Monday, July 31, 2017

Nationals Almost No-Hit Marlins

     Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez threw eight innings of no-hit ball as they blanked the Miami Marlins 1-0 at Marlins Park on Monday night. The Fish are 3-2 on their current home stand.
     Washington(63-41) scored the only run of the contest in the sixth inning. Bryce Harper singled into left field for Brian Goodwin to cross the plate.
     Miami(49-55) got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the ninth with none out. Dee Gordon led off against Gonzalez with a single into right field. Christian Yelich also got a base hit later in the inning.

WBZT Flips To Sports Format

     WBZT-AM has flipped their format from a brokered talk/business format to a sports talk format on Monday. The station will be known as Sports Radio 1230 The Zone.
     They become the fourth sports radio station in the West Palm Beach market. WBZT joins ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM, 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM and ESPN Deportes 760 WEFL-AM.
     WBZT will be an affiliate of the Defo Show with Jeff DeForrest which is a morning program based at Miami Sports Radio 940 WINZ-AM. The rest of their lineup will be piped in from CBS Sports Radio. The radio station is currently the West Palm Beach affiliate of the Miami Marlins Radio Network.

War Games 30th Anniversary In Miami

     Today marked the 30th anniversary of the War Games: The Match Beyond bout at The Orange Bowl in Miami. The Four Horsemen comprised of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Lex Luger with The War Machine as they took on the Superpowers, Dusty Rhodes and Nikita Koloff, along with The Road Warriors Animal and Hawk and their manager Paul Ellering.
     It was the first War Games held in a outdoor stadium setting. The first War Games was held at The Omni in Atlanta on July 4, 1987. It was a special promotional match and was part of The Great American Bash for the National Wrestling Alliance. The match in Miami ended when The War Machine submitted as Road Warrior Animal gouged his eyes with a spiked armband at 19:38.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Reds Stop Marlins

     The Cincinnati Reds avoided a four-game sweep with a 6-4 victory over the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on Sunday. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Fish.
     Cincinnati(42-63) compiled two runs in the second inning. Tucker Barnhart knocked in Eugenio Suarez with a single to center. Jose Peraza later scored on an infield hit by Luis Castillo to make it 2-0.
     Miami(49-54) broke the shutout during the bottom of the sixth. A.J. Ellis singled to left field for Dee Gordon to score.
     The Reds extended their margin with four runs in the top of the seventh. They had the bases loaded when Adam Duvall grounded into a fielder's choice toward short for Billy Hamilton to cross the plate. The bases were loaded again, Peraza walked and Scooter Gennett scored. Barnhart then drove in Duvall and Suarez with a single up the middle for a 6-1 lead.
     The Marlins made an attempt for a comeback in the ninth inning. Marcell Ozuna blasted a three-run homer to left field on a 1-1 count with Gordon and Ellis aboard.

Two Marlins Inducted Into Baseball Hall Of Fame

     Two former Florida Marlins were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York on Sunday. Both players only played just one season with the franchise.
     Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez was with the Marlins for the 2003 season where he helped the club win their second World Series title. He had a .297 batting average with 16 home runs and 85 RBI that year. In 2011 Rodriguez was voted the greatest catcher in Marlins history. He played 21 years in the majors, spent most of his career with the Texas Rangers and participated in 14 All-Star Games.
     Tim Raines played his final season in Major League Baseball with the Marlins which was in 2002. He participated in 98 games and batted .191 with one home run, seven RBI and no stolen bases that season.  Raines spent most of his 23-year career with the Montreal Expos, had 808 career stolen bases and seven All-Star Game appearances.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Barcelona Edge Real Madrid In Miami El Clasico

     Barcelona got by Real Madrid 3-2 at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night and captured the 2017 International Champions Cup. It was just the second time that both La Liga clubs faced each other in El Clasico outside the country of Spain.
     The game began at a hectic pace as Barcelona scored twice in the first eight minutes on the contest. Lionel Messi began the scoring when he dribbled the ball up the middle of the field and into the penalty area. He placed the ball with a left-footed shot from 10 yards out that was partially deflected into the back of the net during the fourth minute.
     It became a 2-0 lead for Barcelona in the seventh minute. Neymar made a square pass to his right.  Ivan Rakitic stroked a right-footed shot from 18 yards away for a two-goal margin.
     Real Madrid cut into the gap to 2-1 during the 13rd minute. Mateo Kovacic blasted a 20-yard shot with the right foot.
     In the 36th minute, the game was evened up by them. Marco Asensio performed a give-and-go pass with Kovacic on the left side of the penalty area and placed in a 14-yard shot.
     There would be only one goal during the second half of play. Neymar took a direct kick from the left side and sent it to the middle of the penalty area. Gerard Pique then volleyed it in with his right foot from nine yards away for a Barcelona 3-2 lead in the 50th minute.

Marlins Roll By Reds

     The Miami Marlins stopped the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 at Marlins Park on Saturday night. The Marlins extended their winning streak to three games and won seven of their last nine games.
     Cincinnati(41-63) moved out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Joey Votto hit the first pitch over the center-field fence for a solo home run.
     Miami(49-53) bounced back during the bottom of the third. Christian Yelich belted a three-run homer to center field on a 0-2 count. Dee Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton scored in front of him on the play.
     The Reds cut the margin to 3-2 in the top of the fourth. Adam Duvall blasted a solo home run to left on a 2-0 pitch.
     The Marlins put up a rally in the fifth inning. Stanton doubled to deep center field for Adam Conley and Gordon to score. Two batters later, Marcell Ozuna picked up a double to left-center field and Stanton crossed the plate. The Fish added another run to make it 7-2 as J.T. Realmuto drove in Ozuna with a base hit into left.
     In the ninth inning, the Red Legs got on the scoreboard again. Tucker Barnhart grounded out to second for Patrick Kivlehan to score.

Victor Bermudez Gone From Hurricanes Broadcasts

     Victor Bermudez will no longer be the radio producer for University of Miami Hurricanes football broadcasts due to budget cuts. He has been a producer on the Miami Hurricanes Radio Network for the past nine years.
     Bermudez continues as a sports producer for Telemundo, a position which he has had for several years. He once had a reign as the afternoon producer at Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM earlier this decade.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Miami Dolphins Renew Announcers

     The Miami Dolphins will have almost all their announcers return to the Miami Dolphins Radio Network and Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM that they had last season. Jimmy Cefalo will be the radio play-by-play announcer and work beside game analysts Joe Rose and Bob Griese. Cefalo and Rose have held their positions since 2005 while Griese has held that post since 2011. Kim Bokamper stays as the sideline reporter.
     It is the second straight season that WQAM and WKIS-FM are the flagship radio stations of the Miami Dolphins Radio Network. WQAM afternoon co-host Channing Crowder and newcomer Chris Wittyngham will co-host the pregame program while WQAM midday host Orlando Alzugaray and former Dolphins running back Troy Stradford return to the postgame show.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Chris Wittyngham New Dolphins Pregame Co-Host

     Chris Wittyngham has been named the new pregame co-host of Miami Dolphins football games on Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He replaces Curtis Stevenson and will work alongside WQAM afternoon co-host Channing Crowder.
     Wittyngham began as a fill-in host on WQAM back in February 2017. He joined Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in 2012 and once worked as an evening co-host with Josh Friedman from July 2014 to December 2015. He was also the afternoon co-host with Ethan Skolnick from May 2016 until September 2016.

Marlins Take Down Reds

     The Miami Marlins got by the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Thursday night at Marlins Park. Both clubs faced each other last weekend in Ohio. The Fish have won five of their last seven games.
     In the fourth inning, Miami(47-53) took a 1-0 lead. Derek Dietrich hit his fifth home run of the season on a 1-0 pitch to center field.
     The Marlins added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth for a three-run margin. Dietrich walked with the bases loaded and Giancarlo Stanton crossed the plate. Tyler Moore followed with a sacrifice fly to right which scored Christian Yelich.
     The Fish made it 4-0 in the seventh inning. Dietrich slapped a base hit to left field and Yelich scored.
     Cincinnati(41-61) broke the shutout in the top of the eighth. Scooter Gennett drove in Eugenio Suarez with a single into right field.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Marlins Crush Rangers

     The Miami Marlins demolished the Texas Rangers 22-10 at Globe Life Park on Wednesday night. It was the most runs compiled in a game by the Marlins in franchise history. The Fish completed their road trip with a 4-2 record and won their third consecutive road series for the first time since May 2012.
     Dee Gordon began the contest with a lead-off homer on the first pitch for Miami(46-53). It was his first home run of the year. Christian Yelich also hit a solo home run later in the inning.
     The Marlins added nine runs in the top of the fourth and led Texas(49-52) 11-1. Giancarlo Stanton later smacked his major-league leading 33rd home run of the season during the eighth inning on a 2-0 pitch to left field.

Juventus Defeats Paris Saint-Germain

     Juventus beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in an International Champions Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday night. It was the first time that Miami had hosted an International Champions Cup contest since Liverpool faced Manchester United for the championship game in August 2014.
     Barcelona and Real Madrid will challenge each other Saturday on the same field. It will be just the second time ever that both clubs play each other in El Clasico outside of Spain.
     Juventus scored late in the first half during the 45th minute. Gonzalo Higuian performed a give-and-go outside of the penalty area with Paulo Dybala and scored from 15 yards out to give The Old Lady a 1-0 lead. There was more scoring in the second half.
     PSG was able to even it up 1-1 in the 53rd minute. Angel Di Maria made a square pass across the crease and Goncalo Guedes tapped in the ball from four yards away.
     Juve regained the lead 2-1 during the 62nd minute. Claudio Machisio scored on a 21-yard shot on an assist from Moise Kean.
     In the 80th minute, Paris Saint-Germain tied it up again. Layvin Kurzawa crossed the ball into the box and Javier Pastore put in a header into the back of the net.               
     Kean was taken down in the penalty area in the 88th minute. Juventus went up 3-2 on a penalty kick by Marchisio during the 89th minute.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

The Amigo Joins CanesInSight.com

     "The Amigo" Larry Milian has joined CanesInSight.com as a writer. He recently co-hosted a Saturday late morning program Dos Amigos on 880 WZAB-AM with former NBC 6 WTVJ-TV sportscaster Stefano Fusaro from August 2016 to February 2017.
     Milian has made numerous stops at several South Florida radio stations. He was a weekend co-host and late night co-host with Alan Strauss as the Dos Amigos on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM from late 2005 until 2009. He moved on to 640 Sports WMEN-AM in late 2009 as a weekend host and afternoon co-host with Andy Slater. He was promoted to mornings and co-hosted with Armando Salguero and later Chris Perkins from July 2010 to December 2011.
     He then worked for Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM with two different co-hosts that included Phil Domanic and Troy Stradford on a mid-afternoon shift from January 2012 until August 2013. Milian shifted to StateOfTheU.com as a writer and Wednesday night website host in August 2013. He added duties as a Saturday late morning sports host on SoFloRadio.com in April 2014. Milian eventually became the morning host on SportsOvertime.com in 2015.

