Friday, June 27, 2014

Florida Panthers Select Aaron Ekblad

     The Florida Panthers selected defenseman Aaron Ekblad as the first overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Friday night. He became the second player in Panthers franchise history to be picked first overall by the club. Defenseman Ed Jovanovski was named the top pick by the Cats at the 1994 NHL Draft.
     Ekblad played for the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League for 2013-14 season and had 23 goals along with 30 assists in 58 games with the junior team. He was drafted first overall by Barrie in the OHL Entry Draft back in 2011 and played there for three seasons where he compiled 40 goals and 76 assists in 175 games.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Phillies Edge Marlins

     The Miami Marlins finished their short four-game road trip with a 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in 14 innings on Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park. The Fish, who played at least 13 innings for the fourth time in 19 games, return home for a weekend series against the Oakland A's.
     In the third inning, Jarrod Saltalamacchia smashed a solo home run off Cole Hamels with none out on a 3-1 count to left field for his seventh homer this year. It was the first dinger that he hit batting right handed in a Marlins uniform.
     Giancarlo Stanton pounded his 21st homer of the season during the fourth inning as he took a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to give Miami(40-39) a 2-0 lead.
     Philadelphia(35-43) got a rally going in the bottom of the fourth against Tom Koehler and cut the deficit to 2-1. Chase Utley began with a single to right then Ryan Howard got an infield hit. Two batters later, Cody Asche singled to right field and loaded the bases. Carlos Ruiz knocked in Utley with a sacrifice fly into left field.
     The Phillies tied the ballgame 2-2 during the fifth inning. Ben Revere singled to center and then stole second. He advanced to third on a Jimmy Rollins ground out and scored on a base hit to center by Utley.
     The Marlins picked up another solo home run in the seventh inning to regain the lead 3-2. Marcell Ozuna led off and hit a 1-1 pitch to left-center field for his 13rd tally in 2014.
     The Phils got a break on a two-out error in the bottom of the frame to tie it again. They had Domonic Brown standing on third base for the tying run. Rollins grounded a ball to the right side, first baseman Jeff Baker could not release the ball to pitcher Bryan Morris headed to first and Brown crossed the plate.
    In the 14th inning, Philadelphia finished the game against Marlins reliever Chris Hatcher. Rollins got an infield hit and Utley followed with a walk-off two-run homer to right field on a 0-2 count for his sixth home run this season.
     Hamels pitched seven innings for the Phillies, struck out seven and allowed three runs on six hits. Koehler gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out six in six innings.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Calvin Ridley On Magazine Cover

     Monarch Knights wide receiver Calvin Ridley will appear on the sixth annual cover of Friday Night Football Florida magazine. He committed to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide back in April. Ridley had 41 receptions for 1,131 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns as a junior in 2013.
     Friday Night Football, a.k.a. FNF, previously had South Florida high school players on their magazine. Former Plantation-American Heritage Patriots running back Sony Michel appeared on the publication in 2013. He is now attending the University of Georgia. Former Glades Day and current University of Florida Gators running back Kelvin Taylor showed up on the 2012 cover.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Marlins Take Phillies

     The Miami Marlins began a short four-game road trip in Philadelphia with a 4-0 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night. The Fish have won three of their last four road games. The Phillies extended their losing streak to three games.
     Miami(38-38) got to Roberto Hernandez for two runs during the first inning. Derek Dietrich got a one-out single to left field then Giancarlo Stanton was hit by a pitch and went to first. Casey McGehee followed with a two-run double into deep center field.
     In the ninth inning, the Marlins added two more runs to their lead. Reed Johnson popped a ball down the left-field line for a base hit to score Jeff Baker. Two batters later, Dietrich knocked in Ed Lucas from second on a one-out single into right field.
     Nathan Eovaldi raised his record to 4-3 as he pitched 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball and allowed six hits. Hernandez dropped to 3-6 for Philadelphia(34-41) as he surrendered two runs on three hits in six innings.

Florida Panthers Release Schedule

     The National Hockey League released the schedule for the 2014-15 regular season. The Florida Panthers will begin their 21st NHL season at Tampa Bay on October 9. They open their home schedule against the New Jersey Devils on October 11 and close the regular season in Sunrise against the same team on April 11.
     The Cats will play most teams in the Atlantic Division four times that will consist of two games home and two games away against the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. They will play the Montreal Canadiens five times in 2014-15 with three game at home and two games on the road. They will also face the Buffalo Sabres five times with two home games and three road games.
     Florida will challenge teams in the Metropolitan Division three times during the regular season. They have the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets at home twice and on the road once. The New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals will only appear once in Sunrise and host the Cats twice in 2014-15. The Panthers will play all 14 Western Conference teams once at home and once on the road.

