Friday, May 31, 2013

Marlins End Long Losing Streak

    The Miami Marlins snapped their nine-game losing streak on Friday night with a 5-1 win over the New York Mets at Marlins Park. The Fish, who entered this game after they dropped 16 of their last 18 games, finished with a 6-22 record in the month of May.
    Miami(14-41) put up four runs during the seventh inning against Shaun Marcum. Derek Dietrich led off with a double into right-center field and advanced to third on a base hit to right by Marcell Ozuna. After Chris Coghlan struck out, Dietrich scored on a single by Ed Lucas to right-center field. Following a Greg Dobbs walk, Jeff Mathis knocked in Ozuna on a sacrifice fly to center field. Jordan Brown came up as a pinch-hitter as he drove Lucas and Dobbs in on a double to deep center field.
    New York(22-30), who just swept the New York Yankees in a four-game series, got their only run of the game on a two-out rally in the eighth inning. Omar Quintanilla reached base on an infield hit against Mike Dunn. Daniel Murphy then doubled to deep center field for Quintanilla to score.
    Greg Burke came in and surrendered the final run for the Marlins in the bottom of the eighth. After Placido Polanco grounded out to third, Dietrich reached second base on a throwing error by Quintanilla. Dietrich crossed the plate on a double by Ozuna to left field.
    Marlins starting pitcher Jacob Turner picked up his first decision this season with a win. He pitched seven innings and allowed no runs on five hits. Marcum dropped to a dismal 0-6 as he gave up four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Heat One Win From Finals

    The Miami Heat is one step away from going back to the NBA Finals with a 90-79 victory over the Indiana Pacers in game 5 at American Airlines Arena on Thursday night. The Heat lead the Eastern Conference Finals three games to two and can wrap up the best-of-seven series on Saturday at Indiana.
    LeBron James led Miami with a team-high 30 points, 16 of which were scored in the third quarter, along with eight rebounds and six assists in 44 minutes. Udonis Haslem dropped down 16 points in 26 minutes and Mario Chalmers scored 12 points with six assists in 34 minutes. Dwyane Wade added 10 points and six rebounds in 41 minutes of play.
    Paul George pulled off a double-double for Indiana with 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 44 minutes. Roy Hibbert knocked down 22 points with six rebounds in 40 minutes while David West contributed 17 points and eight rebounds.
    With the exception of thirty seconds, the Pacers led throughout the opening quarter and were up 23-19 after one period. The Heat tied the game once in the second quarter as they were behind the entire second quarter and down 44-40 at halftime.
    Miami outscored Indiana 30-13 during the third quarter, which included a Heat 19-4 run at the end of the period, and led 70-57 going into the final quarter. The Pacers cut the deficit down to eight points early in the fourth quarter, but Miami cruised to a double-digit victory.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Rays Squeeze By Marlins

    The Miami Marlins lost their eighth straight game as they fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 at Marlins Park on Wednesday night. The Marlins have lost 15 of their last 17 games and dropped to 7-19 at home this season.
    Tampa Bay(28-24) wasted no time in the first inning with two runs against Tom Koehler for the early lead. Ben Zobrist led off with a base hit to left-center field and advanced to third on a double by Matt Joyce to right field. Kelly Johnson knocked Zobrist in on a single to right field and then Joyce scored as Evan Longoria grounded into a double play.
    Miami(13-40) responded against Roberto Hernandez and put up one run in the bottom of the first inning. Chris Coghlan started with a double into center field and scored as the next batter Placido Polanco flew out to right field.
    The Rays added an additional run in the seventh inning. James Loney doubled to deep right field with one out then Desmond Jennings singled to center field. Yunel Escobar followed with a sacrifice fly to center field which scored Loney.
    Koehler pitched eight inning as he allowed three runs on seven hits and dropped to 0-3 this season. Hernandez failed to get the complete game as he gave up one unearned run on three hits in 8 2/3 innings and improved to 3-5.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Heat Fall In Indiana

    The Indiana Pacers evened the Eastern Conference Finals with a 99-92 win over the Miami Heat in game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. The best-of-seven series is tied at two games apiece with game 5 in Miami on Thursday.
    Indiana powered through with the first 11 points of the game for a great start. The Heat followed with a 17-5 spurt to take their only lead of the first half. The Pacers led 26-22 after one quarter and remained ahead 48-47 at halftime.
    Miami jumped out to a six-point lead 60-54 early in the third quarter, but Indiana finished the period on a 23-10 run to get ahead 77-70. The Pacers nine-point lead was not safe as the Heat put up a 17-7 rally to move ahead 89-86 with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter. Miami only scored a three-point shot by LeBron James the rest of the way as Indiana finished the last five minutes with a 13-3 edge to claim victory.
    James, who fouled out in the final minute of the game, had 24 points along with six rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes of play for Miami. Dwyane Wade was in foul trouble throughout the game as he scored 16 points with six assists in 37 minutes. Mario Chalmers contributed 20 points in 29 minutes while Chris Bosh was held to seven points and three rebounds. Reserve Ray Allen added 11 points and seven rebounds.
    All five starters for Indiana scored in double digits. Two players had double-doubles as Roy Hibbert got 23 points and 12 rebounds in 40 minutes and David West had 14 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes. Lance Stephenson knocked down 20 points in 41 minutes while George Hill compiled  19 points, six assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes. Paul George added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers.

More Locals On Magazines

    All the college football magazines were rolled out on Tuesday and several former local high school players appeared. South Florida Sport reported back on May 14 which players showed up on all regional covers of Phil Steele's College Football Preview.
    The person that was on the most magazines that were released on Tuesday was University of Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson. He appeared on the front cover of Sporting News and Lindy's. The former player that led the Norland Vikings to a FHSAA Class 5A state championship in 2011 appeared on the national edition of Lindy's because that publication ceased to produce a regional ACC magazine for the first time in 26 years.
    Another player that was on the Lindy's national edition due to no ACC regional cover was Florida State Seminoles defensive back Lamarcus Joyner. He played for the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders in 2009 and Miami Southwest from 2006 until 2008.