Monday, July 24, 2017

Patrick Surtain Jr. On Magazine Cover

     American Heritage Patriots cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr. appears on the front cover of the annual Friday Night Football FNF Florida magazine. He became the second player from that school to ever appear on the FNF magazine cover. Current University of Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel showed up on the cover in 2013.
     Surtain, who is the son of former Miami Dolphins defensive back Patrick Surtain, helped American Heritage capture the 2016 FHSAA Class 5A state championship. It was the third state title in the last four years for the school.
     It is the fifth consecutive year that somebody from a Broward County high school appeared on the FNF magazine cover. They include Michel in 2013, wide receiver Calvin Ridley of Monarch in 2014, defensive end Nick Bosa of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2015 and wide receiver George Golden of Dillard along with wide receiver Kevin Austin of North Broward Prep in 2016.

Marlins Shoot Down Rangers

     The Miami Marlins blanked the Texas Rangers 4-0 at Globe Life Park on Monday night. The Fish moved to 3-1 on their current six-game road swing.
     Miami(45-52) jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton blasted a two-run homer to left field with Dee Gordon scoring in front of him.
     The Marlins added another run during the top of the sixth. Marcell Ozuna hit a double into deep center field for Christian Yelich to score and made it 3-0.
     In the eighth inning, Stanton smashed his second home run of the contest against Texas(48-51). It tied him with Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees for the most home runs in the majors this year with 32.

Ant Calatayud Moving To ESPN

     Ant Calatayud is leaving his position as a producer at Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He will join ESPN to help out on podcasts. He has been a part of WQAM for several years.
     Calatayud's real name off-the-air is Tony Calatayud Jr.  He is the son of Tony Calatayud who once was a West Palm Beach television sports anchor, general manager of 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM in Miami and radio play-by-play announcer of Florida International University football.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Reds Move By Marlins

     The Cincinnati Reds avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sunday at Great American Ballpark. The Fish head to Texas to face the Rangers to end their road trip.
     Cincinnati(41-57) moved ahead during the bottom of the second. Billy Hamilton knocked in Scott Schebler with a base hit into right field.
     Miami(44-52) was put up their first run in the top of the fourth. A.J. popped a solo home run to left field on a 3-1 count.
     The Reds were able to regain the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the frame. Scooter Gennett connected with a solo homer to right field on a 0-2 pitch.
     In the fifth inning, Cincinnati added two more runs. Hamilton scored on a throwing error by Miami staring pitcher Tom Koehler during a Joey Votto at-bat. Gennett followed with an RBI-single to right for Zack Cozart to cross the plate and make it 4-1.
     The Red Legs extended their margin to 6-1 in the sixth inning. Eugenio Suarez and Tucker Barnhart both smacked a solo home runs.
     The Marlins made the contest more respectable in the top of the seventh. Miguel Rojas drove in Ellis with a single into right field. Marcell Ozuna later got a base hit to center for Rojas to score.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Marlins Beat Reds

     The Miami Marlins held off the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Saturday night at Great American Ballpark. The Fish have won three of their last five games.
     The Marlins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Giancarlo Stanton grounded out to second for Dee Gordon to score.
     Cincinnati(40-57) compiled two runs in the bottom of the frame. Adam Duvall walked with the bases loaded and Billy Hamilton scoring. Zack Cozart would then cross the plate on an infield double-play.
     Miami(44-51) would regain the lead immediately in the second inning. J.T. Realmuto cracked a two-run homer to left field on a 3-2 pitch that scored Justin Bour for a 3-2 margin.
     In the fifth inning, the Red Legs tied it up 3-3. Patrick Kivlehan hit a solo home run to left on a 2-1 count.
     The Fish scored in the same fashion in the sixth inning as they did in the second. Realmuto powered a two-run home run to left on the pitch with Bour again scoring on the play.
     The Reds cut into the deficit during the bottom of the eighth. Scooter Gennett drove in Duvall with a single into center field to make it 5-4.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Marlins Top Reds

     The Miami Marlins stopped the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 at Great American Ballpark on Friday night. It was the first game of a six-game road trip for the Fish.
     Miami(43-51) struck quickly with two runs in the first inning. Dee Gordon began with a single to left-center field and Giancarlo Stanton followed with a double into left. Christian Yelich would knock in Gordon on a ground out to second. Stanton later scored on a wild pitch.
     Cincinnati(40-56) cut into the margin to 2-1 during the bottom of the third. Billy Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly to right field which scored Scott Schebler.
     The Marlins put up an additional run in the seventh inning. Yelich drove in Miguel Rojas with a single into shallow left field.

