The Miami Marlins had no trouble against Cliff Lee as they upended the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Friday at Marlins Park. Lee(0-5) went just 4 2/3 innings and surrendered six runs on ten hits. Josh Johnson(5-5) got the win going six innings while giving up one run on four hits and struck out six.
The Marlins jumped on Lee in the first inning when Jose Reyes led off with a double and went to third when Hanley Ramirez flew out to center. Giancarlo Stanton walked then Logan Morrison grounded out to the pitcher for Reyes to score.
Miami extended their lead to 3-0 in the third inning. Ramirez doubled down the left field line with one out. Stanton knocked him in with an RBI-single to left field. Morrison would single to shallow left and Justin Ruggiano singled to left to load the bases for the Marlins. Omar Infante followed with a sacrifice fly to center field and brought in Stanton.
Hunter Pence closed the gap for the Phillies to 3-1 with a lead-off solo home run to right field on a 3-2 pitch in the fourth inning. It was his 15th homer for him this season.
The Marlins added three more runs in the fifth inning. Stanton picked up a single to left field and Morrison smashed a ground-rule double to right center with one out. Ruggiano then doubled to deep center field to score Stanton and Morrison. Following a fly out to right by Infante and a Gaby Sanchez walk, John Buck drove in Ruggiano on a single to left field for a 6-1 lead.
Philadelphia scored a meaningless run in the ninth inning as Chase Utley started with an infield single and went to second on a ground out by Carlos Ruiz. Pence singled into left field was able to bring in Utley.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wade Out For Olympics
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade will not represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in London next month due to upcoming knee surgery. He was with the basketball team in 2008 when they played in China. Wade picked up his second NBA title with the Heat last week as they got by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Pat Cummings Dead
Pat Cummings, an original member of the Miami Heat, died on Tuesday at the age of 55. He also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz. Cummings joined the Heat in 1988-89 as a free agent and stayed there for two seasons. He played in 90 games and averaged just over seven points a game. Cummings scored 15 points for the first win in Miami Heat history as they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers . It snapped an NBA record of 17 consecutive losses to begin a season.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Marlins Shuffle Cards
The Miami Marlins avoided a three-game sweep by the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday night with a 5-3 victory at Marlins Park. Miami blasted back-to-back home runs by John Buck and Logan Morrison in the seventh inning to take the lead for the win. The Marlins begin a three-game series at home on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies
In his third appearance in the majors, Joe Kelly went six innings for the Cardinals and surrendered two runs on five hits. On the other side, Anibal Sanchez(4-6) went seven innings for the Fish and gave up three runs on seven hits.
St. Louis jumped on the Marlins in the first inning with two runs. John Jay walked with one out and advanced to third on a double by Matt Holliday to deep right field. Carlos Beltran knocked Jay in on a sacrifice fly to left field. David Freese followed with a double to left field to score Holliday for a 2-0 lead.
Miami came back to tie the game at 2-2 with two runs in the fifth inning. Omar Infante led off with a walk and went to second as Gaby Sanchez also walked. John Buck ripped a single to left center to score Infante and Sanchez advanced to third. After Anibal Sanchez pulled off a sacrifice bunt and Buck going to second, Jose Reyes grounded out to second for Gaby Sanchez to tie it up.
Santaluces High School grad Tony Lopez hit his first major league homer in the seventh inning. It was a lead-off solo home run to left field on a 0-0 count as the Cards retook the lead 3-2.
The Marlins picked up two runs in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run by Buck on a 1-0 pitch to left field off Fernando Salas with one out. It was Buck's seventh home run of the season. Logan Morrison came in to pinch-hit and St. Louis replaced Salas on the mound with Sam Freeman(0-1). Morrison took a 1-0 pitch barely over the right field fence for back-to-back homers and a 4-3 Miami lead. Instant replay was needed by the umpire crew to change the initial call from a double to a homer. For Morrison, it was his first career pinch-hit home run and his eighth round-tripper this year.
Miami extended their lead to 5-3 in the eighth inning against Victor Marte. With one out, Greg Dobbs and Justin Ruggiano both singled to center field. Infante doubled to left field to score Dobbs, but Ruggiano was tagged out at the plate on a good relay. Heath Bell stopped the Cardinals in the ninth inning for his 15th save.
In his third appearance in the majors, Joe Kelly went six innings for the Cardinals and surrendered two runs on five hits. On the other side, Anibal Sanchez(4-6) went seven innings for the Fish and gave up three runs on seven hits.
St. Louis jumped on the Marlins in the first inning with two runs. John Jay walked with one out and advanced to third on a double by Matt Holliday to deep right field. Carlos Beltran knocked Jay in on a sacrifice fly to left field. David Freese followed with a double to left field to score Holliday for a 2-0 lead.
Miami came back to tie the game at 2-2 with two runs in the fifth inning. Omar Infante led off with a walk and went to second as Gaby Sanchez also walked. John Buck ripped a single to left center to score Infante and Sanchez advanced to third. After Anibal Sanchez pulled off a sacrifice bunt and Buck going to second, Jose Reyes grounded out to second for Gaby Sanchez to tie it up.
Santaluces High School grad Tony Lopez hit his first major league homer in the seventh inning. It was a lead-off solo home run to left field on a 0-0 count as the Cards retook the lead 3-2.
The Marlins picked up two runs in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run by Buck on a 1-0 pitch to left field off Fernando Salas with one out. It was Buck's seventh home run of the season. Logan Morrison came in to pinch-hit and St. Louis replaced Salas on the mound with Sam Freeman(0-1). Morrison took a 1-0 pitch barely over the right field fence for back-to-back homers and a 4-3 Miami lead. Instant replay was needed by the umpire crew to change the initial call from a double to a homer. For Morrison, it was his first career pinch-hit home run and his eighth round-tripper this year.
Miami extended their lead to 5-3 in the eighth inning against Victor Marte. With one out, Greg Dobbs and Justin Ruggiano both singled to center field. Infante doubled to left field to score Dobbs, but Ruggiano was tagged out at the plate on a good relay. Heath Bell stopped the Cardinals in the ninth inning for his 15th save.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Bure Elected To Hall Of Fame
Pavel Bure, known as the Russian Rocket, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday. He played for three different teams while in the National Hockey League and led the league in goals three times. Also joining him for induction on November 12 in Toronto will be Joe Sakic, Adam Oates and Mats Sundin.
Bure started with the Vancouver Canucks in 1991-92 and scored 60 goals in a season twice in 1992-93 and 1993-94. He led his team to the Western Conference title in 1994 before they lost to the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals four games to three.
He was traded to the Florida Panthers in January 1999 with Bret Hedican for Ed Jovanovski and Kevin Weekes in a transaction that involved nine players. Bure won the Maurice Richard Trophy as he led the NHL with 58 goals. He led the Cats to their third postseason appearance in franchise history. They were swept in the first round by the New Jersey Devils, who eventually won the Stanley Cup. Bure was the league leader for the second consecutive season with 59 goals in 2000-01.
He was sent to the New York Rangers in March 2002 and suffered a career-ending knee injury that December. Bure finished his NHL career with 437 goals and 779 points in 702 games.
Bure started with the Vancouver Canucks in 1991-92 and scored 60 goals in a season twice in 1992-93 and 1993-94. He led his team to the Western Conference title in 1994 before they lost to the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals four games to three.
He was traded to the Florida Panthers in January 1999 with Bret Hedican for Ed Jovanovski and Kevin Weekes in a transaction that involved nine players. Bure won the Maurice Richard Trophy as he led the NHL with 58 goals. He led the Cats to their third postseason appearance in franchise history. They were swept in the first round by the New Jersey Devils, who eventually won the Stanley Cup. Bure was the league leader for the second consecutive season with 59 goals in 2000-01.
He was sent to the New York Rangers in March 2002 and suffered a career-ending knee injury that December. Bure finished his NHL career with 437 goals and 779 points in 702 games.
