Thursday, August 31, 2017

Oxbridge Academy Dominates Flanagan

     The Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves got 35 points in the first quarter as they pounded the Flanagan Falcons 69-0 at William H. Pitt Stadium on Thursday night. Both schools made the FHSAA playoffs last year.
     Oxbridge Academy(1-1) was able to score on their first possession. Running back James Meeks got to the end zone on a 27-yard touchdown run up the middle at the 9:16 mark.
     Flanagan(1-1) turned the ball over during their first play on offense. Quarterback Kamel Cameron threw a pass toward the middle intended for wide receiver Wayne Ruby that was tipped and it was intercepted. Keidron Smith returned it 26 yards for a touchdown at 9:03 and extended the gap to 14-0. The Thunderwolves made it 21-0 with 8:00 left in the first when linebacker Micaiah Joseph recovered a fumble and ran it back 21 yards into the end zone.
     Following a Falcons punt, Oxbridge Academy increased their margin with 5:20 remaining up to 28-0. Smith caught a 39-yard pass from quarterback Gio Richardson on the left sideline and scored. It was the second touchdown of the game for the wide receiver.
     The Thunderwolves concluded the first quarter on another touchdown with four seconds to go for a 35-point lead. Running back Luis Gonzalez plunged in from two yards out.
     The second quarter stayed the same as Oxbridge Academy continued their momentum. Wide receiver V'Lique Carter was handed the ball for an end-around to the left side and scored from four yards away at 10:20. Richardson gave the Thunderwolves a 49-0 lead with 6:11 left in the second on a one-yard touchdown run.
     Gonzalez scored his second touchdown of the contest at the 1:50 mark with a long 31-yard run to make it 55-0. Richardson completed a 53-yard screen pass to wide receiver De' John King for a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half for a 62-0 margin.
     There would be a running clock for the entire second half and Flanagan surrendered one more touchdown. Backup quarterback Dalton Munroe entered the game and scored on a four-yard run in the third quarter.

Phillies Hold Off Marlins

     The Miami Marlins returned home and were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 at Marlins Park on Thursday night. The Marlins lost their fourth consecutive game.
     In the second inning, Miami(66-67) took the lead. Miguel Rojas grounded out to short for Marcell Ozuna to score.
     Philadelphia(50-83) struck back with three runs in the fourth inning. Pedro Florimon knocked in Daniel Nava with a base hit into center field. Two batters later, the Phillies went ahead 3-2 as Ben Lively drove in Maikel Franco and Florimon on a single to center.
     The Marlins could only muster one more run in the bottom of the fifth. Christian Yelich doubled to left field and Dee Gordon crossed the plate.

Atlantic At Dwyer Preview

     Former district rivals will go at it on Friday night as the Dwyer Panthers host the Atlantic Eagles at Blum Stadium in Palm Beach Gardens. Both schools have consistently made the FHSAA playoffs over the past decade.
     Atlantic(0-1) finished as the District 10 runner-up to undefeated Park Vista last year. The Eagles reached all the way to the Class 8A regional final where they lost on the road to Deerfield Beach. The Eagles fell in their season opener to Palm Beach Central 14-13. Antoine Williams II gets to call the signals as quarterback. Running back Corey Cola Jr., a transfer from Park Vista, is expected to make many rushing attempts. Atlantic has a strong set of wide receivers with Corey Gammage, Cadarius Gaskin, Alex Henningham and Oyeh Lurry-Davis, who transferred from Dwyer to Atlantic.
     Dwyer(1-0) had the same season for the second straight year as they won District 13 and lost to eventual FHSAA Class 7A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas in the regional semifinal. They needed overtime to top Park Vista 22-15 for a road victory. Quarterback Trevor Omans steps up to lead the Panthers offense while running back Cedric Tucker looks to gain yardage. Omans has wide receivers Derrick Smith, Cephus Smith and Andrew Kasten to make receptions.

Piper At St. Thomas Aquinas Preview

     The Piper Bengals head for Brian Piccolo Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to play the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders on Friday night. Both squads made the FHSAA playoffs last year.
     Piper(0-1) finished as the runner-up to Deerfield Beach in District 11 of Class 6A last season and lost to Flanagan in a regional quarterfinal. After being held scoreless for almost four quarters until the final play against Palm Beach Gardens in a three-way kickoff classic, the Bengals lost their season opener to Norland 43-0 last week. Quarterback Derohn King looks to dictate the offense for them. Running backs Jacari Ponder and Jamarquez Thomas will get the bulk of the carries for the team. King intends to connect with wide receivers Nathaniel Stubbs, Zachary Sewell, Jalind Williams and Brandon Joseph.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(1-0) has captured the last three FHSAA Class 7A state championships including last season when they topped Plant. They have seven state titles since 2007 and ten overall in school history. STA was on national television last week and barely got by St. John Bosco of California 9-3 in overtime. Curt Casteel takes over the quarterback spot for the Raiders. Running backs Daniel Carter and Samuel Llewllyn can gain yards from the backfield. Casteel has several targets to pass to which includes wide receivers Elijah Moore, Tavares Kelly, Teriq Philips and Cole Caterbone.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Nationals Blank And Sweep Marlins

     The Washington Nationals swept the Miami Marlins with a 4-0 shutout victory at Nationals Park on Wednesday. Stephen Strasburg compiled his second career complete game. Miami(66-66) fell behind the Nationals by 15 games in the National League East and return home to face the Phillies on Thursday.
     Washington(81-51) waited until the fifth inning to get on the scoreboard. Strasburg hit a solo homer to give them the lead. Two batters later, Wilmer Difo smacked a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch. Difo extended his hitting streak to eight games with the round-tripper.
     The Nationals expanded their margin to 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Anthony Rendon drove in Trea Turner with a single. The Nats added an additional run in the eighth as Alejandro De Aza scored from third on a passed ball with Strasburg at-bat to make it 4-0.

Booker T. Washington At Miami Central Preview

     It is a local battle between two of the top high school football programs in Dade County as the Booker T. Washington Tornadoes challenge the Miami Central Rockets at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami on Thursday night. It will be unusual that neither school will be involved in this game as a defending state champion as they have been in recent years.
     Booker T. Washington(1-0) lost in the state semifinal game on the road against eventual state champion Cocoa last season to end their four-year run as FHSAA Class 4A state champions. The Tornadoes had no problems last week when they visited Dillard and defeated the Panthers 25-8. Quarterback Daniel Richardson will led the Tornadoes offense down the field. Richardson looks to connect with wide receivers Tyquan Thornton, Zahir Turner and Willie Davis.
     Miami Central(1-0), who were the four-time Class 6A state champs, could not defend their title last season after finishing third in District 16 and did not qualify for the FHSAA playoffs. They were impressive in their opening game and they beat Class 3A state finalist Chaminade-Madonna 48-24 last week. The Rockets have a well-rounded offensive attack with James Cook as the big threat at running back. Quarterback Maurice Underwood can fire the ball downfield to wide receivers Terrell Perriman and Zeryus Coleman.

Flanagan At Oxbridge Academy Preview

     The Flanagan Falcons make the long trip up to West Palm Beach and take on the Oxbridge Academy Thunderwolves at William H. Pitt Stadium on Thursday night. The Thunderwolves visited the defending FHSAA Class 8A state champion Flanagan in the season opener last year and shocked the Falcons with a low-scoring victory.
     Oxbridge Academy(0-1)) won the District 7 crown in Class 3A for the second consecutive time last season. They were eliminated by the Chaminade-Madonna Lions in the regional final. The Thunderwolves, who lost to Archbishop Wood 14-13 last week in Orlando,  are led on offense by quarterback Gio Richardson who can run the ball out of the backfield along with running back James Meeks. The primary targets in the passing game for Richardson will be wide receivers Carlos Silencieux, Keidron Smith and V'Lique Carter.
     Flanagan(1-0) captured the District 12 title in Class 8A in 2016 and won their season opener last week against McArthur 40-37. There has been a heavy turnover on the roster with one returning starter both on offense and defense. Look for wide receiver Wayne Ruby to make several receptions.
   

