Miami Palms Blog

  Friday, July 10, 2020 — Coca-Cola Palms Park By Vin Castillo They didn’t light up the scoreboard. They didn’t need to. What the Miami Palms needed Friday night was something far simpler—and far more telling. They needed a clean, controlled, professional win. They got it. Behind eight steady innings from Blake Johnston and one thunderous swing from Greg Garcia , the Palms edged the Boston Red Sox 3–2 to open the pre–All-Star Break set and move back above .500 at 48–47. Second-Inning Surge Holds Up Boston struck first on Alex Verdugo’s two-run shot in the second, the kind of early punch that has undone Miami too often this season. This time, they answered immediately—and decisively. Three runs in the bottom half flipped the game: Edwin Encarnación worked his way aboard and set the table Chris Korb added traffic with a base hit Then came Garcia, getting the start in place of Yairo Muñoz Garcia turned on a pitch and drove it out for a three-run homer, a no-doubt ...

Alright, let’s talk about it. If you told us a week ago— right after Boston lit us up —that we’d be sitting here at 47–47 , coming off a sweep of Tampa and a split in Baltimore… we probably take that. No hesitation. But watching it? Living it? That’s been a ride. 🎢 THE LAST 7 DAYS, IN EMOTIONS 😬 Boston series: “uhhh… is everything okay?” 🔥 Tampa series: “WAIT—we’re SO back” 😐 Baltimore: “okay… but like, which team are we?” That’s the thing with this group right now. They’re not boring. Not even close. 👀 WHAT WE’RE SEEING UP CLOSE This team has personalities starting to show through : Frank Sohn : casually drops a grand slam like it’s batting practice Brett Gardner : suddenly feels like he’s involved in everything late in games Chris Martin : if it’s the 9th inning and we’re ahead, you just… exhale Jaspero Gonzalez : the lineup just looks right again with him back And then there’s the collective thing: 👉 They don’t go quietly anymore Even yesterday—down early—they kept chipping....

  By Vin Castillo, Oriole Park at Camden Yards The Miami Palms had their chances Wednesday afternoon. They just couldn’t undo the damage from the first inning. Baltimore jumped on Erick Fedde early and never fully let go, handing the Palms an 8–5 loss and a split of the brief two-game set as Miami heads back home at 47–47 . ⚾ First-Inning Trouble Sets the Tone Before the Palms could settle in, the Orioles struck hard: 5 runs in the first inning Traffic all over the bases Fedde forced to grind from the jump It wasn’t one big swing—it was a steady stream of hits that put Miami in a hole they spent the rest of the day trying to climb out of. “We were chasing the game right away,” Hatteberg said. “That’s tough to recover from.” 🔄 Fighting Back, But Not Enough To their credit, the Palms didn’t fold. Edwin Encarnación: 2 hits, 3 RBI , HR (18th) Jaspero Gonzalez: HR and 2 RBI Brett Gardner / Pat Grant: both with multi-hit days Miami chipped away: Tw...

  By Vin Castillo, Oriole Park at Camden Yards For eight innings, it felt like the Miami Palms had let one slip away. In the ninth, they took it right back. Wearing their tan road uniforms , the Palms scratched across three runs in the final frame to pull out a 6–5 win over the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night, a gritty, back-and-forth victory that pushed Miami to 47–46 —their first step above .500 in what feels like weeks. And as the game ended, another piece of news rolled in: 👉 The All-Star rosters are set—and the Palms are sending talent to represent. ⚾ A Game That Kept Swinging Miami struck first in the third: Four consecutive singles Chris Korb  added an RBI knock But Baltimore answered: 2 runs in the 4th 2 more in the 5th Suddenly, the Palms were trailing 4–3 , and for much of the night, it felt like they were just a step behind. 🔥 Ninth-Inning Flip Against Baltimore closer Tanner Scott, the Palms didn’t just rally—they swung their way back in...

  By Vin Castillo, Coca-Cola Palms Park By the time the final outs settled into gloves Sunday afternoon, the Miami Palms had done more than just win a series. They had flipped the script on their week—and maybe their season. Behind a monster day from Frank Sohn , punctuated by a grand slam, the Palms rolled past the Tampa Bay Rays 9–2 , completing a three-game sweep and climbing back to .500 at 46–46 . 💥 The Swing of the Weekend The game—and really the entire series—turned in the second inning. With the bases loaded and the crowd buzzing, Frank Sohn delivered: Grand slam (7th HR of the season) Blew the game open early Sent Coca-Cola Palms Park into full holiday roar He wasn’t done. 4-for-4 6 RBI “That’s a day you don’t forget,” Hatteberg said. “He carried us.” ⚾ Early Control, No Looking Back That second inning gave Miami a 4–0 lead , and they never let it slip. Added another run in the third Kept pressure on throughout Tacked on insurance l...

  By Vin Castillo, Coca-Cola Palms Park On a humid Fourth of July afternoon, the Miami Palms didn’t need fireworks. They brought their own. Wearing their black City Connect “305 Nights” uniforms for the holiday matchup, the Palms leaned on a dominant outing from Jarod Lantz and just enough timely hitting to shut out the Tampa Bay Rays 3–0 , securing the series win and continuing a much-needed bounce-back stretch. 🎆 Lantz in Command This was as sharp as Jarod Lantz has looked in some time. 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 8 K Efficient, composed, and in control throughout Worked out of the few jams he faced without damage The Rays never found a rhythm, managing just four hits and rarely threatening. “That’s the version of him we trust,” pitching coach Tony Rico said. “He stayed ahead, and everything played off that.” ⚾ Garcia Breaks It Open After three quiet innings, Miami broke through in the fourth: Greg Garcia delivered the key swing with a two-run triple , drivin...

  By Vin Castillo, Coca-Cola Palms Park Under a heavy South Florida sky and dressed in their teal “South Florida Nights” alternates , the Miami Palms looked like a team ready to flip the page. It took a while—but they did exactly that. Behind a four-run seventh inning, the Palms pulled away from the Tampa Bay Rays for a 7–4 win Friday afternoon, opening the holiday weekend series with a much-needed jolt and snapping the lingering frustration from the Boston series. ⚾ Trading Early Blows Both teams came out with some life: Tampa struck first in the opening inning Miami answered right back, with Brett Gardner setting the tone and eventually coming around to score The Rays added another in the third, and while Miami’s offense showed signs, it wasn’t until the middle innings that things started to turn. 💥 Power Keeps It Close The Palms leaned on their big bats to stay within striking distance: Edwin Encarnación: 2 hits, 3 RBI , including a triple and his 16th hom...