Cardinals Jump On Marlins
The St. Louis Cardinals put up five runs in the first inning to hold on and beat the Miami Marlins 5-2 at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was ejected during the seventh inning. Both teams will meet in the final game of the three-game series on Wednesday.
Eight batters came to the plate for St. Louis in the first inning. Rafael Furcal singled to center field and John Jay struck out. Matt Holliday got to first on a force attempt as Carlos Zambrano threw the ball into center field for an error and Furcal went to third. Carlos Beltran drove in Furcal on a single to center field for a 1-0 lead. Allen Craig reached first base on a fielding error by Jose Reyes to score Holliday.
The Redbirds would get a three-run homer by Yadier Molina to left field on a 3-2 count as Beltran and Craig would score in front of him for a five-run lead. It was Molina's 12th home run of the year.
Miami picked up one run in the bottom of the frame as Giancarlo Stanton rocketed a solo home run to center field on a 3-1 pitch with one out for his 17th round-tripper this season.
The Marlins cut the lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning. Stanton led off with a double to right field and advanced to third on a ground out by Logan Morrison. Greg Dobbs then hit a sacrifice fly to right center for Stanton to score.
Kyle Lohse(7-2), who won for the Cardinals in the first game ever played in Marlins Park back in April, went 7 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on four hits. Carlos Zambrano(4-6) took the loss as he pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, none which were earned, on seven hits.
Eight batters came to the plate for St. Louis in the first inning. Rafael Furcal singled to center field and John Jay struck out. Matt Holliday got to first on a force attempt as Carlos Zambrano threw the ball into center field for an error and Furcal went to third. Carlos Beltran drove in Furcal on a single to center field for a 1-0 lead. Allen Craig reached first base on a fielding error by Jose Reyes to score Holliday.
The Redbirds would get a three-run homer by Yadier Molina to left field on a 3-2 count as Beltran and Craig would score in front of him for a five-run lead. It was Molina's 12th home run of the year.
Miami picked up one run in the bottom of the frame as Giancarlo Stanton rocketed a solo home run to center field on a 3-1 pitch with one out for his 17th round-tripper this season.
The Marlins cut the lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning. Stanton led off with a double to right field and advanced to third on a ground out by Logan Morrison. Greg Dobbs then hit a sacrifice fly to right center for Stanton to score.
Kyle Lohse(7-2), who won for the Cardinals in the first game ever played in Marlins Park back in April, went 7 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on four hits. Carlos Zambrano(4-6) took the loss as he pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, none which were earned, on seven hits.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Heat Championship Parade
The Miami Heat celebrated their second NBA championship with an outdoor parade and indoor celebration in downtown Miami on Monday. The parade began in Little Havana down Calle Ocho and went east to the downtown business district. It then turned north on Brickell Avenue/Biscayne Boulevard and went up to the front of the American Airlines Arena. The outdoor festivities lasted almost one hour while the celebration inside the arena attended by over 15,000 people went for over one hour.
The 2012 parade and celebration was certainly more organized than the one in 2006. The weather was better for the fan base outside this year being partly cloudy and windy while it was a very hot humid day back in 2006. In addition, the team did not take over an hour after the parade to speak with the media only inside the arena, while fans were sweltering in the heat, before celebrating in a ceremony outside the building.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Jays Arrive Late On Marlins
It was a close game until the ninth inning when the Toronto Blue Jays put up six runs in the frame to defeat the Miami Marlins 7-1 on Saturday at Marlins Park. The Marlins have now lost 15 of their last 17 games. Both teams will finish the three-game series on Sunday.
Josh Johnson picked up no decision for Miami as he hurled seven innings and gave up only one run on two hits and seven strikeouts. Brett Cecil went six innings plus two batters for the Blue Jays and surrendered one run on five hits.
Toronto got the first run of the game in the second inning. Edwin Encarnacion and Kelly Johnson both walked and advanced one base when Yunel Escobar sacrificed to the pitcher. Rajai Davis put down a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher for Encarnacion to score.
Miami was able to tie the game in the sixth inning at 1-1. Justin Ruggiano led off with a bunt single down the third base line. Omar Infante doubled to left field as Ruggiano scored.
The Blue Jays pulled off a six-run rally in the ninth inning. Encarnacion blasted a lead-off home run to left field on a 1-2 count off Steve Cishek for the winning run. For Encarnacion it was his 21st homer this season.
Johnson followed with a single to center field and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Escobar. Davis was intentionally walked then Jeff Mathis got to first on a fielding error by Cishek with Johnson scoring on the play. Edward Mujica came in to relieve for Cishek. Omar Vizquel got on base with a fielder's choice as Davis was called out at home. Brett Lawrie was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Colby Rasmus smashed a grand slam homer to right field on a 2-1 pitch for his 13th home run of the year.
Josh Johnson picked up no decision for Miami as he hurled seven innings and gave up only one run on two hits and seven strikeouts. Brett Cecil went six innings plus two batters for the Blue Jays and surrendered one run on five hits.
Toronto got the first run of the game in the second inning. Edwin Encarnacion and Kelly Johnson both walked and advanced one base when Yunel Escobar sacrificed to the pitcher. Rajai Davis put down a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher for Encarnacion to score.
Miami was able to tie the game in the sixth inning at 1-1. Justin Ruggiano led off with a bunt single down the third base line. Omar Infante doubled to left field as Ruggiano scored.
The Blue Jays pulled off a six-run rally in the ninth inning. Encarnacion blasted a lead-off home run to left field on a 1-2 count off Steve Cishek for the winning run. For Encarnacion it was his 21st homer this season.
Johnson followed with a single to center field and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Escobar. Davis was intentionally walked then Jeff Mathis got to first on a fielding error by Cishek with Johnson scoring on the play. Edward Mujica came in to relieve for Cishek. Omar Vizquel got on base with a fielder's choice as Davis was called out at home. Brett Lawrie was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Colby Rasmus smashed a grand slam homer to right field on a 2-1 pitch for his 13th home run of the year.
Panthers Draft Matheson
The Florida Panthers drafted defenseman Michael Matheson in the first round of the NHL Draft this weekend in Pittsburgh. He played last season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League. Matheson had 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 53 games with the team in 2011-12.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Miami Heat Win NBA Title
In their second season together, the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh brought South Florida their second NBA championship on Thursday night as the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 in game five at American Airlines Arena. The Heat win the NBA Finals 4-1. Miami became the first team to win a title after falling behind three playoff series in one postseason. The Heat also won an NBA title in 2005-06.
James, who won his first championship after three appearances in the NBA Finals, led the Heat with a triple-double of 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Dwyane Wade, in his ninth season with the Heat, contributed 20 points. Chris Bosh put down 24 points and Mike Miller came off the bench with 23 points. Udonis Haslem won his second NBA title with the Miami Heat. All five Miami Heat starters had double figures in scoring. Kevin Durant dropped in 32 points while Russell Westbrook placed 22 points for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City was ahead 8-6 until Miami went on a 22-11 run to lead by nine points 28-19 with 1:50 left in the quarter. The Heat were up 31-26 after the first quarter as they shot 58 percent from the field.
The Heat were up by four points early in the second quarter 38-34 when they went on a 15-2 spurt, which included 10 straight points, for a 53-36 lead with 4:41 remaining in the first half. OKC was down 59-49 at halftime. James had 15 points and Miller added 12 points at the break for Miami.
In the third quarter, the Thunder closed the margin down to 69-62 at 7:26. Miami extended their lead to 25 points on a 19-1 run to make it 88-63 with three minutes to go in the stanza. The Heat led 95-71 after three quarters.
Miami stretched the lead up to 27 points on a Mike Miller three-point shot with 10:56 left in the fourth quarter for a 101-74 lead. The Heat took out their starters with three minutes to go in the game.
LeBron James won the Most Valuable Player Award for the NBA Finals.
