Miami Palms 4, Boston Red Sox 2
Saturday, July 11, 2020
By Vin Castillo
Some games unfold like a chess match.
Others wait until the final moves to reveal themselves.
Saturday at Coca-Cola Palms Park was both—and the Palms made the last, decisive play.
🎯 A duel with no margin for error
For seven innings, Jarod Lantz and Boston’s starter Trevor Bauer traded zeroes and tension.
Lantz was composed and efficient, working eight innings without issuing a walk, scattering four hits, and keeping Boston off balance all afternoon.
Miami scratched across the game’s first run early when Chris Korb connected for a solo home run—his swing providing just enough edge in what felt like a race to two.
From there, it was a standoff.
⚠️ The turning point
Then came the eighth—and a sudden jolt.
With the game tied, Jackie Bradley Jr. led off the inning with a solo homer, briefly silencing the home crowd and giving Boston a 2–1 lead.
For a moment, it felt like that might be enough.
It wasn’t.
💥 The answer
The Palms didn’t just respond—they flipped the game entirely.
Francis Polk sparked the rally with a double. Brett Gardner followed with another, bringing the crowd roaring back to life and tying the game.
And then came the swing.
Edwin Encarnacion launched a two-run homer, turning a deficit into a 4–2 lead in a matter of pitches.
“Just keep it moving,” Gardner said. “Once we got one, you could feel it.”
🔒 Closing time
Lantz returned for the eighth and finished his outing with authority, and Chris Martin handled the ninth with his usual calm—locking down save number 28.
No drama. Just execution.
🧢 Uniform watch
The Palms took the field in their classic white home uniforms—a clean look for a game that ultimately came down to a few sharp, decisive moments.
📊 The takeaway
This wasn’t about overwhelming offense. It was about timing:
- Korb’s early spark
- Lantz’s steady hand
- And three batters in the eighth that changed everything
At 49–47, the Palms are stacking wins in different ways—and that’s usually the sign of a team figuring things out at the right time.
“We didn’t panic,” Scott Hatteberg said. “That’s the difference.”
On a day like this, it was all the difference in the world.
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