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Giancarlo Stanton Sets National League Record

     Giancarlo Stanton set a National League record for most home runs in the month of August as the Miami Marlins fell to the Washington Nationals 8-3 on Tuesday night at Nationals Park. The game began thirty minutes late due to a weather delay. Park Vista High School grad Trea Turner made his return to the Nationals lineup after he missed 51 games due to a right wrist injury.
     Miami(66-65) moved out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton blasted a solo homer to left field on a 1-1 pitch for his major league leading 51st home run of the season. It was his 30th home run in the last 38 games and 18th home run in the last 25 games. Stanton passed Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa with his 18th homer in the month of August. He tied the Major League Baseball mark with Rudy York of the Detroit Tigers, who hit 18 home runs in August 1937.
     In the third inning, the Nationals picked up two runs to take the lead. Daniel Murphy drove in Wilmer Difo and Edwin Jackson with a single into center field. The Nats added a run in the fourth inning on an Anthony Rendon base hit to center which scored Adam Lind.
     The Marlins closed the gap in the top of the fifth inning. Stanton hit a sacrifice fly to center field and Dee Gordon crossed the plate.
     Washington(80-51) extended their margin to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Turner scored on a throwing error by Derek Dietrich. Ryan Zimmerman later singled into left-center field for former Marlin Alejandro De Aza to score.
     The Fish scored their final run of the game in the seventh. Miguel Rojas scored on a throwing error by Jackson during a sacrifice bunt.
     The Nats wrapped it up with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Rendon connected with a double into right-center field as Murphy, Zimmerman and Lind scored on the play.

Monday, August 28, 2017

Michael Russo Leaving Minnesota

     Former Florida Panthers beat writer Michael Russo is leaving his position as the Minnesota Wild beat reporter at the Star Tribune. He has held that position with the newspaper since September 2005.
     Russo once was the Panthers beat reporter with the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and later the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He replaced Ray Murray at that post prior to the 1996-97 season and stayed there through the 2004-05 lockout season. Russo left for Minnesota and was replaced by Steve Gorten.

Nationals Blow Out Marlins

     The Washington Nationals dominated the Miami Marlins 11-2 at Nationals Park on Monday night. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Fish.
     In the first inning, Washington(79-51) got up 1-0. Anthony Rendon knocked in Daniel Murphy with a base hit into left field. Ryan Zimmerman got a run batted in on a ground out to short for Howie Kendrick to score in the bottom of the third.
     Miami(66-64) scored their first run in the top of the fourth. Christian Yelich belted a solo home run to left field on a 1-2 pitch. The Nats answered back in the bottom of the fourth when Jayson Werth homered to left on a 3-2 count to bring in Matt Wieters.
     The Nationals batted around and piled up six runs in the sixth inning to put the contest away. Kendrick cleared the bases on a triple which scored Wieters, Werth and Wilmer Difo to make it 7-1. Two batters later, Kendrick came in on a base hit by Murphy into center field. Wieters later drove in Murphy and Zimmerman on a single to center.

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Giancarlo Stanton 50th Home Run Sinks Padres

     Giancarlo Stanton smashed his 50th home run of the season as the Miami Marlins beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 at Marlins Park on Sunday. It was a three-game sweep for the Fish on their short home stand. They have won 13 of their last 16 games.
     Stanton has been on a hectic home run pace since early July. He has hit 29 homers in his last 36 games, 17 homers in his last 23 games and 12 homers in his last 17. Stanton now has 17 home runs in August which tied Willie Mays in 1965 and Sammy Sosa in 2001 with the National League record.
     Miami(66-63) scored twice in the third inning. Stanton knocked in Dee Gordon with a double into the right-field corner. Stanton later scored on a wild pitch with Christian Yelich at-bat to make it 2-0.
     In the fifth inning, San Diego(57-73) tied the game up 2-2. Clayton Richard ripped a two-run homer to right field on the first pitch. Dusty Coleman also scored on that long drive.
     The bottom of the eighth inning brought a major four-run rally for the Marlins. Stanton smashed a two-run shot to straight center field on a 2-1 pitch for the milestone home run with Gordon scoring in front of him on the play.
     Yelich followed with a triple and went home on a throwing error by Carlos Asuaje. Derek Dietrich then golfed a solo home run down the right-field line on a 1-2 pitch for his eighth homer of the year.

Miami FC Shuts Out Puerto Rico

     Miami FC blanked Puerto Rico FC 2-0 on Saturday at Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel. It was a battle for first place in the NASL Fall Season standings as Miami FC moved ahead to 12 points.
     Jaime Chavez helped Miami FC go ahead 1-0 in the 34th minute. It was his third goal in the last three games. Ariel Martinez would finish off the contest in injury time during the 90th minute with a tally into an open net.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Marlins Get By Padres

     The Miami Marlins needed 11 innings to defeat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Saturday night at Marlins Park. The Fish have kept their momentum being victorious in 12 of their last 15 games.
     San Diego(57-72) got their only run in the contest in an unusual fashion during the second inning. The Padres pulled off a double-steal as Cory Spangenberg stole home on the play.
     In the fourth inning, Miami(65-63) was able to tie the game 1-1. Marcell Ozuna smashed a solo home run to center field on a 0-2 pitch.
     The contest was decided in the bottom of the 11th. Miguel Rojas drove in Derek Dietrich with a sacrifice fly to right for the Marlins winning run.

Marlins Come Back On Padres

     The Miami Marlins came from behind to beat the San Diego Padres 8-6 at Marlins Park on Friday night. The Marlins have won 11 of their last 14 games and now are over a .500 winning percentage.
     Giancarlo Stanton was able to get his 48th and 49th home runs of the season during his first two at-bats. He blasted a two-run homer to left field on a 0-1 count during the first inning to give Miami(64-63) a 2-0 lead. Stanton then smashed a solo home run to right-center field in the bottom of the third on a 2-2 pitch.
     Both teams scored in the fourth inning. Carlos Asuaje connected with a two-run home run to right field on the first pitch for San Diego(57-71) to make it 3-2. Stanton got the three-run margin back for the Marlins on a double to left field which scored Mike Aviles and Adam Conley.
     The Padres compiled four runs in the top of the sixth inning to take their first lead 6-5. It was capped on a two-run homer by Jabari Blash to center field on a 1-1 count.
     In the seventh inning, the Fish regained the lead. Marcell Ozuna smashed a three-run home run to left field on a 2-0 pitch. Dee Gordon and Stanton scored in front of him on the play.

Friday, August 25, 2017

St. Thomas Aquinas Tops St. John Bosco

     It was a game between two of the top schools nationally as the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders got by the St. John Bosco Braves 9-3 in overtime at Brian Piccolo Stadium on Friday night. The game was televised on ESPNU and turned out to be a low scoring contest.
     St. Thomas Aquinas(1-0) got on the scoreboard first at the 2:20 mark of the first quarter when Matt McConnell kicked a 37-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. St. John Bosco(0-1) tied the game with their own field goal in the fourth quarter.
     The Raiders were able to score in overtime. Quarterback Curt Casteel scored on a run from one yard away, however they missed on the extra point to make it 9-3. The Braves could not match it and get the ball into the end zone on their possession.