James, who won his first championship after three appearances in the NBA Finals, led the Heat with a triple-double of 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Dwyane Wade, in his ninth season with the Heat, contributed 20 points. Chris Bosh put down 24 points and Mike Miller came off the bench with 23 points. Udonis Haslem won his second NBA title with the Miami Heat. All five Miami Heat starters had double figures in scoring. Kevin Durant dropped in 32 points while Russell Westbrook placed 22 points for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City was ahead 8-6 until Miami went on a 22-11 run to lead by nine points 28-19 with 1:50 left in the quarter. The Heat were up 31-26 after the first quarter as they shot 58 percent from the field.
The Heat were up by four points early in the second quarter 38-34 when they went on a 15-2 spurt, which included 10 straight points, for a 53-36 lead with 4:41 remaining in the first half. OKC was down 59-49 at halftime. James had 15 points and Miller added 12 points at the break for Miami.
In the third quarter, the Thunder closed the margin down to 69-62 at 7:26. Miami extended their lead to 25 points on a 19-1 run to make it 88-63 with three minutes to go in the stanza. The Heat led 95-71 after three quarters.
Miami stretched the lead up to 27 points on a Mike Miller three-point shot with 10:56 left in the fourth quarter for a 101-74 lead. The Heat took out their starters with three minutes to go in the game.
LeBron James won the Most Valuable Player Award for the NBA Finals.
Red Sox Sweep Marlins
The Miami Marlins were swept in the final game of a three-game series 6-5 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday night. Miami lost for the 13th time in their last 15 games.
The Marlins return home on Friday to take on the Toronto Blue Jays.
Miami started out strong with a three runs in the first inning off Daisuke Matsuzaka. Jose Reyes led off with a single to center field then went to third on a ground out by Hanley Ramirez. Giancarlo Stanton walked and later stole second base for two men in scoring position. After Logan Morrison struck out, Greg Dobbs picked up a two-run single to right field as Reyes and Stanton scored. Dobbs eventually stole second and scored on an Omar Infante single to center field.
Carlos Zambrano almost did not fair better in the first inning as the Boston was able to load the bases with one out. He got out of it when former Marlin Cody Ross popped out to first and Royal Palm Beach native Jason Saltalamacchia struck out swinging.
The Red Sox picked up two runs in the fourth inning to get back in the game. Zambrano hit both Ross and Saltalamacchia to begin the frame. Will Middlebrooks followed with an RBI-single into right field to score Ross. Two batters later, Mike Aviles lifted a sacrifice fly to center field and Saltalamacchia scored.
Boston tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning. Adrian Gonzalez started with a walk and advanced to second with one out on a single by Cody Ross. With two outs, Middlebrooks knocked in Gonzalez on a single to right field.
The Marlins regained the lead as Stanton smashed a one-out solo home run on a 1-2 count to left field in the sixth inning. It was Stanton's 15th homer of the season. Andrew Miller came in to relieve for Boston. Dobbs then singled to left field and Infante followed with a double to left center as he drove in Dobbs.
The Red Sox came back with three runs in the eighth inning to lead 6-5. Saltalamacchia led off with a double to center field. Miami made a pitching change as Edward Mujica came in for Randy Choate. Middlebrooks then smacked a two-run homer to center field on a 2-2 pitch for his eighth round-tripper this season. Ryan Kalish singled to right and went to third on a ground out by Aviles. Daniel Nava drove in the winning run on a single to center field with one out.
The Marlins return home on Friday to take on the Toronto Blue Jays.
Miami started out strong with a three runs in the first inning off Daisuke Matsuzaka. Jose Reyes led off with a single to center field then went to third on a ground out by Hanley Ramirez. Giancarlo Stanton walked and later stole second base for two men in scoring position. After Logan Morrison struck out, Greg Dobbs picked up a two-run single to right field as Reyes and Stanton scored. Dobbs eventually stole second and scored on an Omar Infante single to center field.
Carlos Zambrano almost did not fair better in the first inning as the Boston was able to load the bases with one out. He got out of it when former Marlin Cody Ross popped out to first and Royal Palm Beach native Jason Saltalamacchia struck out swinging.
The Red Sox picked up two runs in the fourth inning to get back in the game. Zambrano hit both Ross and Saltalamacchia to begin the frame. Will Middlebrooks followed with an RBI-single into right field to score Ross. Two batters later, Mike Aviles lifted a sacrifice fly to center field and Saltalamacchia scored.
Boston tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning. Adrian Gonzalez started with a walk and advanced to second with one out on a single by Cody Ross. With two outs, Middlebrooks knocked in Gonzalez on a single to right field.
The Marlins regained the lead as Stanton smashed a one-out solo home run on a 1-2 count to left field in the sixth inning. It was Stanton's 15th homer of the season. Andrew Miller came in to relieve for Boston. Dobbs then singled to left field and Infante followed with a double to left center as he drove in Dobbs.
The Red Sox came back with three runs in the eighth inning to lead 6-5. Saltalamacchia led off with a double to center field. Miami made a pitching change as Edward Mujica came in for Randy Choate. Middlebrooks then smacked a two-run homer to center field on a 2-2 pitch for his eighth round-tripper this season. Ryan Kalish singled to right and went to third on a ground out by Aviles. Daniel Nava drove in the winning run on a single to center field with one out.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Heat One Win From Title
The Miami Heat are one win away from their second NBA title as they got by the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-98 in game four of the NBA Finals Tuesday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat now lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and look to wrap up the championship on Thursday night. No team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals to win a championship.
Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade both had 25 points each for the Heat. LeBron James fell short of a triple-double with 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Russell Westbrook dropped 43 points while Kevin Durant added 28 points.
With the Thunder leading 94-92, the Heat finished the game on a 12-4 run in the final four minutes as Chalmers made the last five points for his team in the victory. Following a jump ball with five seconds left on the shot clock, Chalmers was fouled by Westbrook who did not realize the situation. He sank two foul shots with 13 seconds left to increase the Heat margin to 103-98.
The Thunder began the game with a 13-3 start for a double-digit lead just 4:50 into the contest. They were able to get it up to 27-12 with 2:30 left in the quarter. OKC led 33-19 at the end of the first quarter. It was the first time in the series that they were ahead after the opening frame. Norris Cole had eight points and was the leading scorer for the Heat.
Miami scored 16 consecutive points, which included the first 13 points of the second quarter, to cut the margin down to 33-32 with 8:30 left in the first half. They tied the game at 35-35 on a three-pointer by Wade at 7:56. Oklahoma City would be up for the rest of the stanza and lead 49-46 at halftime, although they were outscored by 11 points in the quarter. Westbrook led all scorers after two quarters with 18 points while James and Wade had 10 points each.
Both teams exchanged the lead several times in the third quarter. The Heat had a minor rally of 11-6 late in the frame to get a larger lead of seven points at 77-70. Miami had a 79-75 lead after three quarters.
The Heat maintained their lead for the first six minutes of the fourth quarter until the Thunder scored seven straight points to tie the game at 90-90. The Thunder took the lead 94-92 on a Durant field goal with 4:20 left. The Heat never relinquished the lead again as they compiled a 7-0 run to make it 99-94 with a James three-point shot and a Wade lay-up.
Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade both had 25 points each for the Heat. LeBron James fell short of a triple-double with 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Russell Westbrook dropped 43 points while Kevin Durant added 28 points.
With the Thunder leading 94-92, the Heat finished the game on a 12-4 run in the final four minutes as Chalmers made the last five points for his team in the victory. Following a jump ball with five seconds left on the shot clock, Chalmers was fouled by Westbrook who did not realize the situation. He sank two foul shots with 13 seconds left to increase the Heat margin to 103-98.
The Thunder began the game with a 13-3 start for a double-digit lead just 4:50 into the contest. They were able to get it up to 27-12 with 2:30 left in the quarter. OKC led 33-19 at the end of the first quarter. It was the first time in the series that they were ahead after the opening frame. Norris Cole had eight points and was the leading scorer for the Heat.