Udonis Haslem Stays With Heat

     Forward Udonis Haslem has signed a one-year contract to stay with the Miami Heat. He has played 14 seasons which is the most by any player in franchise history.
     Haslem helped the Heat capture there NBA Championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013. He has averaged 7.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in 803 regular season games with Miami. Haslem played 16 games last season and compiled 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Panthers Sign Owen Tippett

     The Florida Panthers have signed right wing Owen Tippett to a three-year entry-level contract. He was selected in the first round as the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft.
     Tippett has played the last two seasons with the Missassauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. He compiled 44 goals and 31 assists in 60 games last season. Tippett had 15 goals and five assists in 48 games during 2015-16.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Phillies Blast Marlins

     The Philadelphia Phillies routed the Miami Marlins 10-3 at Marlins Park on Wednesday. The Marlins finished the six-game home stand following the All-Star Game break with a 1-5 record.
     Philadelphia(32-61) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Nick Williams knocked in Freddy Galvis with a triple into right-center field. Williams would later score on a sacrifice fly by Maikel Franco to center field.
     Giancarlo Stanton answered back for Miami(42-51) in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer to center on a 3-1 pitch for his 30th home run of the season. It tied a Marlins franchise record as he reached the 30-homer mark for the fourth time in his career. Christian Yelich would score on a wild pitch from third with Justin Bour at-bat in the third inning to tie it up 2-2.
     The Phillies pulled away in the middle innings. Cesar Hernandez ripped a single into center field and Andrew Knapp scored in the top of the fourth. Andrew Knapp drove in Cesar Hernandez with a sacrifice fly to center in the fifth inning.
     In the top of the sixth inning, Daniel Nava picked up a two-run single into center field which scored Hernandez and Galvis. Odubel Herrera later doubled to left field and brought home Williams for a 7-2 lead.
     The Marlins cut the deficit slightly in the bottom of the sixth to 7-3. Yelich powered a home run over the center-field fence on a 1-0 count for his ninth homer of the year.
     The Phils compiled three more runs in the ninth inning. Knapp scored on sacrifice fly by Williams to left field. Franco capped it with a two-run double to center for Hernandez and Galvis to score.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Phillies Move By Marlins

     The Philadelphia Phillies got by the Miami Marlins 5-2 at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. The Marlins have lost four of their last five games. Ichiro Suzuki passed Rickey Henderson for 23rd all-time with his 3,055th Major League Baseball hit, a single in the eighth inning.
     Miami(42-50) took their first lead of the contest in the opening inning. Giancarlo Stanton blasted a solo homer to center field on a 2-1 pitch for his 29th home run of the season.
     The Phillies matched it in the top of the second. Cameron Perkins singled into right field for Odubel Herrera to score.
     The Marlins made it 2-1 in the bottom of the third. Adam Conley was at-bat and J.T. Riddle scored on a passed ball.
     Philadelphia(31-61) tied it up again during the top of the fourth. Perkins knocked in Herrera again with an infield base hit.
     In the eighth inning, the Phils got ahead of the Fish. Maikel Franco ripped a solo home run to left field on a 2-2 count.
     The Phillies extended their margin in the top of the ninth. Nick Williams smacked a two-run homer to left-center field on a 3-1 pitch. Andres Blanco scored in front of him on the play.

Monday, July 17, 2017

West Palm Beach Ratings June 2017

     The ratings were rolled out in the West Palm Beach region for June. The lineup for ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM remained the same and they did broadcast the NBA Finals.
     WMEN-AM, who remained the same with a 0.3 in June, had their final month with the brand 640 Fox Sports South Florida because they changed their slogan to 640 The Hurricane in the first week of July after being named an affiliate of the University of Miami Hurricanes Radio Network. The station piped in their first complete month of New York Yankees game broadcasts in 2017.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Dodgers Sweep Marlins

     The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Miami Marlins with a 3-2 win at Marlins Park on Sunday. The Marlins have now lost five straight home games. Ichiro Suzuki tied Rickey Henderson with his 3,055th base hit for 23rd place in Major League Baseball history.
     The Dodgers won their ninth consecutive game and have been victorious in 29 of their last 33 games. L.A. swept a three-game series against the Marlins in Miami for the first time since 2008.
     Los Angeles(64-29) jumped on the Fish for the third straight game during the top of the first. Justin Turner smacked a home run to left-center field on a 2-1 pitch for his 11th homer of the season.
     The Dodgers expanded their margin to 2-0 in the third inning. Turner hit a sacrifice fly to right field which brought in Logan Forsythe.
     The Marlins fell behind by three runs in the top of the fourth. Austin Barnes connected with a base hit to center for Chris Taylor to cross the plate.
     Miami(41-49) responded in the fifth inning to make it 3-1. Ichiro Suzuki hit the ball off Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill for an infield hit as former Dodger A.J. Ellis scored from third.
     The Marlins made it a one-run game during the bottom of the eighth inning. Christian Yelich slapped a single up the middle for Marcell Ozuna to score.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Miami FC Beats San Francisco

     Miami FC finished the NASL Spring Season with a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Deltas at legendary Kezar Stadium on Saturday night. They captured their first season title against San Francisco last weekend in Miami. It turned out that Miami FC outscored the Deltas 10-1 in the two games and ended the season ahead of San Francisco by 10 points.
     Miami FC will start off the Fall Season on July 29 as they visit New York to face the Cosmos. They will host FC Cincinnati in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on August 2.
  