Gerard Gallant New Florida Panthers Coach

     The Florida Panthers introduced Gerard Gallant as their new head coach of the team on Monday. He becomes the 13th head coach in franchise history. He replaces Peter Horachek who worked as an interim coach for the club from November 2013 until April 2014.
     Gallant had previous NHL head coaching experience from 2003 to 2007 with the Columbus Blue Jackets where he took over for former Panthers head coach Doug MacLean. He recently worked as an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens over the past two seasons. Prior to that, Gallant was the head coach for the St. John Sea Dogs from 2009 until 2012. He coached current Panthers center Jonathan Huberdeau there and they won the 2011 Memorial Cup along with two QMJHL titles.
     As a player in the National Hockey League, Gallant played his first nine seasons with the Detroit Red Wings from 1984 to !993 and his last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 1993 until 1995. He had 211 goals and 269 assists in 615 NHL games along with 1,674 penalty minutes.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Mets Shut Out Marlins Again

     The New York Mets shut out the Miami Marlins for the second time in three games as they won 4-0 on Saturday at Marlins Park. The Fish, who have lost three of their last four games, are now 3-6 on their current ten-game homestand.
     Jacod deGrom picked up his first major league victory as he pitched seven scoreless innings, surrendered five hits and struck out seven. Tom Koehler dropped to 5-6 as he allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings pitched for Miami(37-37).

Friday, June 20, 2014

Marlins Stop Mets

     After being shut out the previous game, the Miami Marlins bounced back with a 3-2 win over the New York Mets at Marlins Park on Friday night. The Fish moved to 25-16 at home this season.
    In the first inning, Miami(37-36) zoomed out to a 1-0 lead against Daisuke Matsuzaka. Rafael Furcal led off with a triple into right field. Adeiny Hechavarria then grounded out to second for Furcal to score.
     The Marlins extended their lead to 3-0 during the seventh inning with Vic Black on the mound for New York(33-41). Jake Marisnick got a one-out single to center and stole second then pinch-hitter Justin Boar walked. Marisnick would steal third and advanced home on a throwing error. After Furcal grounded out, Hechavarria drove in Boar on a double into left field.
     The Mets cut into the margin in the top of the eighth with two runs. Pinch-hitter Chris Young started with a walk and Eric Young Jr. got a base hit off Kevin Gregg to right. Two batters later, David Wright singled to center which brought in Young to make it 3-1. Mike Dunn replaced Gregg and walked Curtis Granderson. Eric Campbell had a single to left field as Young Jr. scored, but Wright was tagged out at home plate on the relay.
    Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez pitched 6 1/3 innings for the Fish, allowed no runs on seven hits and improved his mark to 4-3. Matsuzaka surrendered one run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings and fell to 3-1. Steve Cishek compiled his 17th save of the year for Miami.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Mets Blank Marlins

     Andrew Heaney made his major league debut on the mound for the Miami Marlins as they were shut out by the New York Mets 1-0 on Thursday night at Marlins Park. Heaney went six innings and allowed one run on four hits for Miami(36-36). His counterpart Zack Wheeler threw a three-hit complete game for his first career shutout.
     David Wright jumped on the rookie during the first inning with his sixth home run of the season to give New York(33-40) a 1-0 lead. He blasted a solo homer to center field on a 2-2 pitch.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Cubs Club Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the Chicago Cubs with a 6-1 victory at Marlins Park on Wednesday. The Fish, who have lost eight of their last ten home games, continue their ten-game homestand tomorrow night against the New York Mets. The Cubs won their second straight road series for the first time this season.
     Former Marlins Chris Coghlin started the first inning for Chicago(30-40) with a one-out double to deep right field against Nathan Eovaldi. He advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Rizzo to center. Starlin Castro knocked him on a line drive down the left-field line to make it 1-0.
     Miami(36-35) pulled even in the bottom of the first as Giancarlo Stanton smacked his 20th home run of the season with two out to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch off Jake Arrieta.
     The Cubbies regained the lead with four runs during the sixth inning. Rizzo singled to right with one out then scored on a double by Castro into right-center field. Castro moved to third on a base hit by Ryan Sweeny to left field. Nate Schierholtz followed with a three-run homer to the upper deck in right field on a 2-1 count. It was his third home run this year.
     Jacob Turner came in to relieve in the eighth inning and Cubs extended their lead to 6-1. Castro led off with and infield hit and Sweeney then singled to left. Three batters later, Castro crossed the plate on an infield single by Darwin Barney.
     Arrieta struck out 11 and allowed one run on five hits in seven innings to improve his record to 3-1. Eovaldi dropped to 4-3 as he pitched just over six innings and gave up five runs on nine hits.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Cubs Slip By Marlins

     The Chicago Cubs pulled out a 5-4 win in 13 innings over the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on Monday night. The Fish have lost seven of their last eight home games.
     In the first inning, Miami(35-34) jumped on Jason Hammel as they compiled two runs. Jake Marisnick led off with a single into center field and stole second before Jeff Baker struck out. Giancarlo Stanton came up and blasted a two-run homer to right field on a 1-1 pitch for his 19th home run of the season.
     The Marlins added another run during the fourth inning on a two-out rally. Stanton got a base hit into center field and later stole second. Casey McGehee followed with an RBI-single to left and made it 3-0.
     Chicago(29-39) bounced back with four runs off Tom Koehler in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. They had the bases loaded with one out when Anthony Rizzo grounded out to first for Hammel to score. Starlin Castro then socked three-run homer over the left-field wall for his tenth dinger this year which brought in Luis Valbuena and former Marlin Justin Ruggiano.
     Miami evened the game at 4-4 during the bottom of the sixth inning. Marcell Ozuna tripled into deep right-center field then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Adeiny Hecahvarria.
     The tie was broken in the 13th inning by the Cubbies in an unusual way on a two-out rally against Jacob Turner. Junior Lake singled to center and then they pinch-hit reliever Carlos Villanueva with Travis Wood, who is a starting pitcher for the team. He doubled into left field to score Lake for the go-ahead run.
     Koehler went six innings for the Fish and he allowed two runs on four runs on five hits, Hammel surrendered four runs on eight hits and struck out nine Marlins in six innings.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Spurs Beat Heat For NBA Title

     The San Antoino Spurs won their fifth NBA championship in franchise history as they defeated the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat 104-87 in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals on Sunday night at AT&T Center. The Heat, who lost the best-of-seven series 4-1, had appeared in the last four NBA Finals, won their previous 11 playoff series and were last eliminated in the postseason by the Dallas Mavericks back in the 2011 NBA Finals.
     Miami blasted out as they scored the first eight points of the game and had their biggest lead over the Spurs anytime in the last five games of the NBA Finals. The Heat went on a 22-6 tear in the first seven minutes of the opening quarter. They were up 29-22 after one quarter as LeBron James poured in 17 points.
      In the second quarter, the Heat had a 35-28 lead at 7:09 until San Antonio scored 14 consecutive points to take their first lead of the game 42-35 with 2:46 remaining in the first half.  The Spurs led 47-40 at halftime as they outscored Miami 25-11 in the second. It was the least amount of points scored by the Heat in a quarter this postseason.
     The Spurs expanded their gap to 21 points at 65-44 with 5:01 to go in the third to complete a 31-9 run over a two-period span. They had outscored their opponent at that point of the third quarter 18-4. The Heat trailed 77-58 after three quarters. The closest Miami cut the deficit to in the final quarter was 14 points as they were down 79-65 with 9:56 remaining.
     James compiled a double-double for the Heat as he had a team-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in 41 minutes of play. Chris Bosh contributed 13 points along with seven rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 11.
     Kawhi Leonard, who was named NBA Finals MVP, had 22 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes for the Spurs. Five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan put together 14 points with eight rebounds and Tony Parker had 16 points. San Antonio picked up bench scoring as Patty Mills got 17 points and Manu Ginobili dropped in 19.

Marlins Overcome Pirates

     The Miami Marlins avoided a three-game sweep as they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in 10 innings at Marlins Park on Sunday. The Fish snapped a six-game home losing streak.
     Pittsburgh(34-35) took the lead during the third inning against Henderson Alvarez. Gregory Polanco got an infield single and then scored on a double into left field by Starling Marte.
     In the fourth inning, the Pirates extended their margin to 2-0. Russell Martin led off with a walk and advanced to third on a Pedro Alvarez base hit to left. Josh Harrison knocked in Martin on a single into right field.
     Miami(35-33) got to the Pirates bullpen as they tied it up with two runs off Tony Watson during the bottom of the eighth. Pinch-hitter Jeff Baker reached base on an infield single and Rafael Furcal followed with a single into left field. After Reed Johnson and Giancarlo Stanton struck out, Casey McGehee drove two runners in on a double to deep left-center field.
     In the bottom of the tenth, the Marlins got the win against Jared Hughes with a walk-off sacrifice fly by McGehee to right field for pinch-runner Ed Lucas to score the go-ahead run.
     Alvarez allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out six in seven innings pitched. Vance Worley gave up no runs on five hits in seven innings for the Buccos.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Spurs Rout Heat In Game 4

     The Miami Heat played Game 4 of the NBA Finals and were steamrolled over by the San Antonio Spurs 107-86 on Thursday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat are now down 3-1 and just one loss from elimination in the best-of-seven series with Game 5 to be played in San Antonio on Sunday night.
     The Spurs will have an opportunity to win their first NBA title since 2007 and fifth overall in franchise history. For the first time since 1984, the team with the best regular season record will host Game 5 in the NBA Finals due to the new series format of 2-2-1-1-1.
     San Antonio moved out to a 13-4 margin in the first five minutes of the first quarter. The Heat scored the next six points, but trailed 26-17 after one quarter. They have been behind after the first quarter in every game of this series.
     In the second quarter, the Spurs moved the gap up to double digits at 31-17 as they scored the first five points of the period and later extended their margin up to 19 points at 48-29 with 3:06 left in the first half. San Antonio was up at halftime 55-36 over Miami, who became the first team in NBA Finals history to fall behind at least 19 points at halftime twice in a series.
     Miami bolted out to begin the second half on a 12-6 spurt, however the Spurs pushed the lead up to 24 points as they responded with a 12-1 run to make it 73-49 with 3:48 left in the third. San Antonio stayed ahead 81-57 after three quarters.
     The Heat scored seven consecutive points to cut the deficit down to 18 points at 84-66 with 9:06 to go in the fourth. It would the closest Miami would get to the lead in the final quarter.
     LeBron James compiled a team-high 28 points and eight rebounds in 38 minutes for the Heat. Chris Bosh added 12 points while Ray Allen was brought in early from the bench and had eight points. Dwyane Wade had 10 points and four steals.
     Tony Parker dropped in 19 points for the Spurs and reserve Patty Mills scored 14. Kawhi Leonard put together a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Tim Duncan, who set an NBA playoff record with the most career minutes at 8,870 as he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, had 10 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes. He also passed Magic Johnson for most double-doubles ever in postseason play with 158.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Rangers Shut Out Marlins

     The Miami Marlins had their 13-game interleague winning streak snapped by the Texas Rangers 6-0 at Globe Life Park on Wednesday night. They now share that major league record with the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays which were both accomplished during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. It was Miami's first interleague loss since losing in Kansas City against the Royals on August 12, 2013.
     Yu Darvish improved to 7-2 for the Rangers as he pitched a six-hit complete game shutout as he struck out ten batters and walked three. It was his first shutout in his major league career. Jacob Turner surrendered five runs on six hits in four innings pitched and took the loss to drop his record to 2-4.
     Texas(32-34) stomped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Chris Giminez led off with a walk then Rougned Odor singled into left field. Two batters later, Elvis Andrus got a base hit to left-center field to load the bases for the Rangers. Shin-Soo Choo followed with a three-run double to the right-field wall to score Giminez, Odor and Andrus. Choo would later cross the plate on a wild pitch.
     Turner gave up a fifth run during the bottom of the fourth when Leonys Martin scored from second on an infield hit by Giminez.
     In the sixth inning, Miami(34-31) fell behind 6-0. Andrus singled to right, went to second on a throwing error and was driven in by Choo on a base hit into right-center field.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Spurs Pound Heat And Take Series Lead

     The Miami Heat had their home playoff undefeated streak snapped as they fell to the San Antonio Spurs 111-92 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday night. The Heat are now 8-1 at home this postseason and had won their previous 11 playoff games in Miami dating back to Game 2 of the 2013 NBA Finals against San Antonio. The Spurs lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 to be played on Thursday night.
     San Antonio stepped out to a 25-12 margin in the opening seven minutes of the contest and were up 41-25 after one quarter. It was the most points allowed by the Heat in a first quarter this postseason.
     The Spurs continued on a rapid pace and the Heat trailed 55-30 with 8:08 to go in the first half. Miami was down 71-50 at halftime and set a franchise record as they allowed the most points ever for a half in a playoff game. San Antonio, who shot an NBA Finals record 75.8% in the first half, had the largest halftime margin for a road team in the NBA Finals since 1996.
     Miami picked up the momentum and dropped the deficit down to seven points 81-74 with 1:59 left in the third. They outscored their opponent 25-15 in the period and were behind 86-75 after three quarters.
     In the fourth quarter, the closest the Heat came from the lead was 90-80 with 8:53 remaining. The Spurs then went on a 21-11 run to put the game away.
     LeBron James led the Heat with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Dwyane Wade dropped in 22 points and Rashard Lewis added 14 points. Ray Allen knocked down 11 points and Chris Bosh was held to nine.
     Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 29 points in 39 minutes for the Spurs. Danny Green and Tony Parker both contributed 15 points each. Tim Duncan compiled 14 points and six rebounds while Manu Ginobili had 11 points.

Miami Ratings May 2014

     The Miami/Fort Lauderdale region remained the same for the ninth consecutive month as 104.3 The Ticket WAXY-FM was the top sports format radio station. It was the largest margin of victory for that station since their inception in 2004. The Ticket has finished alone in first every month since January 2013 except for two months during the summer of 2013 in which they tied with Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM.
     The path of the Miami Heat in the postseason going for their third straight NBA title jolted 104.3 The Ticket from a 1.6 in April to a 2.5 in May as they improved to their highest ratings ever in their ten-year history. The station seems not to be affected by the loss of Miami Marlins game broadcasts when they filled their evening slot with a slew of hosts that include Brian "The Beast" London, Josh Friedman and Chris Wittyngham.
     WQAM remained flat with a 0.9 in the month of May. The afternoon show with Marc Hochman and Zach Krantz continued to make upward strides while on the downside the University of Miami Hurricanes baseball team slow start earlier this season lost some attention from the audience.
     940 WINZ-AM changed their slogan from The Sports Animal to Miami's Sports Station prior to the current ratings period and remained at a 0.2 for the fourth consecutive month. They have been unable to get a ratings bump with the addition of Miami Marlins games this season.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Heat Even NBA Finals With Spurs

     LeBron James compiled a double-double of 35 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes as the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 98-96 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at AT&T Center on Sunday night. The Heat won their 13rd straight postseason game following a loss. The series is tied at 1-1 with Game 3 to be played in Miami on Tuesday night.
     Dwyane Wade added 14 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes and Chris Bosh scored 18 points. Rashard Lewis had 14 points and Ray Allen dropped down nine.
     Only two starters for the Spurs scored in double figures. Tim Duncan put together a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes while Tony Parker got a team-high 21 points and seven assists. Manu Ginobili came off the bench with 19 points.
     San Antonio began the game up 10-4 and finished the opening quarter ahead 26-19. The Spurs had an 11-point margin early in the second quarter at 30-19 until the Heat went on a 15-3 spurt to take their first lead of the game 34-33 with 5:07 left in the first half. Both teams were tied at halftime 43-43.
     Neither squad had more than a six-point lead during the third quarter as Miami trailed 78-77 after three quarters. The game stayed close in the final quarter as the biggest lead by both teams was only three points until the final minute. Bosh made a three-point shot from the right corner with 1:17 left for the Heat to take their last lead 95-93. Miami extended the gap to 98-93 with nine seconds remaining when Wade put in a layup.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

England And Honduras Tie

     Two countries met in their final friendly game prior to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as England and Honduras played to a 0-0 tie at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday. England opens their World Cup schedule next Saturday against Italy while Honduras will face France next Sunday.
     The game went twenty minutes into the first half when played was stopped due to a lightning storm. The delay last about 45 minutes before play was resumed. England had a big shot advantage in the game especially after Honduras lost one player to a red card in the 66th minute and they had to play shorthanded for the remainder of the contest.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Spurs Embrace Heat In First Game

     The Miami Heat began their attempt for a third consecutive NBA title and ended with a 110-95 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 with Game 2 to be played on Sunday. Miami lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals for the third straight year.
     Both teams met each other for the NBA championship last year in which the Heat prevailed in seven games. It is the first time that two teams faced one another in the NBA Finals two straight years since the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz in 1997 and 1998.
     Miami started the game 7-2, however the Spurs responded with a 16-6 edge and led 18-13 seven minutes in. San Antonio ended the period with an 8-1 spurt and ahead 26-20. The Heat outscored their opponent 29-28 in the second quarter and trailed 54-49 at halftime.
     The Heat scored eight consecutive points near the end of the third and were up 78-74 after three quarters. Miami pushed the margin up to seven points 86-79 with 9:37 left in the fourth, but the Spurs regained the lead on a 20-4 run and led 99-90 with 3:24 to go. San Antonio extended their lead up to double digits 105-95 with 1:14 remaining and finished the game on a 31-9 tear.
     LeBron James left the contest due to a leg cramp with 3:59 left in the fourth quarter and never returned. He helped the Heat with 25 points and six rebounds 33 minutes. Dwyane Wade, who is trying to capture his fourth title in his 11-season career, added 19 points while Chris Bosh compiled in 18 points and nine rebounds as he fell short of a double-double. Miami reserve Ray Allen scored 16 points.
     Tim Duncan, who is looking for his fifth NBA title for himself and the Spurs franchise, had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes. Manu Ginobili came off the bench as he contributed a double-double of  points, 11 assists and five rebounds. Tony Parker put together 19 points and eight assists. Danny Green drilled in a couple of three-point shots in the final quarter and finished with 13.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Marlins Blank Rays

     The Miami Marlins continued their winning ways at home on a Henderson Alvarez eight-hit complete game shutout as they beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. The Marlins now hold a 22-11 record at home this season and head across the state to complete the four-game series between both teams. Tampa Bay(23-36) lost their eighth consecutive game.
     Alvarez struck out five and raised his record to 3-3. Chris Archer surrendered one run on five hits in seven innings, struck out eight for the Rays and dropped to 3-3.
     There was no scoring until the fifth inning by Miami(30-28). Garrett Jones led off with a single to right field and advanced to second two batters later when Adeiny Hechavarria got a base hit to right. After Jeff Mathis struck out to make it two out, Alvarez singled to center field and loaded the bases. Christian Yelich followed with a walk and Jones scored to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Marlins Attack Rays

     After being swept by the Atlanta Braves at home over the weekend, the Miami Marlins bounced back with a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night at Marlins Park. The Fish stopped a three-game losing streak while the Rays continued their seven-game losing streak which is the longest currently in the majors.
     Miami(29-28) moved thoroughly during the first inning as they scored three runs against Alex Cobb. Christian Yelich got a lead-off walk, Ed Lucas reached base on a infield single and Giancarlo Stanton walked to load the bases. Casey McGehee followed with a two-run single up the middle as Yelich and Lucas scored. Garrett Jones then grounded into a double play for Stanton to score and make it 3-0.
     Tampa Bay(23-35) got their lone run off Randy Wolf in the fifth inning. Sean Rodriguez began with a walk then crossed the plate on a double to left field by Desmond Jennings.
     Wolf, who made his second start with his new team, allowed one run on three hits in six innings and struck out seven to move his record to 1-1. Cobb dropped to 1-3 as he gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. Steve Cishek picked up his 12th save of the season for the Marlins.

Amari Cooper On Magazine Cover

     University of Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper will appear the national cover of the 2014 Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine. It is the second straight year that he will appear on a Phil Steele cover. He joined former Park Vista and Auburn University running back Tre Mason on the state of Alabama cover in 2013. Cooper shares the Phil Steele national cover with Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston, Ohio State University quarterback Braxton Miller and University of Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight.
     Cooper played high school football with the Miami Northwestern Bulls from 2008 to 2011. He had 33 catches for 722 yards during his senior season.
     He went on to play for the Crimson Tide in the last two years. Cooper had 53 receptions for 895 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season in his freshman year. He capped the season winning the national title with six catches for 105 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the BCS National Championship game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. Cooper had 45 receptions for 736 yards and four touchdowns for Alabama last year.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Comcast Sports Southeast Ends

     Comcast Sports Southeast, otherwise known as CSS, has stopped broadcasting its programming as of June 1. It featured college games from the Southeastern Conference along with the Atlantic Coast Conference, studio show broadcasts from Atlanta and did not have the television rights to any professional sports teams.
     South Florida sportscasters that had previously appeared on that network included Allison Williams, Jason Solodkin and Jim Grieshaber. The only local South Florida programming that the station had been broadcasting in the last several years was recorded telecasts of University of Miami football games and the Hurricanes coach's shows hosted by Joe Zagacki. These programs will now have to find a new home with the most likely channels being at Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports.