Palms 18, Orioles 1

 Thursday, June 25, 2020 – Coca-Cola Palms Park

By Vin Castillo

The Miami Palms were due.

After days of scraping for runs and searching for any kind of offensive rhythm, the Palms didn’t just break through Thursday afternoon—they kicked the door off its hinges.

Behind a relentless, top-to-bottom barrage, Miami routed Baltimore 18–1 to salvage the series and return to .500 at 41–41, in what might have been their most complete performance of the season.

“We needed that,” manager Scott Hatteberg said, allowing himself a small smile. “Everybody contributed. That’s what it’s supposed to look like.”

Early Statement, No Let-Up

The tone was set immediately.

Returning to the lineup, Brett Gardner wasted little time making his presence felt, and the Palms erupted for four runs in the first inning, putting Baltimore on its heels from the outset.

But unlike previous games during this uneven stretch, Miami didn’t stop there.

They scored in seven of eight innings, piling up 22 hits, six walks, and constant pressure that never allowed the Orioles to reset.

“Just pass it along,” Gardner said. “You don’t have to do too much when everyone’s getting on base.”

Koch Leads Historic Day

At the center of it all was Matt Koch, who delivered a performance that bordered on absurd.

The shortstop went 5-for-5, scored four times, drove in three runs, and homered—reaching base in all six plate appearances.

“I was seeing it pretty good,” Koch said, downplaying a career day that lifted his average to .266.

He had plenty of company.

  • Pat Grant drove in five runs, including a towering grand slam.

  • Brock Holt went 4-for-4 with four RBIs, spraying line drives all over the field.

  • Edwin Encarnación added two hits and two RBIs, continuing to anchor the middle of the order.

  • Rookie Ian Pfaff chipped in with two hits and scored twice, continuing to impress since his call-up.

By the middle innings, the game had turned from competitive to celebratory.

Parra in Command

Lost in the offensive explosion—but no less important—was the steady work of Manny Parra.

The veteran left-hander delivered eight strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits while working around five walks. It was exactly the kind of outing pitching coach Tony Rico values: deep, efficient enough, and stabilizing.

“He gave us length,” Rico said. “That’s the foundation.”

A Needed Reset

For a team that had just been shut out three times in five games, the outburst felt like a release.

The clubhouse afterward reflected it—music a little louder, conversations a little looser.

“Baseball’s weird like that,” Chris Korb said. “You grind for runs one day, and the next day everything falls in.”

Now comes the challenge: carrying it forward.

The Palms remain in the middle of a long homestand, with series against Texas, Boston, and Tampa Bay looming. If Thursday was a reminder of what this lineup can be, the next step is proving it’s not a one-day phenomenon.

Still, for one afternoon, there was no ambiguity.

No inconsistency. No frustration.

Just hits, runs, and a team that finally looked exactly like it believes it can be.

 Miami Palms 18, Baltimore Orioles 1

 Thursday, June 25, 2020

 

 

 Baltimore Orioles (1-2)                                  Miami Palms (41-41)                                     

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

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

 Alberto 2b      5  0  1  0  0  0  5  3  0  2   .154      Gardner cf      5  3  2  2  1  0  3  0  0  2   .315

 Hays cf         3  0  0  0  1  1  2  0  0  0   .143      Koch ss         5  4  5  3  1  0  0  3  0  0   .266

 Mancini rf      4  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  1   .417      Grant 1b        6  2  2  5  0  0  9  1  0  0   .291

 Santander lf    2  0  0  0  2  0  3  0  0  0   .222      Encarnacion dh  5  1  2  2  1  0  0  0  0  1   .265

 Nunez 1b        3  1  1  1  1  0  8  0  0  2   .273      Castillo c      6  2  2  0  0  1  5  0  0  1   .225

 Ruiz 3b         4  0  0  0  0  0  1  3  0  3   .000      Pfaff 3b        4  2  2  0  1  1  0  0  0  0   .396

 Iglesias ss     4  0  1  0  0  1  2  1  0  0   .182      Holt lf         4  2  4  4  1  0  2  0  0  0   .262

 Davis dh        4  0  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  1   .250      Garcia 2b       4  1  1  2  1  1  1  3  0  2   .213

 Holaday c       3  0  0  0  1  0  3  0  0  0   .143      Sohn rf         5  1  2  0  0  0  5  0  0  2   .277

 

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

 Totals          32 1  5  1  5  3  24 9  0  9             Totals          44 18 22 18 6  3  27 9  0  8  

 

 

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

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

 Baltimore Orioles         0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0      1  5  0  

 Miami Palms               4  0  1  1  6  1  3  2         18 22 0  

 

 

 

 LOB- Baltimore Orioles 9, Miami Palms 8; 2B- Mancini(1), Encarnacion(16), Koch 2(12),

 Garcia(4), Gardner(10), Holt(11), Grant(16), Pfaff(5); HR- Nunez(1), Koch(10),

 Gardner(6), Holt(5), Grant(12); RBI- Nunez(1), Encarnacion 2(51), Koch 3(30), Garcia 2(18),

 Gardner 2(13), Holt 4(25), Grant 5(42); GIDP- Grant(1); RLSP- Nunez, Ruiz 2, Alberto,

 Encarnacion, Garcia 2, Gardner, Sohn 2;  

 

 DP- Baltimore Orioles 2;  

  

 

 

 Baltimore Orioles            IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Sanchez(L 0-1)               3.0  9  5  5  1  0   15.00 

 Torres-Costa                 1.0  1  1  1  1  0    9.00  

 Paredes                      1.0  3  6  6  3  2   54.00 

 Scott                        1.0  1  1  1  0  1    4.50  

 Bleier                       1.0  5  3  3  1  0   27.00 

 Castro                       1.0  3  2  2  0  0   12.00 

 

 Miami Palms                  IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Parra(W 7-7)                 8.0  4  1  1  5  3    4.91  

 Allen                        1.0  1  0  0  0  0    3.92  

 

 Pitches-strikes- Sanchez 66-38, Torres-Costa 15-6, Paredes 36-17, Scott 12-10,

 Bleier 27-15, Castro 12-8, Parra 101-59, Allen 9-5; Batters faced- Sanchez 19,

 Torres-Costa 4, Paredes 9, Scott 4, Bleier 8, Castro 6, Parra 33, Allen 4; 


  

 

  

 Temp - 92, Sky - Mostly Cloudy, Wind - ESE 10mph 

 

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