Cody Bellinger Cycle Dumps Marlins

     Cody Bellinger hit for the cycle as the Los Angeles Dodgers topped the Miami Marlins 7-1 on Saturday night at Marlins Park. The Dodgers have won eight consecutive games and 28 of their last 32. The Marlins have lost in four straight home games.
     Los Angeles(63-29) blasted out to a five-run margin during the top of the third. Bellinger blasted a two-run homer, his 26th home run this season, to right field on a 1-1 pitch with Chris Taylor scoring in front of him. It got worse for the Marlins when Yasmani Grandal smashed a three-run homer to right on a 1-0 count. The home run brought in Logan Forsythe and Joc Pederson on the play.
     The Dodgers extended their lead to 6-0 on the fourth inning. Justin Turner scored on a double by Bellinger into center field.
     In the seventh inning, Bellinger hit the first pitch over the head of Giancarlo Stanton in deep right field to complete the cycle with a triple. They added another run when Forsythe hit a sacrifice fly to right for Bellinger to cross the plate.
     Miami(41-48) was able to break the shutout in the bottom of the frame. J.T. Riddle knocked in Justin Bour with a base hit into right field.
     Bellinger is just the ninth player in the 128-year history of the Dodgers to get the cycle. Los Angeles starting pitcher Alex Wood became the first Dodgers player in over a century to win his first 11 decisions to begin a season.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Dodgers Roll By Marlins

     The Los Angeles Dodgers won their seventh consecutive game with a 6-4 victory over the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on Friday night. It was the first game for both clubs since Sunday due to the All-Star Game break.
     Los Angeles(62-29) scored first in the top of the second. A fielding error by Dee Gordon caused Joc Pederson to score on the play.
     Miami(41-47) tied it up 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth. J.T. Realmuto knocked in Martin Prado on a base hit into center field.
     The Dodgers get solo home runs during the fifth inning. Yasiel Puig connected with a homer on the first pitch to left field and Corey Seager ripped a ball over the fence in right on a 2-2 count.
     The Marlins battled back in the bottom of the frame with three runs to take their first lead of the contest. Gordon scored on a double by Giancarlo Stanton to center field. Justin Bour later drove in Stanton and Marcell Ozuna with a double to right-center field for a 4-3 margin.
     The game was decided in the ninth inning. Puig blasted a three-run homer to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch as Pederson and Trayce Thompson scored. It was the second home run for Puig on the day and 18th of the season.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Miami Ratings June 2017

     For the fourth straight month, Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM ended up as the top sports format radio station in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market. All three competitors in the local region dropped in audience.
     The Ticket moved from a 0.9 to a 0.8 in June. Captain Curtis Stevenson started hosting weekend shows at the beginning of the month and later in the period added shifts as a fill-in co-host on the afternoon program with Ethan Skolnick and Chris Perkins.
     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM went from a 0.8 to a 0.7 for their lowest month in ratings since February 2014. It was the first complete month that Zach Krantz rejoined the morning show with Joe Rose. The afternoon shift is now comprised of Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM ended an eight-month consecutive streak of a 0.2 share with a 0.1 in June for their worst ratings since September 2016. The Marlins did go through a stretch in which they won 13 of 18 games in early June.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Miami FC U.S. Open Cup Game Postponed

     Miami FC had their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal game against FC Cincinnati at Riccardo Silva Stadium postponed due to inclement weather on Wednesday night. No make-up date has been decided for the match.
     The new NASL spring season champion Miami FC travel to the west coast and face the San Francisco Deltas on Saturday to end their spring schedule. FC Cincinnati also has a USL game on Saturday.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

American League WIns All-Star Game

     Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners hit a solo home run to right field in the 10th inning as the American League beat the National League 2-1 in the 88th Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. Cano was named Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game. It was the first All-Star Game to not decide World Series home-field advantage for the first time since 2002 in Milwaukee.
      Both the American League and National League are now tied with 43 wins, 43 losses and two ties each in the Mid-Summer Classic. It is the first time that the American League and National League has been tied with overall wins since it was 16-16 in 1960.
     The American League has been victorious for the past five years and 17 of the last 21 games. It was the first extra-inning contest since 2008 at Yankee Stadium in New York.
      The American League pulled ahead 1-0 in the top of the fifth. Jonathan Scoop of the Baltimore Orioles doubled to shallow left field and later scored on a single by Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins near the right-field foul line.
      The National League tied the contest 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals belted a solo home run to right field on a 2-2 pitch.

Monday, July 10, 2017

Aaron Judge Wins 2017 Home Run Derby

     Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees defeated Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins 11-10 in the championship round of the 2017 Home Run Derby held at Marlins Park on Monday night. The 88th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday night.
     The event began with a shock as defending Home Run Derby champion and #1 seed Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins was upset by #8 seed Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees 17-16 in the first round. #5 Miguel Sano edged #4 Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals 11-10.
     #7 seed Justin Bour of the Miami Marlins put in a big scare against #2 Aaron Judge, however he lost 23-22. #3 Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers was able to get by #6 Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies 15-14.
      In the second round, Sano beat Sanchez 11-10 with plenty of time left in regulation. Judge then stopped Bellinger 13-12.

All-Star Game Long Wait Over

     It has been a long wait for local residents and South Florida to host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The Mid-Summer Classic will be played on Tuesday night at Marlins Park in Miami.
     The 2000 All-Star Game was originally rewarded to Miami in 1995. It was taken away by Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig in 1998. The MLB reason was that Pro Player Stadium was not suitable and the Marlins needed a new venue for the game. Another theory was that the Marlins broke up their roster following their 1997 World Series title.
     The 2017 All-Star Game was given to Miami in 2016. The Marlins have played in their new stadium Marlins Park since April 2012.