Miami scored 16 consecutive points, which included the first 13 points of the second quarter, to cut the margin down to 33-32 with 8:30 left in the first half. They tied the game at 35-35 on a three-pointer by Wade at 7:56. Oklahoma City would be up for the rest of the stanza and lead 49-46 at halftime, although they were outscored by 11 points in the quarter. Westbrook led all scorers after two quarters with 18 points while James and Wade had 10 points each.
Both teams exchanged the lead several times in the third quarter. The Heat had a minor rally of 11-6 late in the frame to get a larger lead of seven points at 77-70. Miami had a 79-75 lead after three quarters.
The Heat maintained their lead for the first six minutes of the fourth quarter until the Thunder scored seven straight points to tie the game at 90-90. The Thunder took the lead 94-92 on a Durant field goal with 4:20 left. The Heat never relinquished the lead again as they compiled a 7-0 run to make it 99-94 with a James three-point shot and a Wade lay-up.
Red Sox Outslug Marlins
The Miami Marlins began a three-game series on Tuesday night at Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. Logan Morrison had 5 RBI in the game, however the Boston Red Sox defeated the Marlins 7-5. Both teams met in Miami earlier last week. Miami has now lost 11 of their last 13 games.
The Marlins began the scoring as Logan Morrison took a 3-1 pitch to right center for a two-run homer with two out in the first inning. Hanley Ramirez had singled to center field earlier in the frame. It was Morrison's sixth home run of the season.
Boston bounced back with two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Dustin Pedroia doubled to the left-center field wall with one out. Following a ground out by Adrian Gonzalez to first, David Ortiz blasted a two-run home run on as 3-1 pitch to right field for his 17th homer.
The Red Sox took their first lead of the game in the second inning. Will Middelbrooks picked up a lead-off infield single. Later in the inning, Kelly Shoppach smashed a two-run homer over the Green Monster in left field on a 3-1 pitch with two out.
Miami closed the gap in the third inning to 4-3 with a two-out rally. Ramirez walked then Giancarlo Stanton was hit by a pitch. Morrison followed with a double off the left field wall to score Ramirez from second base.
Former Marlin player Cody Ross hit a solo home run to left field on a 0-1 count with one out and increased the Red Sox lead to 5-3 in the fourth inning. It was the ninth homer for Ross this year.
The Marlins got another two-out rally in the fifth inning to tie the game at 5-5. Ramirez singled to left center and went to third on a single to right field by Stanton. Morrison got a two-run double to deep center.
Boston regained the lead in the fifth inning. Mike Aviles hit a ground-rule double to right field and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Pedroia. Gonzalez would knock Aviles in on a sacrifice fly to right field.
In the sixth inning, the Red Sox started with a double by Kevin Youkilis to right field. He then scored on a double to center field by Middlebrooks for a 7-5 lead.
Mark Buehrle(5-8) surrendered three home runs in a game for the first time since 2009. He went five innings and gave up six runs on seven hits for the loss. Clay Buchholz(8-2) didn't fair any better as the Marlins got five runs on nine hits against him.
The Marlins began the scoring as Logan Morrison took a 3-1 pitch to right center for a two-run homer with two out in the first inning. Hanley Ramirez had singled to center field earlier in the frame. It was Morrison's sixth home run of the season.
Boston bounced back with two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Dustin Pedroia doubled to the left-center field wall with one out. Following a ground out by Adrian Gonzalez to first, David Ortiz blasted a two-run home run on as 3-1 pitch to right field for his 17th homer.
The Red Sox took their first lead of the game in the second inning. Will Middelbrooks picked up a lead-off infield single. Later in the inning, Kelly Shoppach smashed a two-run homer over the Green Monster in left field on a 3-1 pitch with two out.
Miami closed the gap in the third inning to 4-3 with a two-out rally. Ramirez walked then Giancarlo Stanton was hit by a pitch. Morrison followed with a double off the left field wall to score Ramirez from second base.
Former Marlin player Cody Ross hit a solo home run to left field on a 0-1 count with one out and increased the Red Sox lead to 5-3 in the fourth inning. It was the ninth homer for Ross this year.
The Marlins got another two-out rally in the fifth inning to tie the game at 5-5. Ramirez singled to left center and went to third on a single to right field by Stanton. Morrison got a two-run double to deep center.
Boston regained the lead in the fifth inning. Mike Aviles hit a ground-rule double to right field and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Pedroia. Gonzalez would knock Aviles in on a sacrifice fly to right field.
In the sixth inning, the Red Sox started with a double by Kevin Youkilis to right field. He then scored on a double to center field by Middlebrooks for a 7-5 lead.
Mark Buehrle(5-8) surrendered three home runs in a game for the first time since 2009. He went five innings and gave up six runs on seven hits for the loss. Clay Buchholz(8-2) didn't fair any better as the Marlins got five runs on nine hits against him.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Heat Beat Thunder In Game 3
The Miami Heat returned home to American Airlines Arena on Sunday night for game three of the NBA Finals. The Heat mounted a fourth-quarter comeback and slipped by the Oklahoma City Thunder 91-85. Miami leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. The Heat have played in game three on three different NBA Finals and have been victorious in each one.
Lebron James had 29 points and 14 rebounds for Miami. Dwyane Wade added 25 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Chris Bosh contributed with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 25 points and Russell Westbrook dropped 19 points.
The Heat held the Thunder scoreless in the final 1:30 of the game. With Oklahoma City down 86-85, Miami made five free throws down the stretch to pull away with the win.
Miami began the game with a 10-4 start and led by a six-point lead after one quarter 26-20. OKC came back to lead 36-35 with 4:41 left in the first half. Neither team had more than a four-point lead for the rest of the quarter and the Heat were up 47-46 at halftime.
The Thunder came out strong in the beginning of the second half and went on a 19-10 spurt to lead 65-56 with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter. Miami bounced back with a 14-2 run, capped by a James three-pointer with 31 seconds to go, and had a 69-67 lead after the stanza.
Oklahoma City last held the lead 77-76 five minutes into the fourth quarter. The Heat would score eight straight points over the next four minutes before the Thunder made their final run.
Lebron James had 29 points and 14 rebounds for Miami. Dwyane Wade added 25 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Chris Bosh contributed with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 25 points and Russell Westbrook dropped 19 points.
The Heat held the Thunder scoreless in the final 1:30 of the game. With Oklahoma City down 86-85, Miami made five free throws down the stretch to pull away with the win.
Miami began the game with a 10-4 start and led by a six-point lead after one quarter 26-20. OKC came back to lead 36-35 with 4:41 left in the first half. Neither team had more than a four-point lead for the rest of the quarter and the Heat were up 47-46 at halftime.
The Thunder came out strong in the beginning of the second half and went on a 19-10 spurt to lead 65-56 with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter. Miami bounced back with a 14-2 run, capped by a James three-pointer with 31 seconds to go, and had a 69-67 lead after the stanza.
Oklahoma City last held the lead 77-76 five minutes into the fourth quarter. The Heat would score eight straight points over the next four minutes before the Thunder made their final run.
Marlins Fall To Rays
The Miami Marlins finished their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays and were shut out on a combined two-hitter 3-0 Sunday at Tropicana Field. Rays starter Alex Cobb(3-3) went seven innings, gave up two hits and struck out a career-high ten batters. Josh Johnson(4-5) gave up eight hits and two runs in six innings pitched for Miami.
B.J. Upton hit a lead-off home run to left field on a 3-1 count in the first inning off Johnson for a 1-0 lead. The Rays added another run with a two-out rally in the sixth inning. Elliot Johnson walked and then stole second base. Drew Sutton followed with a single to center field and Johnson scored.
Randy Choate came in to relieve for the Marlins in the seventh inning. Tampa Bay welcomed him to the game as Upton got to second base on a fielding error by Gaby Sanchez. Carlos Pena popped out to the shortstop for one out. Upton then scored on a single by Ben Zobrist to left field to make it 3-0. The Marlins next face the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
B.J. Upton hit a lead-off home run to left field on a 3-1 count in the first inning off Johnson for a 1-0 lead. The Rays added another run with a two-out rally in the sixth inning. Elliot Johnson walked and then stole second base. Drew Sutton followed with a single to center field and Johnson scored.
Randy Choate came in to relieve for the Marlins in the seventh inning. Tampa Bay welcomed him to the game as Upton got to second base on a fielding error by Gaby Sanchez. Carlos Pena popped out to the shortstop for one out. Upton then scored on a single by Ben Zobrist to left field to make it 3-0. The Marlins next face the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Heat Even NBA Finals
The Miami Heat bounced back in the NBA Finals with a 100-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in game two on Thursday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Heat led the game the entire 48 minutes of play. The series now is tied at 1-1 with game three on Sunday night at American Airlines Arena in Miami.
LeBron James, who entered the game tied with the worst winning percentage for a player in NBA Finals history at 2-9, finished with 32 points for the Heat. Dwyane Wade had 24 points along with Chris Bosh 16 points and 15 rebounds in the winning effort. Kevin Durant poured in 32 points and Russell Westbrook downed 27 points for the Thunder.
Durant, playing with five fouls in the final 11 minutes of the game, closed the gap to 98-96 on a three-pointer with 0:37 to go in the fourth quarter. James put in two foul shots with seven seconds left to clinch the win.
Miami dominated the first quarter as they began with an 18-2 run in the first 7:10 of the game. The Heat held a 17-point lead at 25-8 with 2:39 left in the quarter. They led 27-15 after one quarter as James and Wade combined for 15 points to equal Oklahoma City's output.
The Thunder was able to get deficit down to below double digits at 35-27 with 7:22 remaining in the first half. Miami took the gap back up to 17 points at 51-34 with 2:10 left and led 55-43 at halftime. James had 14 points in the first half and Wade added 13 for the Heat while James Harden put up 17 points for OKC.
With the exception of a 22-second stretch late in the third quarter, Miami had a double-digit lead throughout the frame and were up 78-67 after three. James nailed 12 points in the third.
Oklahoma City began the fourth quarter on a 9-4 spurt to cut the lead down to six points at 82-76 with 7:45 to go. Miami's lead slipped down to three points at 94-91 with 1:47 left.
LeBron James, who entered the game tied with the worst winning percentage for a player in NBA Finals history at 2-9, finished with 32 points for the Heat. Dwyane Wade had 24 points along with Chris Bosh 16 points and 15 rebounds in the winning effort. Kevin Durant poured in 32 points and Russell Westbrook downed 27 points for the Thunder.
Durant, playing with five fouls in the final 11 minutes of the game, closed the gap to 98-96 on a three-pointer with 0:37 to go in the fourth quarter. James put in two foul shots with seven seconds left to clinch the win.
Miami dominated the first quarter as they began with an 18-2 run in the first 7:10 of the game. The Heat held a 17-point lead at 25-8 with 2:39 left in the quarter. They led 27-15 after one quarter as James and Wade combined for 15 points to equal Oklahoma City's output.
The Thunder was able to get deficit down to below double digits at 35-27 with 7:22 remaining in the first half. Miami took the gap back up to 17 points at 51-34 with 2:10 left and led 55-43 at halftime. James had 14 points in the first half and Wade added 13 for the Heat while James Harden put up 17 points for OKC.
With the exception of a 22-second stretch late in the third quarter, Miami had a double-digit lead throughout the frame and were up 78-67 after three. James nailed 12 points in the third.
Oklahoma City began the fourth quarter on a 9-4 spurt to cut the lead down to six points at 82-76 with 7:45 to go. Miami's lead slipped down to three points at 94-91 with 1:47 left.
Miami/Fort Lauderdale Arbitron Ratings May
790 The Ticket WAXY-AM dominated their competition in the ratings for the month of May by a wide margin. This has not been seen in Miami/Fort Lauderdale in quite some time. They pulled in a 1.5 which was a major jump from a 1.1 in April. The large increase was due to several factors for the station. The Miami Heat continued through their impressive run through the NBA playoffs. The Miami Marlins pulled off their best regular-season record of any month in franchise history. They created an interim morning show in early May with afternoon sidekick Stugotz Jon Weiner and afternoon producer Marc Hochman as they continued to work two different shifts.
Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM, which dropped from a 0.8 in April to a 0.7, had half the audience of the top sports talk station 790 The Ticket. It was a surprise considering that both stations were tied with a 1.0 just two months ago. It seemed that local listeners did not take to new afternoon host Dan Sileo, who worked his first full month at that station, so well. In addition, the Florida Panthers ended their second most successful season in team history back in April.
940 WINZ-AM The Sports Animal bounced back from a 0.3 to a 0.5 in the month of May. The increase amount of daytime hours of its signal had more of the region listening to the evening show with Jeff DeForrest.
Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM, which dropped from a 0.8 in April to a 0.7, had half the audience of the top sports talk station 790 The Ticket. It was a surprise considering that both stations were tied with a 1.0 just two months ago. It seemed that local listeners did not take to new afternoon host Dan Sileo, who worked his first full month at that station, so well. In addition, the Florida Panthers ended their second most successful season in team history back in April.
940 WINZ-AM The Sports Animal bounced back from a 0.3 to a 0.5 in the month of May. The increase amount of daytime hours of its signal had more of the region listening to the evening show with Jeff DeForrest.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Heat Fall In Game One
The Miami Heat played game one of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City and were knocked off by the Thunder 105-94 on Tuesday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. LeBron James led the Heat with 30 points and nine rebounds. Dwyane Wade contributed 19 points and eight assists while Shane Battier added a surprising 17 points. Kevin Durant dropped 36 points for the Thunder and Russell Westbrook sank 27 points with 11 assists.
The Heat jumped out 10-2 which lead to a 20-10 start in the first quarter. Miami had an 11-point lead late in the stanza and were up 29-22 after one quarter.
Miami extended their lead to 13 points at 37-24 when James made a slam dunk with 9:12 left in the half. Oklahoma City closed the gap at the second quarter and were down 54-47. Battier had 13 first-half points for the Heat.
Oklahoma City came up with a 13-6 run at the start of the second half and tied the game at 60-60 with 6:43 left in the third quarter. Michael Westbrook made a three-point play with 16.4 remaining in the quarter for the Thunder's first lead of the game at 74-73. OKC finished the frame on an 8-2 run.
The Thunder continued with the first two baskets of the fourth quarter and a 14-3 stretch through the two quarters to increase their lead to 80-74. Miami would pull within three points of the lead twice in the fourth quarter and never regained the lead.
The Heat jumped out 10-2 which lead to a 20-10 start in the first quarter. Miami had an 11-point lead late in the stanza and were up 29-22 after one quarter.
Miami extended their lead to 13 points at 37-24 when James made a slam dunk with 9:12 left in the half. Oklahoma City closed the gap at the second quarter and were down 54-47. Battier had 13 first-half points for the Heat.
Oklahoma City came up with a 13-6 run at the start of the second half and tied the game at 60-60 with 6:43 left in the third quarter. Michael Westbrook made a three-point play with 16.4 remaining in the quarter for the Thunder's first lead of the game at 74-73. OKC finished the frame on an 8-2 run.
The Thunder continued with the first two baskets of the fourth quarter and a 14-3 stretch through the two quarters to increase their lead to 80-74. Miami would pull within three points of the lead twice in the fourth quarter and never regained the lead.
Red Sox Slip By Marlins
The Boston Red Sox broke a six-game losing streak as they edged the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. Clay Buchholz(7-2) went seven innings and struck out nine along with one run on five hits. Marlins starter Mark Buehrle(5-7) also pitched seven innings and gave up two runs on five hits.
Boston picked up a two-run rally in the seventh inning. With Will Meadowbrooks on second base and two outs, Kelly Shoppach got an RBI-double to center field for a 1-0 lead. Mike Aviles followed with a single to right center to score Shoppach.
Miami put their only run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh as Logan Morrision blasted a lead-off solo home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch. It was the fifth homer this season by Morrison.