Monday, May 27, 2013

White Sox Sweep Marlins

    The Chicago White Sox swept a three-game series over the Miami Marlins with a 5-3 victory on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field. The Fish have lost five consecutive games and 12 of their last 14.
    Chicago(24-24) got two runs during the first inning against Alex Sanabia. Alexei Ramirez picked up a one-out base hit to right field. After Alex Rios struck out, Adam Dunn smashed a two-run homer to left field on the first pitch for his 12th home run this season.
    Miami(13-37) rebounded with two runs in the top of the second off Dylan Axelrod to tie the game. Marcell Ozuna and Chris Coghlan connected with consecutive base hits to left field. Ozuna scored on a Justin Ruggiano single to left, but Coghlan was tagged out at home. Two batters later, Nick Green knocked in Ruggiano on a single to left field.
    The White Sox regained the lead in the bottom of the frame. With Dayan Viciedo on third and Hector Gimenez on first, Alejandro De Aza cracked a two-out double to deep center field for Viciedo and Giminez to score.
    The Marlins closed the margin to 4-3 in the next inning. Juan Pierre and Adeiny Hechavarria started with consecutive walks. Pierre went to third on a fly out to right field by Derek Dietirch and then scored on a ground out to third by Ozuna.
    The Pale Hoses put up an additional insurance run against Steve Cishek in the eighth inning. De Aza led off with a double to deep center field and advanced to third on a ground out by Ramirez to first. Rios drove De Aza in on a base hit to center field.
    Sanabia dropped to 3-7 this season as he gave up four runs on six hits in four innings. Axelrod raised his record to 3-3 as he allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Heat Jump On Pacers

    The Miami Heat regained control in the Eastern Conference Finals in game 3 with a 114-96 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Heat, who now lead the series two games to one, became the first team in NBA history to win five consecutive road games by double digits.
    All five starters for Miami were able to score in double figures. Dwyane Wade put up 18 points and eight assists in 35 minutes for the Heat and LeBron James added 22 points in 41 minutes. Udonis Haslem contributed 17 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes while Chris Bosh knocked down 15 points in 24 minutes. Mario Chalmers dropped in 14 points.
    Several Pacers landed double-doubles as David West had 21 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes and Roy Hibbert got 20 points and 17 rebounds in 37 minutes. George Hill poured in 19 points and Paul George scored 13 points with eight assists.
    Neither team led by more than four points in the opening quarter as Miami was up 34-30 after one quarter. The Heat began the second quarter on a 8-2 edge, pulled ahead by double digits and led 70-56 at halftime.
    The Pacers pulled within seven points during the third quarter, but were still behind 91-76 after the period. The gap between both teams increased to 20 points early in the fourth quarter as the Heat moved forward.   

Saturday, May 25, 2013

White Sox Beat Marlins

    The Miami Marlins barely avoided a shut out in a tense ninth inning as they were defeated by the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field. The Fish have lost four straight games and 11 of their last 13.
    Jack Peavy threw a complete game for the White Sox as he went all nine innings, allowed one run on six hits and improved to 6-2. Marlins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco hurled 7 1/3 innings and gave up one run on eight hits.
    Chicago(23-24) took their first lead during the third inning against Nolasco. Alejandro De Aza led off with a single into center field. Alexei Ramirez followed with a double to deep left field to score De Aza.
    Miami(13-36) tied the game in the top of the ninth inning. After Placido Polanco fouled out to first base, Derek Dietrich smacked a solo home run off Peavy to right field on a 1-2 pitch for his third homer of this season.
    The Pale Hoses responded with a game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth against Ryan Webb. Dewayne Wise began with a double to left field and then he scored on a base hit by Conor Gillaspie to left field.

Marc Benarzyk On CBS Sports Radio

    Former local sports host Marc Benarzyk appeared as a late night host on Memorial Day weekend at CBS Sports Radio Network. Bernarzyk now goes by the name of Marc James with his current job as an afternoon sports co-host at WFNZ-AM in Charlotte.
    Benarzyk was a sports host on 1400 The Fan WFLL-AM from April 2004 until May 2006. During his reign, he began as a midday host and was shifted to afternoon drive in the fall of 2004 following short stints by Dino Costa and then by Bob Page. He became the morning show host in early 2006 until the station flipped from a sports talk format in May 2006.
    Prior to his arrival in South Florida, he worked in several on-air host positions in Springfield, Massachusetts. After his work at 1400 The Fan, he joined Jim Grieshaber and co-hosted a nationally syndicated afternoon show on Sports Byline USA in 2006. Benarzyk also worked for a short time at Sirius Radio as an afternoon co-host.
    His next stop was at WHBQ-AM in Memphis as a midday co-host. He then moved in April 2008 where he worked at WHBO-AM in Tampa Bay as an afternoon host until August 2010.

Deerfield Beach Routs Dr. Krop

    The Deerfield Beach Bucks showed their dominance in their spring football game on Friday night at Butler Stadium with a 51-0 whitewash of the Dr. Krop Lightning. The performance by Deerfield Beach certainly puts them as a favorite to win their district this fall. Dr. Krop lost in a regional quarterfinal last year to Columbus while the Bucks fell to Cypress Bay in the first round.
    The Bucks return their backfield of Brandon Powell and Aaren McNeal who together combined for over 2,000 yards rushing last season. They also picked up two players who transferred from Blanche Ely with quarterback Danarious Graham and running back Alex Pierre.
    Deerfield Beach scored on their first drive of the game as Powell scored on an eight-yard screen pass from Graham on the right side with 9:26 to go in the first quarter. McNeal converted on a two-point conversion with a run from more than one yard away.
    Later in the first quarter, Powell went with a power sweep through the left side for a five-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead at 1:42.
    On their next possession, the Bucks got a 20-yard touchdown run by McNeal around the left end with 9:56 remaining in the second quarter and led 20-0.
    Dr. Krop surrendered a safety on their next two drives. Quinton Briggs sacked Lightning quarterback Clifford Hamilton in the end zone at 4:25 and Michael Green stopped running back Jeremiah Pierce Johnson at 3:36.
    Justin Morgan caught a 52-yard pass from Graham as he evaded several Lightning players down the left sideline with 1:03 to go in the first half and the Bucks extended their margin to 31-0.
    The Lightning were unable to get a first down until the final play of the first half. Graham had 230 yards passing in the first half and added another 60 yards in the second half. Deerfield Beach piled up 20 more points in the second half to make this game a rout.