National Radio Shows In Miami

     Several national radio shows will broadcast from South Florida for the next couple of days. It is due to the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and Home Run Derby being held this week at Marlins Park in Miami.
     The Herd with Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports Radio will announce his show in Miami on Monday and Tuesday. His program is broadcast live middays on 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM in West Palm Beach and on tape delay during afternoon drive at Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM in Miami.
     Ryen Russillo of ESPN Radio will broadcast his show from South Beach on Monday and Tuesday. It is only carried locally mid-afternoons on ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM in Palm Beach County.
     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz has broadcast from Miami since August 2004 on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. Their program has been carried by ESPN Radio since September 2013. The show can be heard in South Florida on 790 The Ticket and on tape delay at ESPN West Palm 106.3 in West Palm Beach.
     SiriusXM Radio programs began to broadcast from Miami this past weekend and go through the middle of the week. Talent with local ties to this region includes Evan Cohen, Craig Mish, Cliff Floyd and Orlando Alzugaray.
    

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Marlins Sweep Giants

     The Miami Marlins swept the San Francisco Giants with a 10-8 victory in 11 innings at AT&T Park on Sunday. The Marlins finished their road trip with a 6-4 record. Both clubs played their final game prior to the All-Star Game to be held at Marlins Park on Tuesday.
     San Francisco(34-56) finally scored first in the three-game series during the second inning. Brandon Crawford smacked a two-run homer to right on a 3-1 pitch with Brandon Belt on base.
     Miami(41-46) tied it up on consecutive extra-base hits. Christian Yelich knocked in Giancarlo Stanton with a double to right and then scored on a Marcell Ozuna double into left field. The Fish got their first lead of the contest in the top of the fifth when Stanton cracked a solo home run to center field on a 0-1 count.
     The Giants pulled even 3-3 in the bottom of the frame. Nick Hundley socked a solo home run to right on a 2-2 count.
     The Marlins compiled four runs in the top of the seventh for a 7-3 margin. Justin Bour drove in Stanton and Yelich with a base hit into left field. Two batters later, Ozuna scored on a single by J.T. Realmuto to center. J.T. Riddle followed with a sacrifice fly to right which brought home Bour for a four-run gap.
     It took some time for San Francisco to come back in this game. Cole Gillaspie scored on a double by Denard Span in the bottom of the seventh. The Giants put together three runs in the eighth inning to tie it up. Hunter Pence scored on a base hit by Crawford to left, Belt reached home on a base hit by Hundley to left and pinch-hitter Miguel Gomez tied it 7-7 on a single to right which scored Crawford.
     The Fish broke the contest open with three runs in the 11th inning. Pinch-hitter A.J. Ellis connected with a two-run homer on a 0-2 count with Realmuto scoring in front of him. Stanton crushed his second home run of the game on a 3-1 pitch to left-center field for his 26th homer of the year.

Miami FC Wins NASL Spring Season Title

     Miami FC captured the NASL Spring Season title with a 7-0 victory over the San Francisco Deltas at Riccardo Silva Stadium in FIU on Saturday night. They moved ahead of the second-place Deltas by seven points with one game left in the season.
     It is just the second year for Miami FC in the North American Soccer League. The team will automatically qualify for one of four spots in the NASL semifinals this fall. Miami FC will host FC Cincinnati in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Marlins Take Giants

     Marlins starting pitcher Chris O'Grady made his major league debut and got the winning decision as Miami defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Saturday night at AT&T Park. The Marlins improved to 5-4 on their 10-game road trip while the Giants lost for the fourth time in the last five games.
     Miami(40-46) attacked in the first inning for the second straight game and were up 2-0. Christian Yelich doubled toward the left-field corner for Dee Gordon to score. Marcell Ozuna followed with a base hit to right field which scored Yelich.
     In the fourth inning, the Marlins expanded their margin to 3-0. Justin Bour blasted a solo homer to left-center field for his 20th home run of the season. He became the third player on the team along with Giancarlo Stanton and Ozuna with at least 20 homers this year. It was the first time in franchise history that the Fish had three players with 20 or more home run prior to the All-Star Game break.
     San Francisco(34-55) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame. Brandon Belt hit a double into center field and scored two batters later when Brandon Crawford doubled down the left-field line.
     The Fish moved ahead 4-1 in the fifth. Giancarlo Stanton ripped a double off the left-field wall with one out. Two batter later, Ozuna lined a base hit up the middle and Stanton crossed the plate.
     The Giants cut into the lead during the sixth inning with two runs. Buster Posey placed a double inside the foul line in right and then scored on a Belt double down the left-field line. Belt later came home on a Crawford ground out to second to make it 4-3.
     In the top of the ninth, Miami added an insurance run. J.T. Riddle led off with a double into deep center field and went to third on an Ichiro Suzuki sacrifice bunt. He would score on a George Kontos wild pitch with Stanton at the plate.
     The bottom of the ninth brought more excitement as San Francisco tried to come back and fell short. Joe Panik drove in Crawford with a base hit to shallow center with two out and closed the gap to 5-4.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Marlins Blitz Giants

     The Miami Marlins dismantled the San Francisco Giants 6-1 at AT&T Park on Friday night. The Marlins are now 4-4 on the current road trip.
     Miami(39-46) rolled out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Dee Gordon led off with a single and then Giancarlo Stanton lifted a two-run homer to right field for his 24th home run of the season. J.T. Riddle later singled into center field with the bases loaded as Justin Bour and Martin Prado scored on the play.
     Gordon begin the second inning with a base hit to center field. He would eventually score on a Bour single to right-center field.
     In the fifth inning, the Fish extended their margin to 6-0. J.T. Realmuto ripped a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch for his eighth homer of the year.
     Dan Straily was two outs short of his first complete game in his major league career. San Francisco(34-54) broke the shutout in the ninth as Denard Span smacked a solo home run down the right-field line on a 3-2 count.