Deerfield Beach Edges Carol City

     The Deerfield Beach Bucks went to Traz Powell Stadium in Miami and upended the Carol City Chiefs 6-2 on Friday night in the opening game of the 2017 regular season. The Bucks made it to the Class 8A state semifinal game last year while Carol City entered the contest as the defending FHSAA Class 6A state champions.
     It surprisingly turned out to be a low scoring game. Deerfield Beach(1-0) converted two field goals during the second quarter. Carol City(0-1) was able to get their only points on a safety in the final quarter.

Booker T. Washington at Dillard Preview

     The Booker T. Washington Tornadoes enter Broward County and face the Dillard Panthers at Otis Gray Jr. Memorial Stadium on Friday night. Both schools have make the playoffs on a consistent basis.
     Booker T. Washington looks to have a better season than last year. They fell to the eventual FHSAA Class 4A state champion Cocoa during a road loss in the state semifinal. The Tornadoes had captured four consecutive Class 4A state titles from 2012 until 2015. Quarterback Daniel Richardson returns to call the signals on offense.
     Dillard was able to capture the District 15 title in Class 6A last season when they beat Boynton Beach in the final three-way tiebreaker ever in Broward County history. The Panthers are known for their strong defense. Look for wide receiver Bryce Oliver to make an impact like he has in the previous two seasons.

Eagles Fly By Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles 38-31 in a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night. It was the first preseason contest for the Fins on the road.
     The most likely time to see the starting lineup of an NFL team is during the third preseason game. The Dolphins did not disappoint as they had quarterback Jay Cutler along with their top offensive players for the first half of play.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Deerfield Beach at Carol City Preview

     The Deerfield Beach Bucks travel to Miami and challenge the Carol City Chiefs on Friday night at Traz Powell Stadium. Both schools look to repeat their winning ways from last season with the implementation of a new playoff points system.
     Deerfield Beach won District 9 last year and made it all the way to the state semifinal game where they lost at home to eventual FHSAA Class 8A state champion Southridge. The Bucks return the bulk of their defense from last season. Running backs Jakari Norwood and Jaylon Knighton remain two of the offensive skill players that continues on the squad from 2016.
     Carol City went through the hard way to capture the FHSAA Class 6A state title over Lake Gibson last year. It was their first state championship since 2003 and their fifth overall. They finished in second place in the extremely tough District 16 and had to win all their playoff games on the road which included a regional semifinal victory over district rival Miami Northwestern. The backfield remains intact for the Chiefs with quarterback Marlon Smith along with running backs Camron Davis and Nay'quan Wright.

Marlins Outscore Phillies

     The Miami Marlins finished a four-game set with a 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday. The Fish finished the road trip with a 5-2 record and have won 10 of their last 13 games.
     Miami(63-63) struck quickly during the top of the first. Marcell Ozuna knocked in Giancarlo Stanton with a ground-rule double to center.
     In the second inning, Philadelphia(46-80) was able to even it up at 1-1. Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins connected with a solo home run to left on a 0-1 count for his eighth of the year.
     The Marlins came up with a rally in the third inning. Giancarlo Stanton compiled his 47th home run and 100th RBI with a solo homer on a 2-1 pitch to center field. Four batters later, Derek Dietrich drove in Christian Yelich with a single into right field to make it 3-1.
     The Phillies answered back in the bottom of the frame with five runs. Hoskins hit a single into shallow center field to score Jake Thompson and Freddy Galvis. Tommy Joseph came up next and smashed a three-run homer to left field on a 1-0 count which scored Nick Williams and Hoskins. It was Joseph's 19th home run of the season.
     The Phils continued their momentum in the bottom of the fourth and extended their margin to 8-3. Williams muscled a two-run double to right-center field as Cameron Rupp and Cesar Hernandez crossed the plate.
     The Fish garnered two runs in the top of the fifth inning. A.J. Ellis smacked a two-run homer to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch and Dietrich scored in front of him.
     In the sixth inning, Miami compiled three runs to tie the contest 8-8. Yelich cranked a solo home run to left, then two batters later J.T. Realmuto nailed a two-run inside-the-park homer. It was the 18th inside-the-park homer in Marlins history and the feat was last done by Realmuto in September 2015.
     The Marlns regained the lead in the eighth inning. Realmuto lined a sacrifice fly to center and Yelich scored.

Dwyer At Park Vista Preview

     The Dwyer Panthers challenge the Park Vista Cobras in a non-district game on Friday night at GL Homes Stadium. Both schools look to return to the FHSAA postseason this year following undefeated 2016 regular seasons.
     Dwyer won the District 13 title last season and fell to the eventual Class 7A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas in a regional semifinal. The Panthers look to continue their recent success, three district titles in the last four years, with numerous changes on both sides of the ball. Cedric Tucker moves up to the starting running back position.
     Park Vista captured the District 10 title in Class 8A last year and were upset at home by Palm Beach Gardens in the regional quarterfinal. The Cobras have offensive weapons with quarterback John Smith and wide receiver Atorian Perry.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Chaminade-Madonna At Miami Central Preview

     The Chaminade-Madonna Lions travel to Traz Powell Stadium and face the Miami Central Rockets on Thursday night. It is the opening game of the regular season for both schools as they begin with a new playoff points system instituted by the FHSAA.
     Chaminade-Madonna made it to the FHSAA Class 3A state championship game in Orlando last year and lost to Trinity Christian Academy. This season the Lions have to fight it out for one of four playoff spots available in Section 4 against competition that includes Oxbridge Academy, American Heritage and Cardinal Newman. Chaminade-Madonna returns some speed on their offense with Auburn University commit Shaun Shivers at running back and wide receiver Xavier Williams.
     After four consecutive FHSAA Class 6A state championships, Miami Central finished in third place in District 16 and failed to make the postseason in 2016. This season has the playoff points system and it is possible that the Rockets, Class 6A state champion Carol City and Miami Northwestern could all qualify to make the playoffs. Miami Central is led on offense by running back James Cook and he explode into open space anytime.

Phillies Smash Marlins

     The Philadelphia Phillies pounded the Miami Marlins 8-0 at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night. The loss ended the Marlins three-game winning streak.
     The Phillies got out to a 1-0 margin during the bottom of the first. Tommy Joseph doubled in Nick Williams on a shot into left-center field.
     Miami(62-63) surrendered five more runs in the third inning. Freddy Galvis drove in Cesar Hernandez with a base hit to left. Rhys Hoskins later blasted a three-run homer to left field on 3-2 pitch. Galvis and Williams scored in front of him on the home run. Maikel Franco then scored on a base hit by Jorge Alfaro.
     Philadelphia(46-79) continued the rout in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-0. Hoskins knocked in Galvis and Williams with a double down the left-field line.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Marlins Sweep Doubleheader

     The Miami Marlins stopped the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night. The Marlins, who swept the doubleheader against the Phils, have won nine of their last 11 games and reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 27.
     The first two innings belonged to the Marlins as they compiled six runs. The first inning was capped by a Marcell Ozuna two-run homer to center field on a 2-2 pitch. Christian Yelich made it 6-0 in the second inning on a three-run home run to center field.
     In the fourth inning, Philadelphia(45-79) closed the gap to 6-3. Nick Williams connected with a solo home run and later Andres Blanco blasted a two-run homer to right on a 3-2 pitch.
     The Phillies pulled to within two runs during the bottom of the sixth. Tommy Joseph smashed a solo homer to left field on a 1-0 count.
     Miami(62-62) extended their margin to 7-4 in the top of the eighth. Mike Aviles knocked in Derek Dietrich with a single into center field.
   