Pacers Even Series

    The Miami Heat played from behind for most of the contest as they fell 97-93 to the Indiana Pacers in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night at American Airlines Arena. The best-of-seven series is even at one game apiece.
    Indiana jumped out with a 24-12 lead and were ahead 28-22 after one quarter. The Pacers led throughout the second quarter and were up 53-47 at halftime.
    Miami closed the deficit down and were behind 76-74 after three quarters. The Heat took the lead early in the fourth quarter, however the Pacers scored eight of the last ten points in the final three minutes of the game to get the victory.
    The Heat were led by LeBron James with a team-high 36 points and eight rebounds in 45 minutes. Chris Bosh knocked down 17 points with five rebounds in 37 minutes. Dwyane Wade added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in 41 minutes.
    All five starters for the Pacers scored in double figures. Roy Hibbert had a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds in 39 minutes. Paul George got 22 points and six assists in 39 minutes while George Hill contributed 18 points and five rebounds in 41 minutes. David West poured in 13 points with seven rebounds.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Heat Win Game 1 In Overtime

    LeBron James scored on a driving lay-up with no time remaining in overtime as the Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night. James picked up his ninth career triple-double with 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in 47 minutes of play.
    Dwyane Wade had 19 points, five assists and six assists in 41 minutes while Chris Bosh added 17 points for the Heat. Chris Andersen came off the bench and scored 16 points in 18 minutes as he went 7-for-7 from the field. He broke a single-game franchise record once held by Alonzo Mourning when he was 6-for-6 in a playoff game.
    Paul George led the Pacers with 27 points and five assists in 47 minutes. David West contributed 26 points in 41 minutes while Roy Hibbert fell short of a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds.
    Neither team led by more than four points in the first quarter as the Heat were up 22-21 at the end of the period. Indiana put up an 18-10 rally early in the second quarter and led at halftime 42-37.
    Miami began the second half with a 12-2 spurt, however they trailed the Pacers 65-64 after three quarters. Both teams stayed within four points of each other throughout the fourth quarter. George poured in a 35-foot three-point shot with one second left to tie the game at 92-92 and sent it into overtime.
    The game was tied at 99-99 with ten seconds remaining in the extra session until James made a lay-up from the right side. Wade fouled out with 2.2 seconds to go when he hit George as he attempted a three-point shot. He made three foul shots to take the lead 102-101. James received an inbound pass at the foul line and drove in for a left-handed lay-up at the buzzer to get the victory.

Phillies Get By Marlins

    Cliff Lee held the Miami Marlins to three hits as they were shut out by the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Wednesday night at Marlins Park. The Fish now have a record of 7-18 at home this season and lost nine of their last 11 games.
    Philadelphia(23-24) got the first run of the game during the fourth inning. Delmon Young blasted a two-out solo home run to left-center field on a 0-2 pitch from Miami(13-34) starting pitcher Kevin Slowey for his third home run this season with his new club.
    The Phillies added two more runs on a two-out rally in the sixth inning against Wade LeBlanc. Young reached base on an infield base hit. He scored on a triple by Domonic Brown to deep right field. Freddy Galvis came up and drove in Brown on a single into left field.
    Slowey dropped to 1-5 as he went five innings, gave up one run on six hits and struck out six. Lee, who got his 12th career shutout, pitched a complete game as he hurled all nine innings, allowed no runs on three hits and improved to 5-2.

No Super Bowl For Miami

    The National Football League announced Tuesday where would be the site for Super Bowl 50 and Super Bowl 51 as Miami finished in second place for consideration. The San Francisco 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara was selected for Super Bowl 50 while Reliant Stadium in Houston was picked for Super Bowl 51.
    The San Francisco area held one previous title game with Super Bowl 19 played at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto. It was the last time the Miami Dolphins appeared in a Super Bowl as they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Houston recently hosted Super Bowl 38 between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers and held Super Bowl 8 at Rice Stadium as the Dolphins won their last championship against the Minnesota Vikings.
    Miami is tied with New Orleans with hosting nine Super Bowls. The Orange Bowl hosted five of the first 13 Super Bowls as they included Super Bowl 2, 3, 5, 10 and 13. The Dolphins current home in Miami Gardens was host of Super Bowl 29, 33, 41 and 44.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Marlins Handle Phillies

    The Miami Marlins picked up a second straight win as they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 at Marlins Park on Monday night. The Fish improved to 7-16 at home this season.
    Alex Sanabia got the win for Miami(13-32) as he pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed seven hits on one run and raised his record to 3-6. Philadelphia(21-24) starting pitcher Cole Hamels fell to 1-7 this season as he struck out ten and gave up two runs on seven hits in six innings.
    In the first inning, Adeiny Hechavarria began with a base hit to right field and later stole second base. He advanced to third two batters later on an infield single by Derek Dietrich. Hechavarria scored on a single to center field by Marcell Ozuna for a Marlins 1-0 lead.
    The Phillies responded quickly to tie the game in the top of the second inning. Domonic Brown blasted a one-out homer to right field on a 1-0 pitch for his eighth home run of the season.
    Miami regained the lead during the sixth inning as Justin Ruggiano doubled to deep right with two out for Placido Polanco to score. Polanco led off with base hit into center field.
    The Fish added three more runs in the eighth inning to put the game away. Polanco started with a single to left field off Justin De Fratus. Two batters later, Phillippe Aumont surrendered a single to center by Marcell Ozuna and moved Polanco to third. Ruggiano singled to center field which brought in Polanco. Later in the frame, Nick Green smacked a two-run single into center field to score Ozuna and Ruggiano.

Marlins Snap Losing Streak

    The Miami Marlins ended their seven-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park on Sunday. The Fish had lost 10 of their last 11 games prior to this game.
    Miami(12-32) waited until the sixth inning to take the lead against Diamondbacks starting pitcher Wade Miley. Adeiny Hechavarria singled to center field with one out then Derek Dietrich singled to right field following a Placido Polanco fly out. Marcell Ozuna doubled into deep left field as Hechavarria and Dietrich scored.
    Arizona(25-19) came up short in the ninth inning with just one run. Didi Gregorius led off and doubled to deep right field against Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco, who was then replaced by Steve Cishek. After Paul Goldschmidt grounded out to second, Gregorius crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Jason Kubel. The D-backs were able to load the bases with two out until Mike Dunn got A.J. Pollack to ground out to short.
    Nolasco went eight-plus innings, allowed one run on five hits and struck out 11 batters as he moved up to 3-5. Miley fell to 3-3 as he pitched six innings and gave up two runs on five hits.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Marlins Edged By Diamondbacks

    It was an unusual game in which the first pitch on the first at-bat would be the only thing that mattered as the Miami Marlins were blanked by the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 on Saturday at Marlins Park. The Fish have lost 10 of their last 11 games and dropped to 3-13 in the month of March.
    Arizona(25-18) got their only run in the first inning as Gerardo Parra took the first pitch that Miami(11-32) starting pitcher Tom Koehler threw and smacked a lead-off solo home run to right field. It was his fourth homer of the season.
    Koehler fell to 0-2 as he went six innings, allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven. Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy hurled a complete game three-hitter as he struck out five and improved to 1-3.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Marlins Lose In Extra Innings

    The Miami Marlins made it a close game for nine innings, but they let the Cincinnati Reds get by 5-3 in 10 innings on Thursday night at Marlins Park. The Fish were swept in the three-game series as they have dropped eight of their last nine games.
    Miami(11-30) got a surprise with a burst of power from Juan Pierre in the first inning against Mat Latos. He lashed lead-off solo homer to right field on a 2-1 pitch for his first home run of the season.
    In the fourth inning, Cincinnati(25-16) was able to tie the game. Joey Votto doubled into left field with one out then Brandon Phillips struck out. Jay Bruce followed with a base hit to left field to score Votto.
    The Reds got their first lead of the contest during the sixth inning against Jose Fernandez. Phillips connected on the first pitch for a two-out solo home run to left field for his seventh round-tripper this year.
    The Fish waited until the ninth inning to even the game up and almost won it in that frame against Aroldis Chapman. Adeiny Hechavarria tripled into deep center field off Latos with one out. Chapman came in to relieve for Latos. After Placido Polanco struck out, Marcell Ozuna smashed a two-out triple to the warning track in deep center field as Hechavarria scored. Pinch-hitter Justin Ruggiano struck out to end the rally.
    In the tenth inning, the Marlins surrendered three runs to the Reds with reliever Steve Cishek on the mound. Donald Lutz began with a base hit to right and went to second on a Shin-Soo Choo walk. Both runners advanced one base on a sacrifice bunt by Zack Cozart. Following an intentional walk to Votto, Lutz scored on a sacrifice fly by Phillips to left field. Bruce came up and knocked in Choo and Votto on a double into right field.
    The Marlins could only manage one run in the bottom of the tenth with a two-out rally off J.J. Hoover. Nick Green walked and went to second on catcher's indifference. Green crossed the plate on a single to center field by pinch-hitter Matt Diaz.
    Latos went 8 1/3 innings for the Reds and allowed two runs on four hits. Fernandez gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings. Cishek fell to 1-4 as he threw for 1 2/3 and he was credited for three runs on three hits.  

Marc Eisenberg New WMEN Late Morning Host

    640 Sports WMEN-AM program director and executive producer Marc Eisenberg has added duties as the late morning host at that station. He takes over for former Miami Dolphins offensive guard Keith Sims, who replaced former Miami Dolphins running back Troy Stradford in October 2012. The final show for Sims was on April 25 and he is expected to come back to 640 Sports when football season resumes.
    Eisenberg was elevated to program director at 640 Sports in November 2012. He joined the station in early May 2012 as a weekend host and was promoted to the interim morning co-host role with Chris Perkins in early June 2012 when Armando Salguero left. It was expected to be a short-term situation until early August 2012 as Sid Rosenberg completed his non-compete clause enforced by Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM.
    When Rosenberg became the morning show host in August 2012, Eisenberg remained on the morning show as the executive producer. He also picked up additional duties as morning sports anchor and midday sports anchor at 640 Sports along with a morning sports anchor spot at 850 WFTL-AM which he held until late March 2013. Eisenberg also hosted a one-hour NFL show on Sunday morning during the football season.
    He was the afternoon producer, weekend host and fill-in host at WQAM until May 2012. It was his second stint at that station where he mainly produced the Sid Rosenberg Show. Rosenberg was let go by WQAM in early April 2012.
    Eisenberg worked at WQAM from 1999 to 2004. He started as a producer for the afternoon show with Hank Goldberg. It led him to co-host an overnight show with Joe Castello from 2003 to 2004. He joined 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM as a producer and later became a midday co-host with O.J. McDuffie on What's Popping which lasted for over one year. Eisenberg was also a football sideline reporter for Florida Atlantic University on radio.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Reds Shut Out Marlins

    It was a struggle for the Miami Marlins to stay in the game as they were shut out by the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 at Marlins Park on Wednesday night. The Fish have now lost seven of their last eight games and are 3-10 in the month of May.
    The first inning was an outlook of things to come as Cincinnati(24-16) got the lead against Marlins starting pitcher Alex Sanabia. Shin-Soo Choo led off with a base hit to center field then Cesar Izturis walked. Two batters later, Brandon Phillips doubled into deep left-center field for Choo to score.
    Choo blasted a one-out solo home run to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch for a Reds 2-0 lead. Izturis followed with a double to left field and then crossed the plate on a base hit by Joey Votto to left-center.
    Miami(11-29) surrendered another run in the sixth inning. Choo picked up his second home run of the game with a two-out solo homer to right field on a 3-2 count.  
    Sanabia fell to 2-6 as he gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings. Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake went 6 2/3 innings, allowed no runs on nine hits and struck out six to raise his record to 3-2.

Heat Eliminate Bulls

    The Miami Heat wrapped up the Eastern Conference Semifinal as they edged the Chicago Bulls 94-91 in game 5 on Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won the best-of-seven series four games to one and will face either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
    Miami took command early as they began the first quarter on an 18-2 run and held a 30-21 lead after one quarter. Chicago went on a 17-6 rally at the beginning of the second quarter to take their first lead of the game 38-36 with 4:46 left in the first half. The Bulls were ahead 53-47 at halftime.
    Chicago extended their margin to double digits and led 77-69 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat began the fourth quarter on a 13-4 spurt and retook the lead 82-81 with 6:48 remaining. They moved the lead up to seven points 93-86 with 3:01 to go.
    The Heat were led by LeBron James who had a team-high in four categories with 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 44 minutes played. Dwyane Wade added 18 points and six assists in 37 minutes while Chris Bosh compiled 12 points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes. Udonis Haslem poured in 10 points in the victory.
    Carlos Boozer nailed a double-double for the Bulls with game-high 26 points and 14 rebounds in 42 minutes. Nate Robinson had 21 points and six assists in 47 minutes. Jimmy Butler played all 48 minutes of the game for Chicago and knocked down 19 points.

Tony Marino Moves To Orlando

    Tony Marino will become the afternoon news anchor at WDBO-FM in Orlando. He leaves a traffic anchor position at Total Traffic Network in Miami. He was a traffic anchor at Metro Networks in Miami before it was acquired by Clear Channel Communications. Marino also spend time as a weekend sports anchor at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in 2012.
    Marino was best known for hosting a business show on Money Talk Radio WSBR-AM 740 in Boca Raton. The program became so successful that it was syndicated nationally on Business Talk Radio Network. He also hosted a brokered business show on television called Wizetrade TV. Marino once was a news reporter and news anchor at KRLD-AM in Dallas.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Reds Down Marlins

    The Miami Marlins returned home on Tuesday night and fell to the Cincinnati Reds 6-2 at Marlins Park. The Fish have lost six of their last seven games and are now 5-12 at home this season.
    Cincinnati(23-16) scored in the top of the first inning. Zack Cozart ripped a one-out double to right field then Joey Votto singled to center. Brandon Phillips knocked in Cozart on a base hit to left field.
    Miami(11-28) evened up the game in the bottom of the first. Juan Pierre led off with a double to right field and advanced to third on a ground out by Placido Polanco. Pierre scored on a single by Derek Dietrich to left-center field off Homer Bailey.
    The Reds responded with five runs during the second inning against Ricky Nolasco. With Ryan Hanigan on first and one out, Shin-Soo Choo was hit by a pitch and then Cozart singled to left and loaded the bases. Votto walked and Hanigan came in to score. Phillips was the second straight batter to walk as Choo crossed the plate. Xavier Paul cleared the bases with a three-run double into left field for a Cincinnati 6-1 lead.
    The Marlins added another run in the seventh inning. Adeiny Hechavarria tripled to deep right-center field with one out. Rob Brantly followed with a sacrifice fly to right field for Hechavarria to score.
    Nolasco went five innings, gave up six runs on seven hits and struck out five. His record fell to 2-5 this season. Bailey threw a complete game as he pitched all nine innings, allowed two runs on six hits and struck out ten Marlins. He improved his record to 2-3.  

Miami/Fort Lauderdale Ratings April 2013

    For the fourth consecutive month, 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM was the highest rated sports station in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region. It was their biggest margin of victory for that station since January 2012.
    790 The Ticket remained flat with a 1.1 in April. The Miami Heat entered the NBA playoffs with some positive momentum. There was a backlash by the audience toward the Miami Marlins as they opened the regular season following numerous personnel changes by the team during the off-season. The transmitter signal of their sister-station 104.3 The Ticket was moved from outside Wellington to Miramar in early April.
    After three straight months of improved ratings, Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM fell from a 0.9 to a 0.7. The dip in the ratings was due to the delayed circumstances with their midday slot. South Florida Sport first reported on March 6 that John Renshaw would take over the shift, but he did not join until April 22. Alex Donno and Brandon Guzio as interim co-hosts for the first two weeks of the ratings period did not help. In addition, the Florida Panthers finished last in the NHL and were already eliminated from playoff contention early.
    104.3 The Ticket WAXY-FM finally dropped from a 0.7 to 0.5 after having the same ratings for three consecutive months. Lincoln Financial Media finally received approval to move their transmitter signal from outside Wellington to Miramar in late March. Although they lost some of their emphasis in Palm Beach County, they were allowed to broadcast Miami Marlins games this season.
    940 The Sports Animal WINZ-AM remained the same at a 0.2 for the third straight month. The only impact on the station during the month was the Miami Dolphins and the NFL draft. There has been no significant change in the lineup since Grace Blazer took over as program director at that station on February 18.

Locals On Magazine Covers

    The college football magazines covers have began to roll out and once again several former South Florida high school players will appear on them. Phil Steele's College Football Preview have released who will be on their cover of their regional magazines first.
    Their state of Alabama cover will have two athletes who both played high school football locally. University of Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper will represent the Crimson Tide. He had a tremendous impact as a freshman for the team as they repeated as NCAA Division 1 national champions. Cooper played from 2008 until 2011 for the Miami-Northwestern Bulls.
    The other person on that cover is Auburn University running back Tre Mason, who was with the Park Vista Cobras in Boynton Beach from 2007 until 2010. Mason was mainly a kickoff returner in his freshman year and picked up more time as a running back as a sophomore with the team last year.
    University of Miami running back Duke Johnson was selected as the Hurricanes representative on the state of Florida cover. Johnson had an exceptional freshman year in the backfield for The U. He played with the Norland Vikings from 2008 until 2011 and led them to a FHSAA Class 5A state championship in his senior year.
    The 2012 season saw several former local high school players appear on magazine covers. Former Dwyer Panthers running back and defensive back Matt Elam was on the cover of Athlon's SEC regional edition. Fomer Palm Beach Central linebacker Jon Bostic appeared on the Lindy's SEC regional cover and Phil Steele's College Football Preview state of Florida cover last year. West Virginia quarterback and Miramar grad Geno Smith appeared on Phil Steele's, Athlon's and Lindy's magazine covers in 2012.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Heat Dominate Bulls

    The Miami Heat took a commanding lead in their best-of-seven series with a 88-65 victory over the Chicago Bulls at United Center on Monday night. The Heat now lead this Eastern Conference Semifinal three games to one and can clinch the series on Wednesday night in Miami.
    Miami started the game on an 11-2 spurt and led 21-15 after one quarter. The Heat keep the margin above six points for the entire second quarter and were ahead 44-33 at halftime.
    Chicago fell further behind as the Heat went on a 15-3 run to end the third quarter and were up 61-42 at the end of the period. The Bulls came no closer than 16 points from the lead as Miami easily held on to the win.
    Only two players from the Heat had double-digit scoring. LeBron James got 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 43 minutes. Chris Bosh added 14 points and six rebounds in 35 minutes. Dwyane Wade was held to only six points and four assists in 29 minutes.
    The Bulls were led by Carlos Boozer who had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes of play. Jimmy Butler scored 12 points in 46 minutes while Richard Hamilton came off the bench and knocked down 11 points in 22 minutes.

Dodgers Defeat Marlins

    The Miami Marlins concluded the west-coast swing with a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. The Marlins have lost five of their last six games and finished the road trip with a record of 3-7. The Fish host the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night to begin a nine-game stretch at home.
    Los Angeles(15-21) took the early lead in the second inning against Miami starting pitcher Tom Koehler. Scott Van Slyke blasted a lead-off solo home run to center field on a 2-1 pitch for his first homer of the season and his second career round-tripper.
    The Dodgers extended their lead to 2-0 during the second inning. Skip Schumaker doubled to deep right field and went to third on a base hit by Tim Federowicz to left. Nick hit a sacrifice fly to center field which brought Schumaker in.
    Miami(11-27) cut the margin in the sixth inning against Dodgers starter Chris Capuano. Justin Ruggiano connected for his seventh home run of the season as he banged a solo home run to left field on a 1-1 pitch with one out.
    The deficit became bigger for the Marlins in the seventh inning. Jon Rauch gave up base hits to Punto and Juan Uribe to begin the frame. He was then relieved by Mike Dunn. Punto scored on a single by Carl Crawford to left field. Three batters later, Uribe crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly to left field by Andre Ethier. Van Slyke knocked in Crawford on a base hit to right field.
    The Marlins got two meaningless runs off Brandon League in the ninth inning. With Nick Green on first base and two out, Derek Dietrich singled to center field. Adeiny Hechavarria pounded a two-run double to right field as Green and Dietrich scored on the play.
    Koehler got his first decision of the season with the loss as he allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings of work. Rauch was credited for two runs on two hits against the only two batters he faced in the contest. Capuano improved to 1-2 as he went 6 1/3 innings, allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven.  

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Dodgers Ram Through Marlins

    The Miami Marlins fell behind early and were unable to respond as they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night. The Fish have dropped four of their last five games.
    Kevin Slowey gave up the first run of the game to Los Angeles(14-21) in the second inning. Andre Ethier led off with a double to center field and advanced to third on an A.J. Ellis sacrifice bunt. Skip Schumaker singled to right field for Ethier to score.
    Dee Gordon smacked a lead-off home run in the third inning to right field on a 2-0 pitch for his first homer of the season. The Dodgers got three consecutive base hits to right field by Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and Ethier. Two batters later, Gonzalez scored on a fielder's choice by Schumaker to make it 3-0.
    Miami(11-26) surrendered two more runs in the fifth inning. Ethier singled to right-center field with one out then Ellis singled to right as Ethier moved to third. Ethier came in on a base hit by Schumaker to right. Ellis crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Uribe to left field.
    The Marlins broke the shutout in the seventh inning against Hyun Jin-Ryu as Miguel Olivo blasted a lead-off solo homer to left field on a 2-1 pitch. It was his third home run of the season.
    Los Angeles extended their lead in the bottom of the frame with two more runs. Ethier picked up his fourth hit of the game with a lead-off double to deep right off A.J Ramos. Ellis struck out then Schumaker walked. Uribe singled to center field as Ethier scored and Schumaker advanced to third. Schumaker scored on a passed ball while Nick Punto was at-bat.
    Slowey dropped to 1-3 this season as he gave up five runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Jin-Ryu improved to 4-2 as he compiled 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run on five hits.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Marlins Overcome Dodgers

    The Miami Marlins gave up an early lead, but they came back and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The Marlins victory snapped their three-game losing streak.
    Los Angeles(13-21) jumped on Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez in the first inning. Carl Crawford led off with a single into center field then Nick Punto walked. Adrian Gonzalez followed with three-run homer over the center-field wall on a 0-1 pitch for a Dodgers 3-0 lead.
    Miami(11-25) evened the game up during the fourth inning with three runs. Placido Polanco got a walk and Marcell Ozuna walked two batters later. Derek Dietrich came up and hit his first major league home run against Matt Magill to right field on a 3-2 pitch.
    The Marlins took their first lead against Ronald Belisario in the seventh inning. Rob Brantly began with a base hit to right field then Chris Coghlan ripped a double into deep center field. Brantly would score on a soft single by Juan Pierre to left. Coghlan crossed the plate during an infield double play on Adeiny Hechavarria.
    The Dodgers got one run against Chad Qualls in the eighth inning. Matt Kemp singled to left-center field then stole second. Two batters later, A.J. Ellis knocked him in on a base hit to center field. Ellis was left stranded at third to end the frame.
    Fernandez allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out seven in six innings to raise his record to 2-2 this season. Magill gave up three hits on three runs in five innings. Belisario took the loss as he surrendered two runs on three hits during his one inning of work and dropped to 2-4.

Heat Outduel Bulls

    It was physical match between both teams as the Miami Heat got by the Chicago Bulls 104-94 in game 3 at United Center on Friday night. The Heat now lead the series two games to one.
    Chicago scored the first seven points of the game, however both clubs were tied at 25-25 after one quarter. Neither led by more than seven points during the second quarter as the Heat were barely ahead 52-50 at halftime.
    The margin was no more than four points as the game was tied at 70-70 after three quarters. Miami was up 85-83 with 4:13 left in the fourth quarter before they went on a 19-11 run to put the game away.
    Chris Bosh pulled off a tremendous double-double for the Heat with 20 points and 19 rebounds in 42 minutes of play. LeBron James compiled 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 44 minutes. Dwyane Wade had 10 points and five assists in 36 minutes while Norris Cole contributed off the bench with 18 points in 24 minutes.
    Carlos Boozer had a team-high 21 points in 29 minutes for the Bulls. Joakim Noah pounded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in 42 minutes. Jimmy Butler and Nate Robinson added 17 points each in the loss while Marco Belinelli knocked down 16 points.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Heat Wipe Out Bulls

    The Miami Heat rebounded back in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a 115-78 over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena. The best-of-seven series is now tied at one game apiece as they play game 3 on Friday night in Chicago.
    Miami finished the first quarter on a 13-5 spurt and led 25-20 after one quarter. The Heat built up the margin to double digits in the second quarter as they were ahead 55-41 at halftime. LeBron James had 19 points for Miami at the midway point.
    The Bulls fell further behind as they were outscored in the third quarter 30-15 and down 85-56 at the end of the period. The Heat extended their lead up to 46 points on a 19-2 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter and were up 104-58.
    Ray Allen had a team-high 21 points for the Heat in 19 minutes. James ended up short of a double-double with 19 points, nine assists and five rebounds in 32 minutes. Dwyane Wade added 15 points and Chris Bosh contributed 13 points. Reserve Norris Cole compiled 18 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes.
    Chicago was led by Marco Berneilli who had a team-high 13 points and six assists in 39 minutes of play. Joakim Noah knocked down 12 points with six rebounds before he ejected in the second half. Nate Robinson scored 11 points in 33 minutes.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Padres Sweep Marlins

    The San Diego Padres got by the Miami Marlins with a 1-0 shutout at Petco Park on Wednesday and swept the Fish in a three-game series. The Marlins, who scored one run in their last three games, swept the Padres last season in San Diego.
    San Diego(16-18) picked up the only run in the ballgame during the sixth inning. Will Venable had an infield hit with one out and Chase Headley followed with a single into right field. After Carlos Quentin walked to load the bases, Venable scored on a Yonder Alonso sacrifice fly to left field.
    Miami(10-25) starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco went seven innings, allowed one run on four hits and struck out nine. His record dropped to 2-4 this season. Jason Marquis pitched eight shutout innings and gave up five hits to raise his record to 4-2.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Padres Slip By Marlins

    The Miami Marlins dropped their second straight game on the west coast as they were defeated by the San Diego Padres 5-1 at Petco Park on Tuesday night. The Fish are now 5-13 on the road this season.
    Everth Cabrera began the first inning for San Diego(15-18) with a walk. After Chase Headley's single to right with one out, Yonder Alonso knocked in Cabrera on a sacrifice fly to left field for a 1-0 lead.
    The Padres struck quickly in the second inning to extend their margin. Jedd Gyorko led off with a base hit to left-center field. Will Venable followed with a two-run homer to right field against Alex Sanabia on a 1-0 pitch. Later in the frame, Alexi Amarista doubled to left-center field and scored on a base hit to right field by Cabrera with two outs.
    Miami(10-24) got on the scoreboard during the fourth inning. Matt Diaz hit a lead-off double to right field off Eric Stults and advanced to third on a Placido Polanco ground out. Two batters later, he scored on a double by Marcell Ozuna to right field and cut the deficit to 4-1.
    A.J. Ramos gave up one more run to the Padres in the eighth inning. The Marlins were unable to complete a double play on a Venable at-bat to end the inning as Alonso crossed the plate.
    Sanabia surrendered three earned runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings and fell down to 2-5. Stults improved to 3-2 as he went 6 1/3 innings and allowed one run on seven hits.
   

Monday, May 6, 2013

Padres Blank Marlins

    The Miami Marlins were shut out by the San Diego Padres 5-0 on Monday night at Petco Park. The Marlins, who had their two-game win streak snapped, produced only five hits in this game.
    San Diego(14-28) got their first run in an unusual way in the first inning. Everth Cabrera scored from second base with two out when Carlos Quentin hit a ball in front of the plate and Rob Brantly made a throwing error.
    The Padres put up another run in the second inning when Jedd Gyorko slammed a lead-off solo home run to center field on a 1-0 pitch off Wade LeBlanc. It was his third round-tripper of the season.
    Miami(10-23) fell further behind as they surrendered two more runs in the fourth inning. Nick Hundley walked and went to second on an Andrew Cashner sacrifice. Chris Denorfia singled into right field and Hundley beat the tag at home plate. Cabrera then slapped a base hit to right field as Denorfia scored.
    In the seventh inning, San Diego got an additional run against Tom Koehler. With one out, Cabrera walked and then stole second. He scored on a Chase Headley double into left field.
    LeBlanc remained winless this season at 0-5 as he gave up three earned runs on four hits in five innings of work. Cashner went 7 1/3 innings and allowed no runs on four hits as he moved up to 2-2 this year.

Bulls Take Game 1 From Heat

    Following the pregame presentation of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award by commissioner David Stern to LeBron James, the Miami Heat were upended by the Chicago Bulls 93-86 in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at American Airlines Arena on Monday night. The Heat were held scoreless in the final 2:21 as the Bulls scored the last ten points of the game to get the victory.
    James led the Heat with a team-high 24 points, seven assists and eight rebounds in 44 minutes of play. Dwyane Wade added 14 points with four assists in 33 minutes and Chris Bosh contributed nine points with six rebounds in 28 minutes.
    Nate Robinson fell short of a double-double for the Bulls with 27 points and nine assists in 40 minutes. Two of his teammates both had a double-double as Jimmy Butler had 21 points with 14 rebounds and Joakim Noah compiled 13 points with 11 rebounds.
    Chicago opened up with an 8-2 edge and were ahead 21-15 after one quarter. Both teams stayed close to each other in the second quarter as they were tied 37-37 at halftime. The Heat were able to get the margin up to six points as they led 62-58 after three quarters. Miami was up 86-83 with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter, but Chicago scored the final ten points for the win.

LeBron James Wins 4th MVP

    Miami Heat forward LeBron James captured his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award on Sunday. It was the second straight year that he won the honor and the fourth time in the last five years. James won the MVP with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008-09 and 2009-10 along with the Miami Heat in 2011-12 and 2012-13. He becomes the youngest player at age 28 to win the award on four different occasions.  
    James joins elite company as he became the fifth player with at least four NBA Most Valuable Player trophies. All the other players which includes Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan have been elected into the Basketball Hall Of Fame. James and Russell are the only players to win the honor four times in a five-year stretch.
    He fell one vote short of a unanimous decision as he got 120 of 121 first-place media votes. James led the Heat to the second longest regular season winning streak in NBA history as they won 27 consecutive games. He averaged 26.8 points, a career-high eight rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. James also set career highs with a field goal shooting percentage of 56.5 and three-point field goal percentage of 40.6.

Marlins Blow Away Phillies

    The Miami Marlins had a dominant performance as they routed the Philadelphia Phillies 14-2 on Sunday at Citizen Bank Park. The Fish make a long trip out west and face the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
    Miami(10-22) jumped out with five runs in the first inning against Roy Halladay, who got his 200th career win the last time he pitched against the Fish. After Juan Pierre walked, Placido Polanco walked and Justin Ruggiano was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Marcell Ozuna hit a double off the left field wall as Pierre and Polanco scored. With the bases loaded and two outs, Adeiny Hechavarria ripped a triple to right field as Ruggiano, Ozuna and Greg Dobbs crossed the plate.
    The Marlins added four rugns in the third inning and extended their lead to 9-0. Ruggiano led off and was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Olivo walked and Dobbs singled into right to load the bases. Two batters later, Hechavarria blasted a grand-slam homer to right field on a 1-0 pitch for his second home run of the season.
    The Fish got another run against Raul Valdes in the sixth inning with a one-out rally. Chris Valaika was hit by a pitch, Polanco singled to left and Ruggiano walked as the bases were full of Marlins. Ozuna got a base hit to right and brought in Valaika.
    Chad Durbin gave up a solo home run to Ruggiano with one out in the top of the eighth inning as he pounded a 1-2 pitch into left field. Three batters later, Ozuna scored from third on a fielder's choice against Jeremy Horst for a Marlins 12-0 lead.
    Philadelphia(14-18) broke the shutout in the bottom of the eighth inning. Carlos Ruiz led off with a walk. He would scored on an infield hit by Ben Revere and a throwing error by Miami pitcher A.J. Ramos throwing error to third base. Revere would score two batters later as Freddy Galvis grounded out to first.
    Pierre began the ninth inning with a single to center field. Three batters later, Ruggiano blasted a two-out homer on a 3-1 pitch off Horst to left field for his second home run of the game and his sixth of the season.
    Marlins starting pitcher Kevin Slowey got his first win of the season and improved his record to 1-2.  He allowed no runs on two hits and struck out seven in seven innings that he pitched. Halladay fell to 2-4 as he was shelled for nine runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Marlins One-Hit Phillies

    The Miami Marlins combined for a one-hitter as they shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night. The Fish snapped a three-game losing streak as they were held to four hits on offense.
    Jose Fernandez pitched seven innings for the Marlins, allowed just one hit and struck out a career-high nine batters for the win. He captured his first major league victory and improved to 1-2. Cole Hamels dropped to 1-4 this season for Philadelphia(14-17) as he gave up two runs on four hits in eight innings pitched.
    Two players for Miami(9-22) picked up their first major league home runs. Marcell Ozuna led off the second inning with a solo home run to left-center field on the first pitch. He also got his first career RBI in that situation. Chris Valaika ripped a one-out home run to center field on a 1-0 pitch in the third inning.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Marlins Fall To Phillies

    The Miami Marlins lost their third straight game as they were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. The Marlins dropped to 3-11 on the road this season.
    Philadelphia(14-16) picked up two runs in the second inning. Ryan Howard cracked a lead-off solo home run to right field off Ricky Nolasco on a 2-0 pitch for his fifth homer this season. Two batters later, Carlos Ruiz singled to center then stole second. He scored on a single to right field by Ben Revere.
    The Phillies added an additional run in the third inning. Chase Utley began the frame with a solo homer on the pitch to right-center field for his sixth home run of the season.
    Donovan Solano broke the shutout by Jonathan Pettibone for Miami(8-22) in the fourth inning as he socked a lead-off solo home run to left-center field on a 2-1 pitch. It was his first round-tripper of the season.
    In the bottom of the fourth, Domonic Brown smashed a lead-off solo home run to right field on a 3-2 pitch for his fifth dinger of the season.
    Nolasco went six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits as he fell to 2-3 this season. Pettibone got his second win of the season as he gave up one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Mets Outlast Marlins

    The Miami Marlins had their three-game win streak snapped as they were defeated by the New York Mets 7-6 at Marlins Park on Wednesday. The last time the Fish won four straight games was from June 27 until July 1 during the 2012 season.
    Miami(8-20) put up three runs in the first inning to get the early lead against Dillon Gee. Juan Pierre began with a walk and went to second on a Donovan Solano ground out. After Greg Dobbs walked, Justin Ruggiano knocked in Pierre on a single into right field. Two batters later, Chris Valaika doubled down the left-field line to score Dobbs and Ruggiano.
    David Wright got New York(11-15) on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning. Wade LeBlanc was on the mound for the Marlins when Wright smashed the first pitch to left field for a lead-off solo home run for his third homer of the season.
    The Marlins rebounded quickly in the bottom of the fourth inning with an additional run. Nick Green hit a one-out double to right field. LeBlanc then got a base hit into left-center field, but Green was thrown out at the plate. Pierre followed with a single to center field as LeBlanc scored from second.
    The Mets climbed back in this game during the sixth inning with four runs. Wright started with a double into left field. Two batters later, Marlon Byrd sliced the ball into shallow right field with two outs as Wright came in from third to make it 4-2. Ike Davis then got a single to right and Byrd advanced to second. A.J. Ramos was brought in to relieve for LeBlanc and New York countered with Jordany Valdespin as a pinch-hitter. Valdespin lifted a three-run homer to right field on a 2-2 pitch and the Mets got their first lead of the game.
    New York extended their lead in the seventh inning against Chad Qualls. Daniel Murphy singled to left with one out and Wright followed with a base hit to center field. John Buck doubled into the right-center field gap as Murphy and Wright scored.
    A one-out rally helped the Marlins in the bottom of the seventh as they faced Scott Atchison. Solano singled to center and Dobbs singled to left. Ruggiano was credited with a two-run single to deep left field as Lucas Duda made an error on the play.  
    LeBlanc went 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits while Gee completed five innings and allowed four runs on nine hits as he improved to 2-4. Ramos got his first career loss as he pitched 1/3 of the inning and he surrendered one run on one hit.