A.J. Ricketts New FIU Voice

     A.J. Ricketts has been named the new radio play-by-play announcer of Florida International University. He will call football, men's basketball and women's basketball contests. He replaces Josh Appel who left after one year in the position to join Sports USA Radio Network.
     Ricketts will become the sixth person to hold the FIU radio play-by-play announcer post. He joins a list of people that includes Phil Schoen, Jeremy Marks-Peltz, Tony Calatayud, Mike Levine and Appel. Ricketts, a University of Miami grad, recently was a sportscaster at WECT-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina for the past two years.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Boog Sciambi Announcing All-Star Game

     Former Florida Marlins radio play-by-play announcer Jon "Boog" Sciambi will announce the 88th Major League Baseball All-Star Game on ESPN Radio at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. He will also be the lead radio announcer for the 2017 Home Run Derby on Monday night.
     Sciambi once worked in South Florida for over a decade. He started as a producer at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. Sciambi was elevated to evening talk host at that station in 1993. He eventually co-hosted a midday show with original Florida Panthers radio voice Chris Moore during the mid 1990s.
     He did hold the position as intermission/studio host of Florida Panthers radio broadcasts in 1995-96. Sciambi joined the Florida Marlins Radio Network as a studio host in 1997 and added duties as a radio play-by-play announcer in 1999. He left the Marlins organization after the 2004 season and joined ESPN. Sciambi also worked at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM as a midday host in 2004 and 2005.

Cardinals Fly By Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were edged by the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 at Busch Stadium on Thursday. The Marlins finish their 10-game road trip before the All-Star Game break with a three-game series in San Francisco against the Giants.
     Ichiro Suzuki picked up two hits in the game and passed Rod Carew for 23rd all-time in Major League Baseball history with his 3,054th base hit. He now has more hits than any other foreign-born player,
     Miami(38-46) got out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Dee Gordon singled, stole second and then scored on a Marceel Ozuna base hit to right-center field.
     St. Louis(41-44) bounced back in the second to tie the contest 1-1. Missouri native Luke Voit whacked a solo homer to left field on a 0-2 count for his first career home run in the majors.
     The Marlins regained the lead during the top of the third inning. Ozuna singled to right field which brought home Gordon on the play.
     The Redbirds managed to take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the frame. Voit knocked in Matt Carpenter and Jose Martinez with a double into right. Randall Grichuk extended the Cardinals margin to 4-2 in the sixth inning when he homered to left field on a 2-2 pitch.
     The Fish got run production the same way again in the top of the seventh. Ozuna collected his third RBI of the contest with a base hit into center field for Gordon to score.

Miami Heat Sign Kelly Olynyk

     The Miami Heat went into the free agent market and signed forward Kelly Olynyk. The Heat were also able to retain forward James Johnson and guard Wayne Ellington.
     Olynyk played for the past four seasons with the Boston Celtics. He helped the Celtics capture the Atlantic Division title and finished with the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference in 2016-17. Olynyk played in 75 games last season with the C's and compiled 9.0 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game and a career-high .518 field goal percentage.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Home Run Derby Brackets Set

     The brackets for the 2017 Home Run Derby have been set and announced by Major League Baseball on Wednesday. The event will be held this Monday night at Marlins Park in Miami.
     Two of the brackets will have players from the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees face each other. The #1 seed is Giancarlo Stanton of the Fish and he will face #8 seed Gary Sanchez of the Yanks. Aaron Judge of the Yankees is the #2 seed and he will challenge #7 seed Justin Bour of the Marlins.
     The winner of the Stanton and Sanchez battle would next take on the victor between #4 Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals and #5 Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins in the second round. The one who wins the match between #3 Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers and #6 Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies will take on the winner between Judge and Bour.

Dion Waiters Stays With Miami Heat

     Shooting guard Dion Waiters will continue to stay with the Miami Heat. He agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal to remain with the club. Waiters made stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in his NBA career.
     He joined the Heat as a free agent last season and signed a one-year contract. Waiters played 46 games with Miami in 2016-17 as he averaged 15.8 points per game, 4.3 assists per game and a career-high .394 three-point percentage.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Marlins Knock Off Cardinals

     The Miami Marlins came back to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. The Marlins moved to 2-3 on their current 10-game road trip. 
     St. Louis(40-43) scored first in the fifth inning. Greg Garcia hit a two-run homer to right field on a 2-1 count that brought home Paul DeJong.
     Miami(37-45) responded quickly in the top of the sixth as they compiled five runs to take the lead. Christian Yelich smashed a three-run home run to center field on a 3-2 pitch. Dee Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton scored in front of him on the play. J.T. Riddle later drove in Marcell Ozuna and Martin Prado on a two-run single into right.