Marlins Drop Phillies

     The Miami Marlins outscored the Philadelphia Phillies 12-8 on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. It was the first game of a doubleheader between both clubs. There was a brief ceremony prior to the contest honoring Marlins Spanish-language radio play-by-play announcer Felo Ramirez who passed away on Monday.
     In the top of the first, Miami(61-62) took a 1-0 lead. Christian Yelich hit a double which scored Dee Gordon.
     Philadelphia(45-78) responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. Rhys ripped a two-run homer that hit the top of the center-field fence and went over. Nick Williams was able to score in front of him on the play.
     The Marlins tied it up 2-2 in the second inning. Miguel Rojas grounded out to short for Derek Dietrich to score.
     Both teams exchanged runs in the fifth. Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI double for the Fish to right-center field and Rojas crossed the plate. Cameron Rupp popped a solo homer to right on a 0-1 pitch for the Phils.
     Miami put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh as they had six runs in the frame. Ichiro Suzuki lined a three-run homer to right-center field on a 3-1 count which scored Tomas Telis and Rojas. Stanton later got a solo homer to right field on a 1-1 pitch for his 46th home run of the year. Two batter later, Marcell Ozuna smacked a two-run home run to left on a 1-2 count.
     The Phillies answered in the bottom of the seventh. Maikel Franco hit a sacrifice fly into right-center field to score Tommy Joseph. Cesar Hernandez belted a solo home run to center on a 2-1 pitch in the eighth inning.
     The Fish extended their margin to 12-5 during the ninth. J.T. Realmuto connected with a three-run homer to right and Yelich along with Ozuna scored.

Felo Ramirez Passes Away

     Original Marlins Spanish-language radio play-by-play announcer Felo Ramirez passed away Monday at the age of 94.. He took a nasty fall on a road trip with the team in Philadelphia on April 26 and never announced another baseball game.
     Ramirez became the first Spanish-language radio voice for the Marlins in 1993 when they became a Major League Baseball expansion franchise. He was a play-by-play announcer with the team for the past 25 seasons. Ramirez announced both World Series that the Marlins won in 1997 and 2003.
     He received the Ford C. Frick Award for baseball broadcasting from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Ramirez began as a baseball play-by-play announcer while in Cuba back in 1945. He announced more than 30 World Series in Spanish.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Sun-Sentinel Releases Harvey Fialkov

     Longtime local sportswriter Harvey Fialkov is no longer with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He had been a full-time member of the staff for the past 18 years and worked on a part-time/freelance basis for 10 years before that.
     Fialkov was the Florida Panthers beat reporter with that newspaper for the past six years and took over for Steve Gorten. He covered the Miami Dolphins football team prior to that during the 2000s.

Anquan Boldin Retires

     Former South Florida high school football player Anquan Boldin retired from the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Boldin had a 14-year career in the National Football League as he compiled 1,076 receptions for 13,779 receiving yards and 82 touchdowns.
     Boldin played quarterback with the Pahokee Blue Devils. The team went undefeated during the 1998 regular season and beat Glades Central in the Muck Bowl. He has made many contributions toward that high school over the years and his name is on the school football field known as Anquan Boldin Stadium.
     Boldin went to college at Florida State University where he was shifted to wide receiver. He helped the Seminoles win the BCS National Championship in 1999.
     He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round as the 54th overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft. He helped them win an NFC Championship in 2008 before they lost in the final minute to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 43.
     The Cardinals traded him away to the Baltimore Ravens in March 2010. He captured a Super Bowl title as they beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47. Boldin was dealt a couple of the months later to the Niners in March 2013.
     He stayed in San Francisco for three seasons. Boldin played his final NFL season with the Detroit Lions in 2016.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Miami FC Breeze By Jacksonville

     Miami FC took on Jacksonville Armada FC and beat them 1-0 at Hodges Stadium on Sunday night. They extended their winning streak to three games.
     The only goal scored in the game by Miami FC(3-0-2) was by Jaime Chavez in the 41st minute. The club will finish their three-game road trip against Puerto Rico FC, who are tied with Miami FC with nine points for first place of the NASL Fall Season standings.

Marlins Move By Mets

     The Miami Marlins survived the New York Mets 6-4 at Citi Field on Sunday. The Fish have been victorious in seven of their last nine games.
     Christian Yelich helped the Marlins get up 1-0 in the top of the first. He got an infield single where Dee Gordon scored.
     New York(54-68) was able to match it in the bottom of the first. Yoenis Csepedes cracked a solo home run to left field on a 2-2 pitch for his 16th homer of the year.
     Miami(60-62) regained the lead in the third inning. Yelich pulled off another infield hit for Gordon to score.
     Giancarlo Stanton extended the Marlins lead to 5-1 in the top of the seventh with his major league leading 45th home run of the season. He blasted a three-run homer to left-center field on the first pitch as Miguel Rojas and Gordon scored on the play. Yelich followed with a base hit, then Marcell Ozuna knocked him in on a single into center field.
     In the eighth inning, the Mets slowly closed the gap with three runs. Cespedes drove in Brandon Nimmo with a double into center field. One batter later, Michael Conforto scored on a sacrifice fly by Wilmer Flores to left. Travis d'Arnuad then hit a single into left field and Cespedes crossed the plate to make it 6-4.
   

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Mets Squash Marlins

     The New York Mets outscored Miami by six runs in the sixth inning as they defeated the Marlins 8-1 on Saturday night at Citi Field. The Fish have lost two of their last eight games.
     Miami(59-62) got their only run of the contest in the top of the sixth. Marcell Ozuna knocked in Dee Gordon on a base hit into left field.
     The bottom of the sixth came and the Mets compiled seven runs. Matt Reynolds scored on a sacrifice fly by Asdrubal Cabrera to right field. Brandon Nimmo would then score on a fielding error by Miguel Rojas.
     Wilmer Flores followed with a two-run homer to left on a 1-0 pitch and Michael Conforto scored. Three batters later, Kevin Plawecki blasted a two-run homer to left field on a 1-2 count to make 7-1.
     New York(54-67) added one more run in the eight inning. Dominic Smith sent a home run over the center-field fence on a 2-0 pitch.
   

Curtis Stevenson The Ticket Afternoon Host

     Curtis Stevenson is now the permanent afternoon co-host at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM alongside Chris Perkins. He takes over for Ethan J. Skolnick who was officially let go by the station on Thursday. 
     Stevenson, known as Captain Curtis, joined The Ticket as a fill-in weekend host on May 27. He first became a guest afternoon co-host with Skolnick and Perkins on June 6.
     Prior to his work at The Ticket, Stevenson had a long reign at Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He was the afternoon producer for the Jim Mandich Show until January 2010. Stevenson served as a producer and later an on-air sidekick on the midday show with Michael Irvin from 2010 to 2012.
     He was a weekend host on WQAM throughout this decade. Stevenson was the morning show on-air sidekick of the Joe Rose Show from April 2014 until May 2017.
   

Ethan J. Skolnick Gone From The Ticket

     Ethan J. Skolnick has been let go from the afternoon show co-host position at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket. He last did a program at that radio station on July 31. Curtis Stevenson has replaced him as the permanent afternoon co-host alongside Chris Perkins.
     Skolnick had worked at The Ticket as an afternoon co-host since September 2015. He first partnered with Israel Gutierrez for a couple of months. Skolnick had Chris Wittyngham as a co-host on an interim basis and then on a permanent basis from January 2016 to September 2016.
     Chris Perkins was his co-host with the afternoon program since late 2016. Skolnick did miss some time on the radio station earlier this year from January 4 until February 20.
     Skolnick has been a sports reporter with all three major local newspapers which includes the Palm Beach Post, Miami Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He recently was with CBS Sports.com as a NBA video reporter from the middle of 2016 until this past July 31.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Marlins Take Mets

     The Miami Marlins got by the New York Mets 3-1 at Citi Field on Friday night. The Marlins have won six of their last seven games.
     Miami(59-61) moved ahead 2-0 in the second inning. J.T. Realmuto smacked a two-run homer to left field on a 1-1 pitch and Marcell Ozuna scored in front of him on the play.
     The Fish extended their margin to three runs in the top of the third. Ozuna was able to drive in Giancarlo Stanton on a sacrifice fly to center field.
     New York(53-67) cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the frame. Wilmer Flores knocked in Asdrubal Cabrera with a base hit to left field.

Palm Beach Gardens Stops Piper

     The Palm Beach Gardens Gators beat the Piper Bengals 19-7 in the final two-quarter game of the three-way kickoff classic at The Corral in Delray Beach. Both schools, who made the FHSAA playoffs last season, are considered Class 8A playoff contenders in Section 3 with the new playoff points system being used for the first time in Florida this year.
     Palm Beach Gardens wide receiver Deonte Cooley made a 52-yard catch and took it to the Bengals two-yard line. Several plays later, Cooley recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead at 6:45.
     The Gators made it a 13-point margin when running back Pedro Epps raced up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown run with three minutes left in the first.
     Gardens got the ball back in the middle of the second quarter on a turnover when defensive back Gurvan Hall stripped the ball from a Bengals wide receiver. Quarterback David Studstill later fired a 45-yard touchdown pass up the middle of the field to wide receiver Jake Hockenson and he easily walked it into the end zone at the 4:25 mark.
     Piper broke the shutout on the final play of the game. They scored on a two-yard touchdown run up the middle by running back Jamarquis Thomas. 
    

American Heritage Shuts Out Piper

     The American Heritage Stallions blanked the Piper Bengals 19-0 in a two-quarter kickoff classic held at Scott Maurer Memorial Field in Delray Beach on Friday night. It was the second contest played by the Stallions following a victory earlier over Palm Beach Gardens.
     Neither squad put up any points during the first quarter. It changed as American Heritage compiled 19 points in the second.
     Stallions wide receiver Jamal Lassiter caught a 28-yard touchdown pass on a slant pattern from backup quarterback John Dunmore less than one minute into the second quarter.
     Dunmore found wide receiver Connor Heisley on the right side of the zone for a one-yard strike at the 5:20 mark. Piper surrendered another touchdown on a 33-yard pass down the middle of the field by Dunmore to wide receiver Luke Sharkey with under three minutes left to make it 19-0.

American Heritage Tops Palm Beach Gardens

     The American Heritage Stallions defeated the Palm Beach Gardens Gators 14-7 in a two-quarter kickoff classic at The Corral on Friday night. Both school also played another two-quarter game later against the Piper Bengals.
     Palm Beach Gardens got on the scoreboard at the 7:10 mark of the first quarter to make it 7-0. Backup quarterback David Studstill was brought in for just one play and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass on the left side to wide receiver Armani Hayes.
     Amercian Heritage responded and tied the contest 7-7 on their next possession. Running back Adeles Smalls busted through the right side of the line and scored from eight yards away.
     In the second quarter, Smalls rambled for a 52-yard gain to the Gators eight-yard line. Three plays later, wide receiver Micangelo Joseph caught a nine-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone from quarterback Ryan Rizk on the right side of the end zone with 6:15 left in the second quarter.
    

Berean Christian Slips By Somerset Canyons

     The Berean Christian Bulldogs barely got by the Somerset Canyons Cougars 14-12 in Boynton Beach on Friday. It was the first 2017 kickoff classic held in Palm Beach County.
     Neither school was able to score in the first quarter. Berean Christian broke the tie with 8:10 left in the first half. Wide receiver Josh Lawler caught a 20-yard pass from quarterback Caleb Goertzen and was stopped at the Cougars 25-yard line. It led to a nine-yard touchdown run up the middle by running back David Rimes. He scored on a two-point conversion run to make it 8-0.
     Somerset Canyons responded with 12 points during the third quarter to take the lead. The Bulldogs bounced back in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass from Goertzen to wide receiver Michael Degler.

Ravens Rout Dolphins

     The Baltimore Ravens dominated the Miami Dolphins 31-7 at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday night. It was the second and final preseason game for the Fins in Miami.
     Quarterback Jay Cutler made his first appearance with the Dolphins and played in two drives. He went 3-for-6 with 24 passing yards in the contest.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

St. Thomas Aquinas Slams Dillard

     The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders routed the Dillard Panthers 39-0 in a kickoff classic held at Brian Piccolo Stadium on Thursday night. STA has outscored the Panthers 90-0 in the last two preseason meetings between both schools.
     It took a while for St. Thomas Aquinas to get on the scoreboard and they accomplished that at 3:17 of the first quarter. Quarterback Curt Casteel threw a 43-year touchdown pass toward the right sideline which was caught by wide receiver Tavares Kelly.
     The Raiders extended their margin to 14-0 with 2:35 left in the second quarter. Casteel had a pass tipped by a defensive back 25 yards downfield. Wide receiver Elijah Moore pulled in the reception at the Panthers 40 and ran it into the end zone for a 70-yard passing play.
     The second half started bad for Dillard when Donald "Guy" McCarthy returned the kickoff back for a touchdown and a 21-point lead for STA. Casteel compiled his third touchdown pass of the contest with 7:43 left in the fourth quarter when he connected with wide receiver Teriq Philips in the front of the zone from 15 yards away.
     St. Thomas Aquinas brought in backup quarterback Kyle Engel to finish the game. Wide receiver Marcus Rosemy made a 35-yard touchdown reception with under four minutes remaining to make it 33-0.

Miami FC Beat North Carolina FC

     Miami FC edged North Carolina FC 1-0 at Sahlen's Stadium on Tuesday night. They won their second straight NASL game.
     With the victory Miami FC(2-0-2) moved to first place in the fall season standings. The only goal of the contest was by Jaime Chavez in the 15th minute.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Dino Costa Out In Portland

     Former South Florida sports radio host Dino Costa has been let go as the afternoon host of KXTG-AM in Portland, Oregon after three months. He began at that organization in early June. Costa was once an afternoon host on 1400 The Fan WFLL-AM in Fort Lauderdale from April 2004 until July 2004.
     He was a sports host on KLZ-AM in Denver until January 2003. Costa made his first stop in Florida at WNNR-AM in Jacksonville where his tenure went from June 2003 to February 2004.
     After his short stint at 1400 The Fan, he returned to Denver for the rest of the 2000s. Costa then joined Sirius XM Radio in September 2009 as an afternoon host on Mad Dog Radio and stayed there until October 2013.
     Costa returned to Florida and worked alongside Pat Paolini as a mid-afternoon co-host at WAOC-AM in St. Augustine from August 2014 until late 2015. He worked last year at KFNS-AM in St. Louis as a morning host for two months from March 2016 to April 2016.

Marlins Drop Giants

     The Miami Marlins pounded the San Francisco Giants 8-1 at Marlins Park on Wednesday. The Fish finished their six-game home stand with a 5-1 record. Giancarlo Stanton had his streak of six consecutive games with a home run stopped.
     The Marlins jumped out in front during the first inning against Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain. Marcell Ozuna got his 90th RBI of the season when he hit an infield single up the middle for Dee Gordon to score.
     J.T. Realmuto followed with a fielder's choice to third and Stanton scored on the play. After a Brandon Crawford fielding error on a Derek Dietrich line drive, Tomas Telis sliced a double down the left-field line which brought in Realmuto and Dietrich.
     San Francisco(48-74) put up their only run in the top of the third. Telis committed an error on a ground ball by Crawford to the right side and Jarrett Parker crossed the plate.
     Miami(58-61) regained their four-run margin in the bottom of the third inning. Telis placed a single through the right side and Dietrich scored.
     In the fifth inning, the Fish extended their lead to 7-1. Mike Aviles knocked in Realmuto with a single into right field. Ichiro Suzuki came up and drove in Telis on a base hit to left-center field. The Marlins compiled one more run in the bottom of the seventh when Aviles scored on a Miguel Rojas single to center. 

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Giants Stomp Marlins

     The San Francisco Giants overcame the Miami Marlins 9-4 on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. It snapped a four-game win streak for the Fish.
     Miami(57-61) got on the scoreboard early in the first inning. Christian Yelich lifted a double to deep center field for Giancarlo Stanton to score.
     San Francisco(48-73) responded back in the top of the third inning. Denard Span cracked a two-run homer to right on a 0-1 pitch that was almost caught by Stanton at the top of the wall. Kelby Tomlinson scored in front of Span on the play.
     Stanton continued his hot streak in the bottom of the third. He smashed a solo home run to left field on a 0-1 count. It was his 44th home run of the season, which leads the majors, and the sixth consecutive game that he had hit a home run.
     Marcell Ozuna scored on a sacrifice fly by J.T. Realmuto to left-center field later in the frame. A.J. Ellis helped the Fish extend their lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning with a solo homer to left on a 2-0 pitch.
     It would be all Giants for the rest of the contest. Madison Bumgarner knocked in Ryder Jones with a base hit into left field during the fifth inning.
     In the seventh inning, they would compile three more runs and take the lead 6-4. Carlos Moncrief drove in Tomlinson with a single to right. Several batters later, Moncrief crossed the plate on a throwing error by Stanton. Hunter Pence capped the rally with a double to right-center field which scored Span.
     San Francisco kept the pressure on in the late innings. Jones smacked solo home run to right on a 2-0 count in the top of the eighth. Pence grounded out to short for Gorkys Hernandez to score in the ninth inning. Span would steal third base and advanced home on a throwing error by Tomas Telis. 
     

Monday, August 14, 2017

Miami Heat 2017-18 Schedule

     The NBA released the Miami Heat 2017-18 schedule. It will be the 30th season for the franchise in the league. It is the earliest that an NBA season will begin in 37 seasons.
     The Heat will start the regular season on the road against the Orlando Magic on October 18. Miami will return and play their home opener at American Airlines Arena on October 21 against the Indiana Pacers.
     The NBA world champion Golden State Warriors make their only appearance in South Florida on December 3. The Heat will not be playing on Christmas Day for the second straight season.
     Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls show up in Miami on November 1 and March 29. LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers make their lone appearance at American Airlines Arena on March 27.

Stanton Breaks Sheffield Mark And Giants

     Giancarlo Stanton set a franchise record with his 43rd home run to surpass Gary Sheffield for the most home runs in a season by a Marlins player. Miami held on to defeat the San Francisco Giants 8-3 on Monday night at Marlins Park. Sheffield set the franchise mark with 42 home runs back in 1996.
     Stanton was able to get the historical homer in the first inning for the Marlins. He smashed a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence and Dee Gordon scored in front of him.
     San Francisco(47-73) put together a three-run rally to take the lead in the top of the third. Denard Span hit a ground-rule double to right field which scored Pablo Sandoval and Kelby Tomlinson. The Giants moved ahead when Hunter Pence drove in Span with a single into left field.
     Miami(57-60) tied it up 3-3 in the bottom of the frame. Christian Yelich knocked in Gordon with a base hit to left.
     The Fish continued to roll in the fourth inning and regained the lead. Derek Dietrich scored on an infield hit by Gordon. Stanton followed with a single into center field and Miguel Rojas crossed the plate. Marcell Ozuna blasted a solo home run to center on the first pitch in the bottom of the fifth and extended the Marlins lead to 6-3.
     In the seventh inning, Miami added two more runs. Ozuna scored on a Tyler Moore base hit into right field. Moore eventually scored on a passed ball when the bases were loaded with Ichiro Suzuki at-bat.

Bryan Murray Passes Away

     Former Florida Panthers hockey executive Bryan Murray passed away over the weekend at the age of 74. He recently was the general manager of the Ottawa Senators from 2007 to 2016.
     Murray became the second general manager in Florida Panthers franchise history before the 1994-95 season when he took over for Bobby Clarke. He later replaced Doug MacLean as the third head coach of the club in November 1997. The Panthers were Eastern Conference champions in 1996 before they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals.
     Prior to the his arrival in Florida, Murray was the head coach of the Washington Capitals. He moved to the head coach and the general manager positions of the Detroit Red Wings. Following his stint in Florida, Murray became the Anaheim Mighty Ducks head coach and was elevated to general manager. He helped that organization win a Western Conference title in 2003 and they lost a seven-game series to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals.
     Murray headed the Senators where they captured an Eastern Conference title in 2007. They were defeated in the Stanley Cup Finals to his former club Anaheim.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Stanton Ties Sheffield As Marlins Sweep Rockies

     Giancarlo Stanton hit his 42nd home run of the season to tie the Marlins single-season record with Gary Sheffield as Miami swept the Colorado Rockies 5-3 at Marlins Park on Sunday. Sheffield got 42 homers for the Florida Marlins back in 1996.
     Miami(56-60) rolled out to a 2-0 margin in the second inning. Starting pitcher Vance Worley pulled off a two-run single to right field which scored J.T. Realmuto and Tomas Telis.
     Colorado(65-52) scrambled back with their only three runs of the contest in the top of the third. Gerardo Parra singled into right-center field and Charlie Blackmon scored. Carlos Gonzalez followed with a base hit up the middle that brought home D.J. LeMahieu and Parra to make it 3-2.
     The Marlins tied it up 3-3 in the bottom of the frame. Stanton sliced the ball down the right-field line for a solo home run on a 3-2 pitch. It was his 250th home run of his major league career.
     The Fish regained the lead during the fourth inning. Mike Aviles ripped a double past the third-base line and into the left-field corner for a double. Telis and Miguel Rojas both scored on the play for Miami.

Miami FC Smash Indy Eleven

     Miami FC beat Indy Eleven 3-1 at Riccardo Silva Stadium on Saturday night for their first victory in the NASL fall campaign. It ended a three-game losing for them in all competitions.
     Both teams began the day near the bottom of the NASL Fall Season standings as Miami FC(1-0-2) was in last place. All the scoring was done in the second half. Stefano Pinho compiled goals in the 47th and 69th minute while Dylan Mares added one in the 59th minute for a 3-0 lead. Zayed broke the shutout for Indy Eleven(1-0-2) during the 88th minute.

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Jeffrey Loria Selling Miami Marlins

     Miami Marlins team president David Samson announced prior to the game against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday that team owner Jeffrey Loria has agreed to sell the franchise for $1.2 billion. The group of investors that are buying the Marlins includes former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
     The sale is expected to be approved by Major League Baseball in the near future. Loria has owned the Marlins since 2002 and the team won their second World Series title in 2003.

Marlins Escape Rockies

     The Miami Marlins stopped the Colorado Rockies 4-3 at Marlins Park on Saturday night. The Fish have began their home stand with two straight victories.
     Both teams scored in the first inning. Colorado(65-51) moved ahead 1-0 when Mark Reynolds drove in Charlie Blackmon with a base hit into left field.
     Miami(55-60) responded in the bottom of the frame. Marcell Ozuna grounded out to short for Christian Yelich to score and tie the game 1-1.
     The Marlins pulled away from their opponent in the fourth inning. Giancarlo Stanton blasted a three-run homer to left field on a 1-1 pitch for his 41st home run of the year. Miguel Rojas and Dee Gordon scored in front of him on the play.
     The Rockies inched their way back, however they fell short. D.J. LeMathieu hit a sacrifice fly into left field to score Blackmon in the top of the fifth. They scored again in the eighth inning as Mark Reynolds scored on a fielder's choice by Carlos Gonzalez to second.

Marlins Knock Off Rockies

     Giancarlo Stanton hit his Major League Baseball leading 40th home run of the season as the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 at Marlins Park on Friday night. The Fish returned home following a seven-game road trip.
     Colorado(65-50) ripped out to a 2-0 lead during the top of the third. Nolan Arenado smashed a two-run homer to right field on a 2-1 pitch. Charlie Blackmon scored in front of him on the play.
     After the Marlins got a run on a double play in the fifth, the Rockies had a two-run gap again in the top of the sixth when Gerardo Parra hit a solo home run to right on a 2-2 count.
     Miami(54-60) was able to tie the contest 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Stanton pounded a solo home to left field on a 1-1 pitch. J.T. Realmuto later hit a sacrifice fly to center and Christian Yelich crossed the plate.
     The Fish broke the tie with three runs in the eighth inning. Dietrich drove in Yelich on a base hit into center field. Tomas Telis followed with a triple to right-center field which scored Marcell Ozuna and Dietrich.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Dolphins Fly By Falcons

     The Miami Dolphins defeated the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons 23-20 at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday night. It was the first of four preseason games for the Fins. The Falcons have not played a game since they blew a big lead and lost to the New England Patriots at Super Bowl 51 in overtime.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Nationals Get By Marlins

     The Washington Nationals edged the Miami Marlins 3-2 at Nationals Park on Thursday night. The Fish finished the seven-game road swing with a 2-5 record.
     Miami(53-60) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Giancarlo Stanton blasted a two-run homer to left field on a 1-1 pitch to left field and Dee Gordon scored. It was the 39th home run for Stanton this year which leads Major League Baseball.
     Washington(68-45) mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brian Goodwin drove in Adrian Sanchez with a base hit into right field. Bryce Harper followed with a double into right which scored Goodwin.
     The Nationals took their first lead of the contest in the eighth inning. Goodwin cracked a solo home run to right field on a 1-0 count. 
     

West Palm Beach Ratings July 2017

     It was the final month that there were two sports format radio stations in the West Palm Beach market with ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM and 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM. Sports Radio 1230 The Zone. WBZT-AM joined the fray on July 31 to make it three radio stations with a sports format in Palm Beach County.
     640 The Hurricane changed their logo and slogan at the beginning of July. They moved to a 0.5 in July following a 0.3 in the previous two months. The New York Yankees had a losing record last month, but there has been an enormous social buzz about Aaron Judge. 

Miami Dolphins Spanish Broadcasts Back On WQBA

      The Spanish language game broadcasts of the Miami Dolphins has returned to Univision Deportes Radio 1140 WQBA-AM after a one-year absence. It was a multi-year deal agreed to between the franchise and the radio station. The Dolphins games were heard in Spanish on ESPN Deportes 1210 WNMA-AM in 2016.
     WQBA had been the Spanish language flagship station of the Fins throughout the 2010s except for last year. The station flipped from a Spanish news/talk format to a Spanish sports talk format branded Univision Deportes Radio in April 2017. Raul Striker Jr. will be the play-by-play announcer while Eduardo Martell will be the game analyst.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Nationals Wipe Out Marlins

     The Washington Nationals pounded the Miami Marlins 10-1 at Nationals Park on Wednesday night. The Fish are now 2-4 on their current road trip.
     Washington(67-45) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Ryan Zimmerman socked a solo home run to left field on a 0-2 pitch.
     The Nats added several more runs in the bottom of the third. Bryce Harper knocked in Brian Goodwin with a base hit into left. Zimmerman followed with a double into left-center field to score Harper.
     Miami(53-59) placed their only run on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Ichiro Suzuki was able to single into center field which brought in Tyler Moore.
     The Nationals extended their margin in the sixth to 8-1. Harper hit a sacrifice fly to left field and Goodwin crossed the plate. Howie Kendrick then drove in Adrian Sanchez and Zimmerman with a base hit into left. In the seventh inning, Zimmerman smacked a two-run homer to right field on a 3-2 count.
     

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Miami Ratings July 2017

     The ratings for the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market were released and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM finished on top of all sports format radio stations for the fifth consecutive month. All three local competitors saw improvement with an increased social buzz as the region did host the 2017 All-Star Game at Marlins Park in Miami.
     The Ticket moved from a 0.8 to a 0.9 in July. They were able to broadcast the 88th All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby with former Florida Marlins radio voice Jon "Boog" Sciambi as the play-by-play announcer on ESPN Radio.
     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM bumped up from a 0.7 to a 0.8. It had to due with the beginning of Miami Dolphins training camp. 
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM went from a 0.1 to a 0.2 in the period. They improved from their lowest ratings of the calendar year in June.The festivities of the All-Star Game did help the flagship station of the Miami Marlins.

Vince Wilfork Retires

     Boynton Beach native Vince Wilfork has retired from the National Football League. He participated as a defensive lineman in the NFL for 13 seasons with the New England Patriots and Houston Texans.
     Wilfork played high school football with the Santaluces Chiefs and the team had their best seasons in the past 20 years. He went on to the University of Miami Hurricanes and won a BCS National Championship in 2001.
     He was drafted by the New England Patriots during the first round in 2004. Wilfork helped that franchise win two world championships by capturing Super Bowl 39 over the Philadelphia Eagles and Super Bowl 49 over the Seattle Seahawks. The team won four AFC titles while he was on the squad.
     Wilfork, who made the Pro Bowl five times, finished his final two seasons with the Houston Texans. He got them to the AFC Championship Game in 2016 where they lost to the Patriots.

Monday, August 7, 2017

Nationals Edge Marlins

     The Washington Nationals got by the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Monday night at Nationals Park. The Marlins are now 1-3 on their road trip.
     Washington(66-44) waited until the second inning to go ahead. Matt Wieters singled into right field for Ryan Zimmerman to score. Bryce Harper extended their margin to 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth when he smashed a solo home run to right on a 0-0 pitch for his 29th homer of the season.
     Miami(52-58) chipped slowly at the lead. Odrisamer Despaigne compiled his third career base hit and first career RBI in the fifth inning as he drove in Tomas Telis with a single up the middle.
     In the sixth inning, the Marlins were able to tie the game at 2-2. Giancarlo Stanton blasted his Major League Baseball leading 37th home run of the season to left on a 3-1 count.
     The Nationals regained the lead in the eighth inning. Adam Lind knocked in Wilmer Difo with a single into center field.
    

Darren Daulton Dead

     Former Florida Marlins utility player Darren Daulton passed away on Sunday at the age of 55. He had battled brain cancer for the past five years.
     Daulton played almost his entire 14-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies and was part of the 1993 National League champions. They lost the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games.
     He was traded by the Phillies to the Miami Marlins during the 1997 season. His veteran leadership was helpful as the franchise made the postseason for the first time as a wild card. They defeated the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series and the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. The Marlins captured their first word championship as they defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games at the 1997 World Series.

Dolphins Sign Jay Cutler

     The Miami Dolphins have signed quarterback Jay Cutler to a one-year, $10 million contract. He was brought in after starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill injured himself at practice several days ago.
     Cutler retired from the Chicago Bears following the 2016 NFL season and joined Fox Sports as an NFL game analyst. He was to make his broadcast debut in a couple of weeks.
     He made his NFL debut in 2006 with the Denver Broncos and played there for three seasons. Cutler was traded by the Broncos to the Chicago Bears prior to the 2009 NFL season. He spent eight seasons with the Bears where he has the franchise record for career pass completions, passing yards, passing attempts and touchdown passes. Cutler, who passed for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns in 2016, also has the Bears record for most completions and pass attempts in a season.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Marlins Breeze By Braves

     The Miami Marlins avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves at Sun Trust Park on Sunday. The Fish next travel to Washington D.C. and face the National League East leader Nationals.
     Miami(52-57) rocketed out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Marcell Ozuna blasted a three-run homer to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch for his 26th home run of the season. Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich scored in front of him.
     The Marlins continued the quick start on their next at-bat. J.T. Realmuto connected with a solo home run to left field on a 0-1 count.
     Atlanta(51-59) broke the shutout during the bottom of the sixth. Ender Inciarte knocked in Jace Peterson with a single into center field.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Braves Outlast Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the Atlanta Braves 7-2 on Saturday night at Sun Trust Park. The Fish have lost the first two games of their road swing.
     Miami(51-57) waited until the top of the sixth to take the lead 1-0. Giancarlo Stanton pounded his major league leading 36th home run of the season. It was a 1-1 pitch that went over the left-fence field.
     Atlanta(51-58) responded in the bottom of the sixth. Freddie Freeman knocked in Ender Inciarte with a base hit into center field. Nick Markakis later drove in Freeman on a double into right-center field.
     The Braves pulled away from their opponent with five runs in the seventh inning. Brandon Phillips placed a single to left field for Johan Camrago and Ozzie Albies to score. Freeman followed with a three-run homer to left field on a 3-1 count.
     The Marlins garnered just one run for the remainder of the contest. Dee Gordon scored on a Stanton double into center field.

Jason Taylor Inducted Into Football Hall Of Fame

     Former Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Saturday. He is sixth all-time in NFL history with 139.5 career quarterback sacks.
     Taylor played most of his 15-year NFL career with the Dolphins. He was with the Fins from 1997-2007, 2009 and 2011. Taylor also spent one season with the Washington Redskins and New York Jets.
     He had 131 sacks in 204 games with the Dolphins and only missed four games in 13 seasons in Miami. Taylor set an NFL record with six fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns.

Friday, August 4, 2017

Braves Tame Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves defeated the Miami Marlins 5-3 at Sun Trust Park on Friday night. It was the first game of a seven-game road trip for the Fish.
     Atlanta(50-58) moved out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Dee Gordon committed an error on a Nick Markakis at-bat for Brandon Phillips to score.
     Miami(51-56) would go ahead during the middle innings. Giancarlo Stanton blasted a solo home run to center field on the first pitch in the fourth inning. He later hit his major league leading 35th home run of the season, which was a two-run homer, during the top of the sixth on a 0-1 count to make it 3-1.
     The Braves bounced back in the bottom of the frame and regained the lead 4-3. Markakis smashed a three-run homer to right on a 3-2 pitch. Phillips and Tyler Flowers scored in front of him on the play.
     In the seventh inning, the Bravos extended their margin. Phllips drove in Lane Adams with a base hit into left field.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

The Sports Bosses On SB Nation Radio

     A local sports show has been broadcast in late mornings at SB Nation Radio on SiriusXM Radio for over a month. It is called The Sports Bosses with Jim Rodriguez and Sean Stanley. The program has never been heard on South Florida radio and was only streamed on the internet prior to their national exposure on June 26.
     Stanley has been noticed locally for the last couple of years as a co-host of SportsOvertime.com. He is also the station manager at the Miami Media School. Stanley recently worked as a board operator for Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. Rodriguez is employed at Univision as a sports producer.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Marlins Blank Nationals

     The Miami Marlins pitched a combined four-hitter and they shut out the Washington Nationals 7-0 at Marlins Park on Wednesday night. The Fish scored 14 straight runs against Washington(63-43) in the past two games.
     The Nationals only had two hits in the first eight innings of play. The Marlins have won their nine of their last 13 games and went 5-2 on their home stand.
     Miami(51-55) jumped on the Nats in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton ripped a double into right-center field and Dee Gordon scored.
     In the fifth inning, the Marlins scored four runs to extend their margin 5-0. Christian Yelich cracked his 13th home run of the season, a two-run homer to center field on a 2-1 pitch, which brought home Gordon. Derek Dietrich later hit a two-run homer to right on a 1-2 count with J.T. Realmuto scoring in front of him.
     The Nationals surrendered two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Gordon drove in Miguel Rojas with a base hit into center field. Two batters later, Yelich doubled to right-center field to bring in Gordon. Stanton saved the shutout on the final out when he jumped high and caught the ball well above the right-field fence.

Miami FC Falls To Cincinnati

     Miami FC was eliminated from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as they were defeated by FC Cincinnati 1-0 in a quarterfinal match at Riccardo Silva Stadium on Wednesday night. The only goal of the contest was by Dijby of FC Cincinnati during the 68th minute.
     It has been a tough week for the 2017 NASL Spring Season champion Miami FC. They played their opening game of the NASL Fall Season and lost to the New York Cosmos 3-1 in Brooklyn on Saturday.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Marlins Overcome Nationals

     The Miami Marlins came back from a six-run deficit as they won 7-6 over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. The Fish did the same thing to the Nats in Miami during in game back in June.  
     Washington(63-42) manufactured all their six runs in the second inning. Max Scherzer smacked a three-run homer on a 0-2 pitch to left field for a 4-0 lead. Nationals newcomer Howie Kendrick later cracked a two-run home run to center on a 2-2 count and they had a six-run cushion.
     Miami(50-55) began to cut into lead in the third inning. Miguel Rojas scored on a ground out to second by Dee Gordon.
     The Fish compiled two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Marcell Ozuna crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly to center by Tomas Taelis. One batter later, Rojas singled into center field which brought home J.T. Realmuto.
     In the fifth inning, the Marlins added four more runs and took the lead. Ozuna lifted a three-run homer to left field on a 2-2 pitch to tie the contest 6-6. Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton scored in front of him on the play. Two batters later, Derek Dietrich knocked in Realmuto with a triple to right-center field for the go-ahead tally.

Adam Kuperstein Leaving WTVJ-TV

     NBC 6 WTVJ-TV sports anchor Adam Kuperstein will be leaving the station and move to WNBC-TV in New York City as a weekend news anchor and weekday news reporter. He will continue as the Sunday late morning host on NBC Sports Radio Network which is based in New York.
     Kuperstein, a Syracuse University grad, joined WVVJ-TV in May 2005 as a weekend sports anchor and weekday sports reporter under Joe Rose. He held that position until December 2011 and was elevated to the position of evening news anchor. Kuperstein was at the post for several years until 2015 when he went back to the sports department as lead sports anchor.
     He also had his stints in local radio. He first joined Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM as a weekend host in 2011. Kuperstein was an early afternoon co-host with first Steve Goldstein, then twice with Channing Crowder and finally with Curtis Stevenson from January 2012 until July 2015.
     Kuperstein began at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in November 2015 as a weekend host and held that post for almost one year. He filled in as an early afternoon co-host throughout 2016 and was never able to take a permanent job at that station due to his time constraint with WTVJ-TV.