Boston picked up a two-run rally in the seventh inning. With Will Meadowbrooks on second base and two outs, Kelly Shoppach got an RBI-double to center field for a 1-0 lead. Mike Aviles followed with a single to right center to score Shoppach.
Miami put their only run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh as Logan Morrision blasted a lead-off solo home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch. It was the fifth homer this season by Morrison.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Dolphins Sign Ochocinco
The Miami Dolphins signed wide receiver Chad Ochocinco to a contract on Monday. He played for the New England Patriots last season and had 15 catches for 276 yards and one touchdown. The team were the AFC Champions and lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl 46. Ochocinco, formerly Chad Johnson, grew up in Dade County and played high school football at Miami Beach. He was with the Cincinnati Bengals in his first ten seasons of the NFL.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Marlins Wash Red Sox
Former Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett made his first regular season start in South Florida since 2005 on Monday night as the Boston Red Sox lost to Miami 4-1 at Marlins Park. Beckett was traded to the Red Sox after the 2005 season, however he didn't pitch in their last visit here in 2006. The Marlins ended their six-game losing streak.
Beckett(4-7) was able to pitch seven innings and gave up four runs on six hits. The current ace on the Marlins pitching staff, Josh Johnson(4-4), completed seven innings. He struck out seven on four hits and one run for the win.
The Marlins jumped on Beckett with three runs in the first inning. Jose Reyes led off with a triple to deep right center. Donovan Solano knocked him in on a sacrifice fly to right field. After Hanley Ramirez grounded out to shortstop, Giancarlo Stanton hit a single to shallow center field. Logan Morrison doubled to right field and Stanton scored on a throwing error by Adrian Gonzalez. Gaby Sanchez then singled to right center to score Morrison for a Marlins 3-0 lead.
Miami added another run in the second inning as Solano picked up single into center field to score John Buck from third with two outs. Buck had a lead-off single to begin the frame.
Boston closed the margin to 4-1 in the sixth inning. Scott Podsednik got a one-out single to center field and Dustin Pedroia followed with a double to left field. Podsednik advanced to third on the play. Gonzalez would drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to left field.
Beckett(4-7) was able to pitch seven innings and gave up four runs on six hits. The current ace on the Marlins pitching staff, Josh Johnson(4-4), completed seven innings. He struck out seven on four hits and one run for the win.
The Marlins jumped on Beckett with three runs in the first inning. Jose Reyes led off with a triple to deep right center. Donovan Solano knocked him in on a sacrifice fly to right field. After Hanley Ramirez grounded out to shortstop, Giancarlo Stanton hit a single to shallow center field. Logan Morrison doubled to right field and Stanton scored on a throwing error by Adrian Gonzalez. Gaby Sanchez then singled to right center to score Morrison for a Marlins 3-0 lead.
Miami added another run in the second inning as Solano picked up single into center field to score John Buck from third with two outs. Buck had a lead-off single to begin the frame.
Boston closed the margin to 4-1 in the sixth inning. Scott Podsednik got a one-out single to center field and Dustin Pedroia followed with a double to left field. Podsednik advanced to third on the play. Gonzalez would drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to left field.
Rosenberg Starts August 13
Sports talk host Sid Rosenberg will begin his new morning show August 13 on 640 Sports WMEN-AM. Rosenberg was unable to get out of a non-compete clause on the contract that he signed with Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in August 2009. Marc Eisenberg and Chris Perkins have hosted the morning show together on an interim basis since June 4 and will continue until August 10.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Heat Goes To NBA Finals
The Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year as they beat the Boston Celtics 101-88 in game seven on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won the Eastern Conference Finals 4-3 in the seven-game series. They will travel to Oklahoma City and play the Thunder in game one of the finals on Tuesday night.
The Celtics were ahead 82-81with 8:43 left in the fourth quarter. The Heat finished the game on a 20-6 run to pull off the victory. LeBron James had 31 points and 12 rebounds for Miami while Dwyane Wade added 23 points and Chris Bosh contributed 19 points. All five starters for Boston had double figures in points as Rajon Rondo completed a triple-double with a team-high 22 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
The Celtics were ahead 82-81with 8:43 left in the fourth quarter. The Heat finished the game on a 20-6 run to pull off the victory. LeBron James had 31 points and 12 rebounds for Miami while Dwyane Wade added 23 points and Chris Bosh contributed 19 points. All five starters for Boston had double figures in points as Rajon Rondo completed a triple-double with a team-high 22 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
Four Teams Share Title
The seventh annual Heath Evans 7-on-7 high school football tournament was played on the campus of The Kings Academy on Saturday. The tournament got to the semifinals during the afternoon when lightning and rain cancelled the rest of the tournament. The title will be shared by #3 Dwyer, #1 Booker T. Washington, #4 Miami Central and #5 Miami-Carol City.
The 16-team tournament were represented by schools from Palm Beach County, Broward County, Dade County, Tampa and Vero Beach. The #4 Tampa-Plant Panthers, 2011 FHSAA Class 8A state champions and defending Heath Evans tournament champs, were upset in the round of 16 by #13 Wellington. The other top-five seeds were able to advance through the round of 16 and the quarterfinals and shared the championship. All sixteen teams played in a round-robin that involved five divisions prior to noon.
The 16-team tournament were represented by schools from Palm Beach County, Broward County, Dade County, Tampa and Vero Beach. The #4 Tampa-Plant Panthers, 2011 FHSAA Class 8A state champions and defending Heath Evans tournament champs, were upset in the round of 16 by #13 Wellington. The other top-five seeds were able to advance through the round of 16 and the quarterfinals and shared the championship. All sixteen teams played in a round-robin that involved five divisions prior to noon.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Heat Dominate Celtics
The Miami Heat staved off elimination from the postseason as they blew out the Boston Celtics 98-79 in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals at the TD Garden on Thursday night. The series is tied at 3-3 with game seven on Saturday night at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. LeBron James played an impressive game for Miami as he had 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Dwyane Wade poured in 17 points with eight rebounds. Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 21 points and 10 assists.
Both teams played even through the first seven minutes of the game at 12-12. Miami finished with an 14-4 run to end the first quarter up 26-16. James scored more than half of Miami's points with 14 while Rondo put in half of Boston's points with eight.
The Heat were able to stretch the margin to 15 points when they led 40-25 with 7:16 left in the first half. Miami led 55-42 at halftime as James had 30 first-half points for his team and Rondo got 19 for the Celtics.
Boston gave up the first four points of the second half and fell behind by 17 points just two minutes in. The C's were down by double digits throughout the stanza. James had 41 points after three quarters and the Heat led 74-61.
Miami went on a 15-3 spurt at the beginning of the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 89-64 with 7:15 remaining. Boston head coach Doc Rivers pulled his starters midway through the quarter.
Both teams played even through the first seven minutes of the game at 12-12. Miami finished with an 14-4 run to end the first quarter up 26-16. James scored more than half of Miami's points with 14 while Rondo put in half of Boston's points with eight.
The Heat were able to stretch the margin to 15 points when they led 40-25 with 7:16 left in the first half. Miami led 55-42 at halftime as James had 30 first-half points for his team and Rondo got 19 for the Celtics.
Boston gave up the first four points of the second half and fell behind by 17 points just two minutes in. The C's were down by double digits throughout the stanza. James had 41 points after three quarters and the Heat led 74-61.
Miami went on a 15-3 spurt at the beginning of the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 89-64 with 7:15 remaining. Boston head coach Doc Rivers pulled his starters midway through the quarter.
Dale Tallon Signs Extension
Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon had his contract extended by the team in a multi-year deal on Wednesday. He has been with the club since spring 2010. The Panthers made their first playoff appearance this past season since 1999-2000. It broke the all-time NHL futility streak of not reaching the postseason in 11 seasons(12 years). The Panthers also won their first division title in franchise history. They lost to the New Jersey Devils in a first round series that went seven games.
Tallon was the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks and was responsible for drafting many of the players who won the Stanley Cup in 2009-10. He once was a game analyst with Pat Foley on a television and radio simulcast for the Blackhawks. He also played with Chicago for the majority of his NHL career.
Tallon was the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks and was responsible for drafting many of the players who won the Stanley Cup in 2009-10. He once was a game analyst with Pat Foley on a television and radio simulcast for the Blackhawks. He also played with Chicago for the majority of his NHL career.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Braves Beat Marlins
The Miami Marlins only got two hits on Wednesday night as they lost to the Atlanta Braves 2-1 at Marlins Park. Both starters pitched well as Randall Delgado(4-5) of the Braves went 6 1/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits. Josh Johnson(3-4) of the Marlins took the loss even though he was on the mound for 7 2/3 innings, struck out nine with six hits and two runs.
The Braves scored their two runs in the fourth inning. Brian McCann hit a lead-off double to right field and Dan Uggla followed with a walk. Freddie Freeman singled to right field to score McCann as Uggla advanced to third. Three batters later, Delgado picked up an RBI-single into left field to score Uggla.
Miami closed the gap to 2-1 in the fifth inning as Giancarlo Stanton initially doubled to left field. Logan Morrison flew out to left field then Justin Ruggiano grounded out to first base and Stanton advanced to third. Bryan Petersen knocked in Stanton on a two-out single to left field.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Celtics Edge Heat
The Miami Heat welcomed back Chris Bosh after nine games and lost to the Boston Celtics 94-90 in game five on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Arena. The Heat are now down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami's playoff record at home dropped to 7-2. The Heat will face elimination on Thursday night in Boston.
LeBron James led the Heat with 30 points and 13 rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 27 points. Bosh scored 9 points and played 14 minutes in his return. Kevin Garnett poured in 26 points with 11 rebounds and Paul Pierce contributed 19 points.
Pierce nailed a three-point shot from the left side with 0:52 left for a 90-86 lead. Wade made two free throws with 15 seconds left and closed the gap to 90-88. Ray Allen put in two foul shots just two seconds later for a Boston four-point margin. James then drove through the middle for a lay-up with nine second remaining. Garnett nailed two free throws at :08.8 to make it 94-90. Wade missed a three-point shot from the left side with two seconds to go.
Miami was able to score the first seven points of the first quarter and led 16-9 seven minutes into the contest. The Heat extended their lead to double digits at 23-13 and were up 24-16 after one quarter.
The Heat held their largest lead of the game with a 13-point margin as James popped a three-point shot with 9:38 left in the second quarter to make it 31-18. Boston finished the frame with a 22-11 run and were behind 42-40 at halftime. James had 18 points at the half while Brandon Bass surprised everyone with 10 for the C's.
Miami got nine straight points in the middle of the third quarter to take a 59-50 lead. The Celtics responded with a 15-1 run and led 65-60 when the quarter ended.
Boston led 72-69 until Miami scored nine consecutive points to make it 78-72 midway through the fourth quarter. The C's came back with a 10-2 spurt to retake the lead by two points 82-80. The Heat last led the game with 2:33 left when Mario Chalmers sank a three-pointer for an 83-82 lead.
LeBron James led the Heat with 30 points and 13 rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 27 points. Bosh scored 9 points and played 14 minutes in his return. Kevin Garnett poured in 26 points with 11 rebounds and Paul Pierce contributed 19 points.
Pierce nailed a three-point shot from the left side with 0:52 left for a 90-86 lead. Wade made two free throws with 15 seconds left and closed the gap to 90-88. Ray Allen put in two foul shots just two seconds later for a Boston four-point margin. James then drove through the middle for a lay-up with nine second remaining. Garnett nailed two free throws at :08.8 to make it 94-90. Wade missed a three-point shot from the left side with two seconds to go.
Miami was able to score the first seven points of the first quarter and led 16-9 seven minutes into the contest. The Heat extended their lead to double digits at 23-13 and were up 24-16 after one quarter.
The Heat held their largest lead of the game with a 13-point margin as James popped a three-point shot with 9:38 left in the second quarter to make it 31-18. Boston finished the frame with a 22-11 run and were behind 42-40 at halftime. James had 18 points at the half while Brandon Bass surprised everyone with 10 for the C's.
Miami got nine straight points in the middle of the third quarter to take a 59-50 lead. The Celtics responded with a 15-1 run and led 65-60 when the quarter ended.
Boston led 72-69 until Miami scored nine consecutive points to make it 78-72 midway through the fourth quarter. The C's came back with a 10-2 spurt to retake the lead by two points 82-80. The Heat last led the game with 2:33 left when Mario Chalmers sank a three-pointer for an 83-82 lead.
Braves Pound Marlins
It was the first appearance of the Atlanta Braves ever at Marlins Park as they destroyed Miami 11-0 on Tuesday night. Former Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla punished Miami as he fell short of the cycle. Jose Reyes single in the third inning to extend his hit streak to 15 straight games.
In the second inning, Uggla led off with a double to left field. He advanced to third on a ground out to third by Freddie Freeman. Jason Heyward picked up an RBI as he grounded out to shortstop.
Uggla burned his former team with his ninth home run of the season on a 3-2 count to left field in the fourth inning. The Braves added another run in the frame as Andrelton Simmons knocked in Freeman on a single to left field.
Atlanta put up a four-run rally in the seventh inning. After Heyward walked, he scored on a triple by Simmons into center field. Tim Hudson hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Simmons. Later in the inning with two out, Michael Bourn and Martin Prado both got singles. Brian McCann followed with a walk to load the bases. Uggla then drove in Bourn and Prado with a single to left field.
The Braves capped things in the ninth inning as Uggla smashed a solo home run off Chad Gaudin on a 3-2 pitch with two outs for his tenth home run of the season and the 200th homer of his career.. The drive bounced off the sculpture in left center field. Atlanta added three more runs in the inning.
In the second inning, Uggla led off with a double to left field. He advanced to third on a ground out to third by Freddie Freeman. Jason Heyward picked up an RBI as he grounded out to shortstop.
Uggla burned his former team with his ninth home run of the season on a 3-2 count to left field in the fourth inning. The Braves added another run in the frame as Andrelton Simmons knocked in Freeman on a single to left field.
Atlanta put up a four-run rally in the seventh inning. After Heyward walked, he scored on a triple by Simmons into center field. Tim Hudson hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Simmons. Later in the inning with two out, Michael Bourn and Martin Prado both got singles. Brian McCann followed with a walk to load the bases. Uggla then drove in Bourn and Prado with a single to left field.
The Braves capped things in the ninth inning as Uggla smashed a solo home run off Chad Gaudin on a 3-2 pitch with two outs for his tenth home run of the season and the 200th homer of his career.. The drive bounced off the sculpture in left center field. Atlanta added three more runs in the inning.
Stanton Named Player Of The Month
Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was named the National League Player of the Month in May. He had a .343 batting average, 12 home runs and 30 RBI during the month. Stanton tied the franchise record for home runs in a month by Dan Uggla who set it in May 2008. Three other Marlins have won the player of the month award. They are Jeff Conine(June 1995), Hanley Ramirez(June 2008) and Emilio Bonifacio(July 2011).
Jason Taylor Joins ESPN
Former Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor has joined ESPN as an NFL studio analyst. He retired in January after his third stint with the team and 15 seasons in the league. Taylor was sixth all-time in career sacks with 139.5 and had the most fumble recoveries returned for a touchdown with six.
He played for the Dolphins from 1997-2007, 2009 and 2011. He was with the Washington Redskins in 2008 and the New York Jets in 2010. Taylor was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2007. He's known in pop culture when he finished second in Dancing With The Stars on ABC back in 2008.
He played for the Dolphins from 1997-2007, 2009 and 2011. He was with the Washington Redskins in 2008 and the New York Jets in 2010. Taylor was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2007. He's known in pop culture when he finished second in Dancing With The Stars on ABC back in 2008.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Celtics Even With Heat
The Boston Celtics outlasted the Miami Heat in game four 93-91 on Sunday night at TD Garden. The series is now tied at 2-2 with game five in Miami on Tuesday night. LeBron James poured in 29 points and Dwyane Wade contributed 20 points and 7 rebounds for the Heat. Six Celtics had double figures in scoring as Paul Pierce knocked down 23.
Both teams combined for only six points in overtime. Pierce fouled out at the 4:25 mark. Miami's only field goal and lead in the extra session happened when Udonis Haslem drove across the lane with a slam dunk with 3:30 left for a 91-89 lead.
Boston regained the lead 92-91 on a Rajon Rondo field goal at 2:32. James fouled out with an offensive foul with 1:51 left. It was the first time that had happen to him in two seasons with the Heat. Rondo added a free throw with 0:21 seconds to go. Wade pump-faked then fired a three-point shot that missed the mark at the buzzer.
The Celtics scored the first six points of the game. They led 18-4 just six minutes into the contest with a 10-0 run. The C's were up 34-23 after one quarter.
After Miami put in the first basket of the second quarter, the Celtics extended their lead to double digits. It reached a 17-point margin at 45-28 with 9:45 remaining in the half. The Heat were down 61-47 at halftime. It was the most points Miami had surrendered in a half this postseason. James had 19 points after two quarters while Paul Pierce garnered 18 points.
The Celtics had a 16-point lead early in the third quarter until Miami finished the stanza on an 18-8 run. The Heat cut the margin down to five points when Wade made a three-point shot with 29 seconds left in the quarter. Boston was up 73-68 after three quarters even though they were outscored 21-12. Wade had 17 points after the third.
Miami tied the game 74-74 with 8:53 left in the fourth quarter on a James lay-up. Norris Cole put in a field goal less than thirty seconds later for their first lead of the game at 76-74. It was part of a 27-9 spurt that stretched through the second half. Neither team led by more than three points for the rest of regulation. James hit a three-point shot from the right arc with 0:37 left to tie the game 89-89 and send it into overtime.
Both teams combined for only six points in overtime. Pierce fouled out at the 4:25 mark. Miami's only field goal and lead in the extra session happened when Udonis Haslem drove across the lane with a slam dunk with 3:30 left for a 91-89 lead.
Boston regained the lead 92-91 on a Rajon Rondo field goal at 2:32. James fouled out with an offensive foul with 1:51 left. It was the first time that had happen to him in two seasons with the Heat. Rondo added a free throw with 0:21 seconds to go. Wade pump-faked then fired a three-point shot that missed the mark at the buzzer.
The Celtics scored the first six points of the game. They led 18-4 just six minutes into the contest with a 10-0 run. The C's were up 34-23 after one quarter.
After Miami put in the first basket of the second quarter, the Celtics extended their lead to double digits. It reached a 17-point margin at 45-28 with 9:45 remaining in the half. The Heat were down 61-47 at halftime. It was the most points Miami had surrendered in a half this postseason. James had 19 points after two quarters while Paul Pierce garnered 18 points.
The Celtics had a 16-point lead early in the third quarter until Miami finished the stanza on an 18-8 run. The Heat cut the margin down to five points when Wade made a three-point shot with 29 seconds left in the quarter. Boston was up 73-68 after three quarters even though they were outscored 21-12. Wade had 17 points after the third.
Miami tied the game 74-74 with 8:53 left in the fourth quarter on a James lay-up. Norris Cole put in a field goal less than thirty seconds later for their first lead of the game at 76-74. It was part of a 27-9 spurt that stretched through the second half. Neither team led by more than three points for the rest of regulation. James hit a three-point shot from the right arc with 0:37 left to tie the game 89-89 and send it into overtime.
Zambrano Tames Phillies
Marlins pitcher Carlos Zambrano was like a one-man wrecking crew as he homered and had a quality start over the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park. Miami got two wins in the three-game weekend series and are now percentage points behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East, even through the Fish have one more win.
Zambrano hit his first home run as a Marlin off Joe Blanton(4-6) to left center field with one out on a 0-0 pitch in the third inning. Hanley Ramirez extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning with a lead-off home run on a 0-2 pitch into the left field stands.
Miami picked up a big three-run rally during the seventh inning. John Buck led off with a walk and went to second on a single by Chris Coghlan to right field. Both runners advanced one base when Zambrano beat out an infield bunt to load the bases. Jose Reyes knocked in Buck and Coghlan on a two-run double to right center. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel pulled Blanton from the game and inserted Chad Qualls. After Omar Infante struck out, Zambrano scored from third base on a wild pitch while Ramirez was at the plate.
The Phillies finally got to Zambrano in the eighth inning to break the shutout. Brian Schneider hit a none-out infield single to the left side and went to second on a wild pitch. Mike Fontenot struck out and Jimmy Rollins flied out to center field. Juan Pierre singled to short center and Schneider scored. Zambrano(4-3) left the game after that batter as he went 7 2/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out seven.
Zambrano hit his first home run as a Marlin off Joe Blanton(4-6) to left center field with one out on a 0-0 pitch in the third inning. Hanley Ramirez extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning with a lead-off home run on a 0-2 pitch into the left field stands.
Miami picked up a big three-run rally during the seventh inning. John Buck led off with a walk and went to second on a single by Chris Coghlan to right field. Both runners advanced one base when Zambrano beat out an infield bunt to load the bases. Jose Reyes knocked in Buck and Coghlan on a two-run double to right center. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel pulled Blanton from the game and inserted Chad Qualls. After Omar Infante struck out, Zambrano scored from third base on a wild pitch while Ramirez was at the plate.
The Phillies finally got to Zambrano in the eighth inning to break the shutout. Brian Schneider hit a none-out infield single to the left side and went to second on a wild pitch. Mike Fontenot struck out and Jimmy Rollins flied out to center field. Juan Pierre singled to short center and Schneider scored. Zambrano(4-3) left the game after that batter as he went 7 2/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out seven.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Celtics Handle Heat
The Eastern Conference Finals shifted to TD Garden in Boston on Friday night as the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 101-91 in game three. Miami now leads the series 2-1. LeBron James led Miami with 34 points and 8 rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 18. Boston had three players with at least 20 points in the game. Kevin Garnett had 24 points, Paul Pierce put up 23 and Rajon Rondo sank 21. Game four is on Sunday night.
Miami got their biggest lead of the game at 28-22 with 2:38 left in the first quarter. The Celtics picked up the final eight points of the frame and led 30-28 after one quarter. Boston scored the first seven points of the second quarter to complete a 15-0 run. The C's increased their margin to double digits by the end of the quarter and were up 55-42 at halftime.
The Celtics led 85-63 after three quarters as they outscored the Heat 30-21. Boston extended their lead to 24 points early in the fourth quarter. Miami was able to cut the lead down to 91-82 with under six minutes to go on a Wade dunk. It ended a 19-6 spurt by the Heat.
Miami got their biggest lead of the game at 28-22 with 2:38 left in the first quarter. The Celtics picked up the final eight points of the frame and led 30-28 after one quarter. Boston scored the first seven points of the second quarter to complete a 15-0 run. The C's increased their margin to double digits by the end of the quarter and were up 55-42 at halftime.
The Celtics led 85-63 after three quarters as they outscored the Heat 30-21. Boston extended their lead to 24 points early in the fourth quarter. Miami was able to cut the lead down to 91-82 with under six minutes to go on a Wade dunk. It ended a 19-6 spurt by the Heat.
Marc Eisenberg Adds Mornings
Three weeks after joining 640 Sports WMEN-AM, Marc Eisenberg will add morning show duties as an interim co-host with Chris Perkins as of Monday. They will hold the spot until early August when Sid Rosenberg will take over.
Eisenberg has been a weekend host and fill-in host at the station. He worked as the afternoon producer of the Sid Rosenberg Show on Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM until early April. Armando Salguero left the morning show on 640 Sports last week.
Eisenberg has been a weekend host and fill-in host at the station. He worked as the afternoon producer of the Sid Rosenberg Show on Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM until early April. Armando Salguero left the morning show on 640 Sports last week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)