Miami Heat Waive Chris Bosh

     The Miami Heat waived center Chris Bosh on Tuesday. The Heat announced that the organization won't issue Chris Bosh's number 1 jersey again and will retire it sometime in the future.
     It ends a long tenure for Bosh with the Miami Heat. He joined the club in July 2010 along with LeBron James to form the Big 3 alongside Dwyane Wade. Bosh helped the team capture two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013 along with winning four consecutive Eastern Conference titles from 2011 until 2014.

Stanton And Bour In Home Run Derby

     Major League Baseball announced the eight participants for the 2017 Home Run Derby to be held at Marlins Park on July 10. Giancarlo Stanton and Justin Bour will represent the Miami Marlins in the contest. Stanton is the defending champion because he won the 2016 Home Run Derby in San Diego.
     There will be four players from each the National League and American League. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees currently leads the majors with 27 home runs and is in his rookie season. The list also includes Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees, Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins, and Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies.

Monday, July 3, 2017

WMEN Now 640 The Hurricane

     WMEN-AM changed their brand to 640 The Hurricane on Monday. It replaces their slogan 640 Fox Sports South Florida which they had since August 2016. They were known as 640 Sports from March 2008 until the end of July 2016.
     The main reason for the change is that they will become the new West Palm Beach affiliate of the University of Miami Hurricanes Radio Network. Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM is the flagship station of their broadcasts with Joe Zagacki as the play-by-play announcer.
     640 The Hurricane will continue to pipe in Fox Sports Radio from Los Angeles on a daily basis. They do broadcast games of the New York Yankees and the Florida Panthers.

Ozuna And Stanton Named All Stars

     The Miami Marlins will have two members of their club on the 2017 National League All-Star Team. Marcell Ozuna was voted in as a starting outfielder while Giancarlo Stanton was named as a reserve outfielder. The 88th All-Star Game will be held at Marlins Park on July 11.
     Ozuna will be making his first start in an All-Star Game. He has a .316 batting average with 22 home runs and 59 RBI. Stanton, who won the home run contest at the 2016 All-Star Game, returns to the National League squad. He currently has 21 home runs, 50 RBI and a .266 batting average.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

2017 All-Star Game Starters

     The starters were named by Major League Baseball of both the National League and American League squads for the 88th All-Star Game to be held at Marlins Park on July 11. The starting lineup for both teams was decided by fan balloting like it has been going back to the 1970s.
     The Miami Marlins will be represented by Marcell Ozuna as a starting outfielder for the National League. He will be joined in the outfield by Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies.
     The National League infield will have first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and second baseman Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals, shortstop Zack Cozart of the Cincinnati Reds and third baseman Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies. San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey will be behind the plate for the N.L. 
     The American League have two middle infielders from the Houston Astros which are second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa. First baseman Justin Smoak of the Toronto Blue Jays and third baseman Jose Ramirez rounds out the infield. The A.L. will have Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals as the catcher.
     The outfield of the American League will consist of Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and George Springer of the Houston Astros.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Jaromir Jagr No Longer With Panthers

     The Florida Panthers have made a decision not to offer a new contract to right wing Jaromir Jagr. He is a unrestricted free agent and can sign with any NHL team as of July 1.
     Jagr played the last three seasons with the Florida Panthers. He helped the club capture the Atlantic Division title in 2015-16 as he compiled 27 goals and 39 points in 81 games. Jagr played all 82 games last season and put together 16 goals and 30 assists. He was acquired by Florida from the New Jersey Devils in the later portion of the 2014-15 season.
     It has been a memorable reign for Jagr while he played for the Panthers. Jagr climbed up the all-time lists in NHL history. He passed Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne and Brett Hull in goals and now has 765 career goals for third all-time. He surpassed Ron Francis, Gordie Howe and Mark Messier in career points and now stands behind Wayne Gretzky for second all-time with 1,914 points.

Evgeny Dadonov Returns To Panthers

     Evgeny Dadonov has returned to the Florida Panthers and signed a three-year contract. Davadov played three seasons as a forward with the SKA Saint Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League. He compiled 30 goals and 36 assists in 53 games last season.
     Dadonov was taken by the Panthers during the third round of the 2007 NHL Draft. He did play part of three seasons with Florida from 2009-10 until 2011-12.

Florida Panthers Resign Alex Petrovic

     The Florida Panthers have resigned defenseman Alex Petrovic to a one-year contract. The deal for the restricted free agent was for $1.8 million.
     Petrovic had played the last five seasons with the Panthers. He compiled one goal and 13 assists in 49 games last season. He was selected by Florida in the second round of the 2010 NHL Draft.

Panthers Pick Up Micheal Haley

     The Florida Panthers signed free agent forward Micheal Haley to a two-year deal. He will see action as part of the shorthanded special teams unit.
     Haley played the last three seasons with the San Jose Sharks. His best season was in 2016-17 when he had two goals and ten assists in 58 games. He previously had stints with the New York Islanders and New York Rangers.
    

Panthers Sign Radim Vrbata

     The Florida Panthers continued their free agent frenzy and have signed right wing Radim Vrbata to a one-year contract worth $3.5 million. Vrbata played last season with the Arizona Coyotes as he compiled 20 goals and 35 assists in 81 games.
     It was his third different stint with that organization. He had previously played for the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks.