3  4  3  0  1  4  0  0  2   .556

 Korb 1b         3  1  1  0  1  1  3  0  0  1   .268      Fisher rf       5  2  3  2  0  1  2  0  0  0   .333

 Wieters c       4  0  2  0  0  0  11 0  0  0   .250      McGuire c       4  1  1  1  1  2  8  0  0  0   .250

 Garcia 3b       4  0  0  0  0  2  0  1  0  0   .281      Shaw 1b         4  1  2  2  0  0  5  1  0  0   .286

 Miranda lf      4  0  2  0  0  0  1  0  0  3   .500      Biggio 2b       4  0  0  0  0  2  0  3  0  4   .286

 Sohn cf         3  0  0  1  0  0  5  0  0  0   .275      Panik dh        4  1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   .250

 

                 -- -  - -- -- -- -- -- -- ---                            -- -  - -- -- -- -- -- -- ---            

 Totals          35 1  9  1  3  7  24 3  0  11            Totals          40 10 16 10 2  10 27 6  0  8  

 

 

                           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9      R  H  E

                           -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -      -  -  -

 Miami Palms               0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0      1  9  0  

 Toronto Blue Jays         4  1  0  0  4  0  0  1         10 16 0  

 

 

 

 LOB- Miami Palms 11, Toronto Blue Jays 8; 2B- Encarnacion(10), Bichette(2), Guerrero,

 Jr.(2), Grichuk 3(3); 3B- Fisher(1), Shaw(1); HR- Grichuk(1), Fisher(1); RBI- Sohn(15),

 Bichette(1), Gurriel, Jr.(1), Grichuk 3(3), Fisher 2(2), Shaw 2(2), McGuire(1);

 SF- Sohn(3); RLSP- Encarnacion, Korb, Munoz, Grant, Miranda 2, Gurriel, Jr., Grichuk,

 Biggio 3;  

 

  

  

 

 

 Miami Palms                  IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Kragh(L 3-3)                 4.0  8  5  5  1  5    3.86  

 Conley                       1.0  5  4  4  0  2    5.66  

 Shipley                      1.0  2  0  0  1  1    6.65  

 Morin                        2.0  1  1  1  0  2    3.94  

 

 Toronto Blue Jays            IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Ryu(W 1-0)                   7.0  7  1  1  3  6    1.29  

 Guerra                       2.0  2  0  0  0  1    0.00  

 

 Pitches-strikes- Kragh 58-42, Conley 30-15, Shipley 24-15, Morin 24-15, Ryu 96-58,

 Guerra 17-12; Batters faced- Kragh 21, Conley 8, Shipley 6, Morin 7, Ryu 31, Guerra 8;


 Temp - 0, Sky - Roof Closed, Wind -  

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Palms Can’t Just “Patch and Pray” Anymore

  South Florida Sun-Beat Column by Rhys Thomason It’s been said often enough this spring that the Miami Palms have been snakebitten by injuries, and sure, that’s true. Brett Gardner’s hamstring, Jaspero Gonzalez’s wrist, Jarod Lantz’s shoulder — all of them are the kind of setbacks that could sink a team with less depth. But let’s be honest: relying on duct tape and good vibes to paper over holes isn’t a strategy. It’s negligence. Look at the infield. Matt Koch has been pressed into everyday duty at second base, and while he’s played hard, nobody in Coconut Coast camp ever dreamed he’d be logging this many starts in April. He’s a utility man being asked to survive as a keystone anchor. That’s not development, that’s desperation. Then there’s the lineup. Edwin Encarnación keeps finding ways to knock in runs, but where’s the support? Pat Grant’s homer in the Bronx was a bright spot, but there’s a lack of consistent firepower around the middle of the order. The front office’s answe...
Read more

Verdugo, Red Sox Pummel Palms in Series Opener

By Vin Castillo, Coca-Cola Palms Park  MIAMI — The Palms got a dose of reality Monday night, and it came in the form of a relentless Boston lineup and an untimely outburst from their veteran catcher. Alex Verdugo went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, and the Red Sox racked up 16 hits en route to a 7-1 win over the Miami Palms at Coca-Cola Palms Park. The loss snapped Miami’s four-game win streak and featured a forgettable debut for newly called-up reliever Allan Persons, who gave up three runs on five hits in a single inning of work. Boston wasted no time, tagging Palms starter Blake Johnston for three runs in the opening frame, thanks to a pair of RBI hits from Xander Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland. Johnston lasted just three innings, surrendering four earned runs, and took his second loss of the season. Miami’s lone highlight came in the bottom of the first when Jaspero Gonzalez drilled a solo home run—his seventh of the year—to cut the early deficit to 3-1. That would be all the offense...
Read more