🌴 Sohn’s Slam Headlines Palms Rout, Sweep Rays to Reach .500

 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 late

This time, it wasn’t just timely—it was relentless.

🎯 Parra Goes the Distance

Lost a bit in the offensive explosion was a quietly impressive outing from Manny Parra:

  • 9.0 IP (CG), 2 ER
  • 11 hits allowed—but no walks
  • Constantly worked out of trouble

It wasn’t dominant—but it was controlled, efficient, and exactly what the Palms needed.

“He kept them from stringing it together,” pitching coach Tony Rico said. “That’s the difference.”

🔥 Up and Down the Lineup

Sohn got the headlines, but this was a full-team effort:

  • Chris Korb: 3 hits
  • Matt Koch: 2 hits
  • Wellington Castillo: reached base 3 times (walks)
  • Edwin Encarnación: HR (17th)

And once again:

👉 Jaspero Gonzalez’s return continues to stabilize the lineup, even without a big stat line

⚪ Back to Basics—and It Shows

After wearing teal and black earlier in the series, the Palms returned to their classic white home uniforms Sunday—and played like a team back in control:

  • Clean baseball
  • Early execution
  • No late drama

📊 Final

Miami Palms 9, Tampa Bay Rays 2
WP: Manny Parra (8–8)

🧭 What It Means

The Palms:

  • Sweep the Rays
  • Finish the homestand 7–6 after a rough Boston series
  • Climb back to .500 (46–46)

Just as important:

👉 They look like themselves again

✈️ Up Next

An off day Monday, then:

  • 2 games in Baltimore

A quick trip—but a chance to:

  • Keep momentum rolling
  • Push above .500 for the first time in a while

🌴 The Bigger Picture

A few days ago, things were slipping.

Now?

They’re steady again.

And thanks to one swing from Frank Sohn—and a weekend that finally clicked—the Palms head back on the road feeling like a team that might be turning a corner.

 Miami Palms 9, Tampa Bay Rays 2

 Sunday, July 5, 2020

 

 

 Tampa Bay Rays (1-5)                                     Miami Palms (46-46)                                     

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

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

 Wendle cf       5  0  2  0  0  0  4  0  0  2   .462      Gardner cf      5  1  1  1  0  2  3  0  0  0   .311

 Diaz 3b         4  0  0  0  0  0  1  2  0  2   .133      Gonzalez 1b     4  0  0  0  1  0  5  2  0  1   .282

 Meadows lf      4  0  0  0  0  0  4  0  0  0   .208      Grant lf        3  0  1  1  2  0  5  0  0  0   .287

 Lowe 1b         4  1  2  0  0  0  3  1  0  0   .222      Encarnacion dh  5  1  1  1  0  1  0  0  0  5   .263

 Lowe 2b         4  1  2  2  0  0  2  0  0  0   .304      Korb 3b         5  2  3  0  0  0  1  1  0  0   .275

 Tsutsugo rf     4  0  1  0  0  0  2  0  0  3   .143      Koch 2b         5  1  2  0  0  0  1  1  0  0   .271

 Adames ss       4  0  1  0  0  0  1  3  0  0   .217      Castillo c      2  2  0  0  3  1  2  0  0  1   .180

 Zunino c        4  0  2  0  0  0  5  0  0  0   .357      Munoz ss        4  1  1  0  0  1  2  2  0  3   .279

 Margot dh       4  0  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  1   .217      Sohn rf         4  1  4  6  0  0  5  0  0  0   .285

 

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

 Totals          37 2  11 2  0  1  24 6  0  8             Totals          37 9  13 9  6  5  27 7  0  10 

 

 

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

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

 Tampa Bay Rays         0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  2      2  11 0  

 Miami Palms            0  4  1  0  0  1  3  0         9  13 0  

 

 

 

 LOB- Tampa Bay Rays 8, Miami Palms 10; 2B- Adames(1), Tsutsugo(1), Sohn(23), Korb(10),

 Grant(17); HR- Lowe(2), Encarnacion(17), Sohn(7); RBI- Lowe 2(3), Encarnacion(59),

 Gardner(18), Sohn 6(32), Grant(48); GIDP- Meadows(2); RLSP- Diaz, Margot, Wendle,

 Tsutsugo 2, Encarnacion 3, Gonzalez, Munoz 2;  

 

 DP- Miami Palms 1; 

  

 

 

 Tampa Bay Rays            IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Glasnow(L 1-1)            5.0  7  5  5  4  5    4.50  

 Poche                     1.0  2  1  1  0  0    9.00  

 Banda                     1.0  4  3  3  2  0   13.50 

 Fairbanks                 1.0  0  0  0  0  0    0.00  

 

 Miami Palms               IP   H  R  ER BB SO    ERA

 Parra(W 8-8)              9.0  11 2  2  0  1    5.22  

 

 Pitches-strikes- Glasnow 70-46, Poche 12-10, Banda 35-15, Fairbanks 7-6, Parra 98-62;

 Batters faced- Glasnow 26, Poche 5, Banda 9, Fairbanks 3, Parra 37; 


  

 

  

 Temp - 91, Sky - Thunder in Vicinity, Wind - SSE 13mph G 25 

 


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