Panthers Resign Frank Vatrano

     The Florida Panthers have resigned forward Frank Vatrano to a one-year deal. The contract amounts to $925,000 for the restricted free agent.
     Vatrano was acquired by the Panthers from the Boston Bruins in a deal on February 22. He had five goals and three assists in 16 games with Florida during the 2017-18 season.

Marlins Overtake Mets

     The Miami Marlins pulled off a 5-2 comeback victory over the New York Mets on Saturday at Marlins Park. The Fish surpassed the Mets into fourth place in the National League East division.
     New York(32-48) busted out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Jose Bautista blasted a solo home run to left field on the first pitch. The Mets made it a two-run margin in the top of the sixth when Todd Frazier homered to left-center field on a 0-2 count.
     Miami(34-50) bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. After Derek Dietrich singled to shallow center with one out, Brian Anderson slammed a two-run homer to left field on a 2-2 pitch.
     The Marlins extended the gap during the seventh. J.T. Realmuto got a two-run double to deep left field which scored Dietrich and Anderson.

Marlins Smoke Mets

     Sandy Alcantara won his first career start as the Miami Marlins smashed the New York Mets 8-2 at Marlins Park. The Marlins were able to end a three-game losing streak.
     Miami(33-50) put up six runs in the third inning. Lead-off hitter Lewis Brinson hit the first pitch over the left-field fence for a homer. J.T. Realmuto knocked in Derek Dietrich with a single to left. Starlin Castro followed with a base hit into center field to score Brian Anderson. J.T. Riddle capped the rally with a three-run homer to right field on a 1-2 count. Realmuto and Castro crossed the plate before him.
     New York(32-47) broke the shutout in the top of the fourth. Devin Mesoraco drove in Wilmer Flores with a double to deep left field.
     The Marlins gained the run back in the sixth. A Cameron Maybin base hit into center field brought in Brinson.
     Both clubs scored in the eighth inning. Flores grounded into a double play for the Mets and Jose Bautista scored. Miguel Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to left field and Castro was able to score.

Adam Lichtenstein Exits Palm Beach Post

     Palm Beach Post high school sports reporter Adam Lichtenstein has left the Palm Beach Post. He has covered high school sports as their primary reporter for the past three years.
     It is the second time that the organization has seen a change in that area. Jodie Wagner earlier this month moved from the high school sports writer position to become the community news reporter in north Palm Beach County.

Chris Kokell Joins 640 The Hurricane

     Longtime Palm Beach County high school football coach Chris Kokell recently joined 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM as a high school football website reporter. He was once the head football coach of the Forest Hill Falcons and the Olympic Heights Lions.
     Kokell had previous broadcasting experience prior to joining 640 The Hurricane. He was a television game analyst for Friday night high school football games on WTVX-TV Channel 34 in West Palm Beach during the 2014 season alongside play-by-play announcer Alex Kushel.
     He was a weekend co-host for several years at ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM during the mid 2010s. Kokell was elevated to evening co-host with Joe Colella in January 2017 and held the position until that summer when he became the Jensen Beach Falcons defensive coordinator. He did announce the 2014 FHSAA Class 3A state championship football game in Orlando with Ken LaVicka on ESPN West Palm.

ESPN Keeps Dan Le Batard And Stugotz

     Dan Le Batard and Jon Weiner, a.k.a. Stugotz, signed a new contract with ESPN. They will continue their show that is simulcast during middays on ESPN Radio and ESPNEWS. Le Batard stays as the studio host of Highly Questionable on ESPN.
     Both of them have hosted a radio program together on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM since August 2004. They began national syndication of their show in September 2013. The program was shifted from the afternoon shift to middays on both ESPN Radio and The Ticket in September 2015.

Diamondbacks Close Down Marlins

     The Arizona Diamondbacks picked up a 4-0 shutout victory over the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on Thursday. The D-Backs, who took six of seven games from the Fish in the season series, finished their 10-game road trip with an 8-2 record. The Marlins have fallen in six of their last nine games.
     In the first inning, Arizona(47-34) powered out front. Daniel Descalso grounded into a fielder's choice for Paul Goldschmidt to score.  Nick Ahmed lined a double down the left-field line which scored Jake Lamb.
     The Diamondbacks made it a three-run margin in the top of the second inning. After D-Backs starting pitcher Zack Greinke singled up the middle of the diamond, he stole second base and then scored two batters later on a Goldschmidt base hit to shallow left.
     Miami(32-50), who began the second half of their regular season, gave up an additional run in the sixth inning. Greinke drove in Ahmed with a single into right field.

Diamondbacks Handle Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were stopped by the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 at Marlins Park on Wednesday night. The Fish have lost five of their last eight games while the Diamondbacks have won six of their last seven contests.
     Airzona(46-34) picked up the first run of the game during the fifth inning. Deven Marrero knocked in Ketel Marte with a base hit into center field.
     Miami (32-49) surrendered another run in the top of the eighth. Daniel Descalso came up to pinch-hit and smacked a solo home run to right field on a 2-0 pitch.
     The Marlins attempted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning. Starlin Castro ripped a lead-off solo homer to left-center field on a 2-1 count. The Fish left the tying run on second base to end the contest.

Diamondbacks Strike Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were defeated by the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. The Diamondbacks remain on top of the National League West division. The Marlins have won five of their last 10 games.
     Arizona(45-34) jumped out to a two-run lead in the third inning. Jake Lamb doubled to left field which scored Jon Jay. David Peralta followed with a double to deep left to score Lamb.
     Miami(32-48) cut the margin in the fourth. Bryan Holaday grounded out to short as J.T. Riddle scored.
     The D-Backs answered back in the next inning. John Ryan Murphy connected with a two-run double into left field that scored Lamb and Peralta for a 4-1 lead.
     The Marlins tried to come back in the bottom of the frame. Starlin Castro bashed a solo home run to left field on a 3-2 pitch.
     In the seventh inning, the Diamondbacks got an insurance run for a three-run gap. Murphy knocked in Paul Goldschmidt on a sacrifice fly to right.
     The Fish gained one more run in the bottom of the seventh. Brian Anderson scored on a fielding error by Ketel Marte during a Riddle at-bat. 

Marlins Prevail Over Diamondbacks

     The Miami Marlins came off a nine-game road trip and stopped the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 at Marlins Park on Monday night. The Fish are in South Florida for 16 of the their next 20 games prior to the 2018 All-Star Game. The Marlins begin a stretch and will play at home in 22 out of 29 games overall.
     Arizona(44-34) got in front 1-0 in the top of the first. Jake Lamb hit a solo home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch.
     The Marlins answered back in the bottom of the first. Justin Bour bashed a solo homer to right field on a 3-1 count.
     The D-Backs added two runs in the second inning. Former Marlin Jeff Mathis knocked in Chris Owings with a base hit into center. Shelby Miller later sent a sacrifice fly to left field for Jarrod Dyson to score.
     Miami(32-47) put up a run in the bottom of the frame. Starlin Castro drove in Dan Straily with a single to center field.
     The Fish took the lead in the fourth. Miguel Rojas scored on a Derek Dietrich single into right field. Brian Anderson followed with a two-run double to deep right for Straily and Dietrich to score.
     In the eighth inning, the Marlins put the contest out of reach as they compiled three runs to make it 9-3. A Rojas base hit into right scored Castro. Bryan Holaday would walk with the bases loaded and J.T. Riddle crossed the plate. Cameron Maybin later got a single to bring in Rojas and Lewis Brinson.
     The Diamondbacks added some runs in the ninth inning. Owings powered a double to center which scored Ketel Marte. Owings then scored on a sacrifice fly by Mathis to left field.
   

Marlins Beat Rockies

     The Miami Marlins completed a nine-game road trip with an 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The Marlins play 16 of the next 20 games at home until the All-Star Game break. They also will be in Miami for 22 of their next 29 games overall.

Marlins Outscore Rockies

     The Miami Marlins pulled away from the Colorado Rockies 6-2 at Coors Field on Saturday. The Fish were able to stop a three-game losing streak.
     Both clubs scored in the fourth inning. The Marlins got a solo home run from Derek Dietrich to right field on the first pitch. The Rockies matched it as Carlos Gonzalez scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Gerardo Parra.
     Miami(30-47) staged a major rally in the top of the seventh. Justin Bour knocked in Yadiel Rivera with a base hit into center. J.T. Realmuto later blasted a grand-slam home run to right pitch on a 2-2 count. Bour, Starlin Castro and Brian Anderson all crossed the plate in front of him on the play to make it 6-1.
     Colorado(38-39) placed a tally in the bottom of the frame. Parra ripped a solo home run to center field on the first pitch.

Panthers Finish NHL Draft

     The second day of the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas occurred on Saturday. It consisted of the second round to the seventh round.
     Florida selected right wing Serron Noel with the 34th overall pick in the second round. Noel played junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals. He had 28 goals and 25 assists in 62 games last season.
     The Panthers acquired a third-round pick from the Nashville Predators which was 89th overall during the day for a 2019 third-round selection. They took right wing Logan Hutsko from Boston College. He compiled 12 goals along with 19 assists in 37 games during 2017-18. Hutsko helped the Eagles win the Hockey East regular season title.
     The Cats kept the remainder of their selections that they entered the draft with. They went with left wing Justin Schutz of Red Bull Hockey Academie of Czech Republic in the sixth round, followed by defensemen Cole Krygier of the Lincoln Stars and Santtu Kinnunen with the Pelicans junior team of Finland in the final round.

Panthers Select Grigori Denisenko

     The 2018 NHL Draft was held at American Airlines Center in Dallas this weekend. The first round took place on Friday night.
     The Florida Panthers had one selection during the first round. They selected forward Grigori Denisenko with the 15th overall pick. He played in 31 games for Russian junior team Loko Yaroslavl and compiled nine goals with 13 assists. Denisenko had seven goals in 12 playoff games as they club captured the 2018 MHL Championship.

Florida Panthers 2018-19 Schedule

     The National Hockey League released the schedule for the Florida Panthers on their upcoming 2018-19 season. The Panthers will play in their 25th anniversary NHL season. A major change will be the start time beginning at 7:00 PM instead of 7:30 PM for all contests from Monday through Saturday.
     The Panthers begin the season on October 6 at Tampa Bay to face the Lightning. The Cats return home on October 11 and will host the Columbus Blue Jackets. They finish the season in Sunrise against the New Jersey Devils on April 6.
     Florida will play all Atlantic Division teams twice at home. They include the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres.
     The defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals make their only South Florida appearance on April 1. Other Metropolitan Division clubs that will show up once includes the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. The New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets will play twice in Sunrise.
     The defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights take on the Panthers down here on February 2. All Western Conference teams make only one visit at BB&T Center with the exception of the Winnipeg Jets. The Panthers and Jets will play a home-and-home series of two games at the NHL Global Series in Helsinki, Finland on November 1 and November 2.

Giants Escape Marlins

     The Miami Marlins played their final game on the west coast this year and were by stopped by the San Francisco Giants 6-5 at AT&T Park on Wednesday. The Marlins, who won the season series against San Francisco, have fallen in three of their last four games. The Giants have been victorious in four of their last seven.
     Miami(29-46) scored first in a contest for the first time in seven games this season against the Giants. In the second inning, Miguel Rojas singled to shallow left field and Cameron Maybin crossed the plate.
     It was not until the sixth inning when San Francisco(37-38) compiled five runs. Brandon Belt socked a ground-rule double toward right-center field to score Kelby Tomlinson. Mac Williamson grounded to short for a fielder's choice and Joe Panik scored on the play. Hunter Pence then sliced a single near the right-field line which brought in Belt to make it 3-1. Gorkys Hernandez slapped a base hit to right-center as Williamson along with Pence scored.
     The Marlins responded back in the top of the seventh. Yadiel Rivera knocked in Lewis Brinson on a sacrifice fly to center. Starlin Castro later singled in Rojas and they were down 5-3.
     The Giants looked to expand their margin to three runs in the eighth inning. Nick Hundley scored on a base hit by Pence to left field.
     The Fish attempted to pull off a major comeback like they have for the past nine games in the top of the ninth. Castro drove in Rojas with a sacrifice fly to center. Brian Anderson later singled to righ field and Dietrich scored to close the gap to 6-5. J.B. Schuck struck out with men on first and second to end the game.

Oxbridge Academy Ends Football Program

     Oxbridge Academy has eliminated their high school football program. The Thunderwolves made it to the FHSAA Class 3A state title game in 2017 and lost to the Chaminade-Madonna Lions. Several players had already transferred to different Palm Beach County schools for the upcoming 2018 season.
     Oxbridge Academy had an impact locally in their short time with high school football. They began in 2013 as an independent and played in the Southeastern Conference. They became a part of the FHSAA and won three district titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
     The Thunderwolves were eliminated at home by district rival American Heritage in the regional final on a last minute play in 2015. They made it to the regional final in 2016 and lost on the road to Chaminade-Madonna. The school got to the playoffs in 2017 as they topped Kings Academy, Melbourne Catholic Central and Florida State University before falling to Chaminade-Madonna for the state title in Orlando. University of Miami running back Travis Homer and Ole Miss defensive back Keidron Smith once played for Oxbridge Academy.

Joey Bosa On Magazine Cover

     Former South Florida high school football player Joey Bosa appears on the national cover of the annual Pro Football Weekly Preview magazine. He has played the last two seasons as a defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers.
     Bosa attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale where he helped the Raiders win two FHSAA Class 7A state titles in 2010 and 2012. He went to Ohio State University and the school won the 2014 CFP national championship.

Giants Step On Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were defeated by the San Francisco Giants 6-3 on Tuesday night at AT&T Park. The Fish have lost two of their last three contests while the Giants have won three of their last six.
     In the first inning, San Francisco(36-38) moved out to a 1-0 lead. Buster Posey nailed a solo home run to left-center field on the first pitch.
     The Giants added three more runs during the bottom of the second. Alen Hanson led off with a double to deep right field. Gorkys Hernandez followed with a two-run homer to left on a 1-0 count. Five batters later, Brandon Belt walked with the bases loaded for Joe Panik to score.
     Miami(29-45) began to chop at the lead in the fourth inning with three runs. J.T. Riddle ripped a triple to the right-center gap as Starlin Castro and Miguel Rojas scored. Brian Anderson later sprayed a double down the right-field line for Riddle to cross the plate and make it 4-3.
     San Francisco extended their margin in the fifth. Hanson knocked in Pablo Sandoval with a double to the warning track in right-center field. Hernandez dropped a base hit to shallow center field to bring home Mac Williamson.

Florida Panthers Acquire Mike Hoffman

     The Florida Panthers picked up left wing Mike Hoffman and a 2018 seventh-round selection from the San Jose Sharks for a 2019 second-round pick, a 2018 fourth-round pick and a 2018 fifth-round pick. Hoffman was traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Sharks earlier in the day.
     Hoffman has played the last seven seasons with the Senators. He compiled 107 goals and 123 assists in 342 games with the Sens. He helped them get to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016-17.

Giants Blow Lead To Marlins

     The San Francisco Giants were unable to hold on to a four-run margin as the Miami Marlins came back to win 5-4 at AT&T Park on Monday night. It was the fourth game of a nine-game road trip for the Fish.
     San Francisco(35-38) rolled off three runs in the second inning. Joe Panik knocked in Buster Posey on a single to center field. Pablo Sandoval followed with a two-run homer to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch.
     The Giants made it 4-0 during the bottom of the third. Mac Williamson drove in Andrew McCutchen on a base hit to left.
     In the fifth inning, Miami(29-44) stormed back. Miguel Rojas hit a single into left field to score Cameron Maybin and Lewis Brinson.
     The Marlins put up a fight in the top of the ninth and moved ahead with three runs. J.T. Realmuto connected on a double into the left-center field gap and Brian Anderson crossed the plate. Three batters later, Brinson lined a single to right field that brought in Realmuto. Rojas came up next and looped a base hit near the right-field line to bring in Maybin for a 5-4 lead.

Marlins Lose To Orioles

     The Miami Marlins were unable to get a three-game sweep as they fell to the Baltimore Orioles 10-4 at Camden Yards on Sunday. The Orioles snapped a nine-game losing streak overall and an 11-game home losing streak. The Fish head to San Francisco and face the Giants tomorrow.
     Baltimore(20-50) began the rout in the second inning. Jace Peterson connected on a ground-rule double to right-center field which brought in Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Schoop.
     The Orioles stretched their margin to four runs in the third. Trumbo doubled to center field to score Manny Machado in the third. Two batters later, Trey Mancini got a single to center and Trumbo scored.
     Miami(28-44) busted through with a tally during the top of the fourth. Justin Bour smashed a solo home run to right on a 1-0 pitch.
     The O's kept the momentum in the middle of the contest. Adam Jones drove in Craig Gentry and Austin Wynns in the bottom of the fourth on a base hit to right. Peterson belted a two-run homer to right on a 1-1 count in the fifth to make it 8-1.
     The Marlins did their best to cut into the deficit in the sixth inning. Bour compiled his second homer of the game on a 1-1 pitch as the ball went over the right-field fence for a three-run shot.
     In the seventh, Baltimore capped things for a 9-4 lead. Trumbo lifted a solo homer run to right field on a 1-2 count. Machado singled in Joey Richard during the eighth inning.

Marlins Shake Off Orioles

     The Miami Marlins edged the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Saturday at Camden Yards. The Fish have been victorious in seven of their last 11 games.
     In the first inning, the Marlins moved out to a 1-0 lead. J.T. Realmuto knocked in Derek Dietrich with a base hit into left field. J.T. Riddle would score on a ground out by J.B. Schuck in the top of the second.
     Miami(28-43) made it a four-run gap in the third inning. Realmuto pounded a two-run home to left-center field on the first pitch. Brian Anderson scored in front of him on the play.
     Baltimore(19-50) cut into the deficit during the bottom of the third. Manny Machado drove in Austin Wynns and Adam Jones on a single to right field.
     The Fish put up another run in the top of the sixth for a 5-2 margin. Realmuto connected with his second home run of the contest. This time it was on a 3-1 count to center field.
     The O's attempted to make a comeback. Jonathan Schoop nailed a solo homer to left field on a 3-1 pitch in the bottom of the sixth. They made it 5-4 in the seventh inning as Machado crossed the plate on a base hit to right by Danny Valencia.    

Marlins Shoot Down Orioles

     The Miami Marlins made a rare trip to Baltimore and beat the Orioles 2-0 at Camden Yards on Friday night. The Fish have won six of their last 10 games. Baltimore(19-49) has the worst record in the majors.
     Miami(27-43) took a 1-0 lead during the top of the fifth. Brian Anderson singled through the left side of the infield to bring home Miguel Rojas with two outs.
     In the sixth inning, the Marlins expanded their lead to 2-0. Lewis Brinson lined a two-out triple to right-center field which scored J.T. Riddle.

Joe Raineri Gone From WBGF-FM

     Former South Florida sports talk host Joe Raineri is no longer at WBGF-FM and WZFL-FM. He was the morning host at those stations since May 2017.
     Raineri once had a stint at 640 Sports WMEN-AM. He started out as an afternoon host in November 2014 and replaced Steve White. Raineri became the midday host in May 2015 and then returned to the afternoon shift in August 2015 to take over for Hank Goldberg. He replaced Sid Rosenberg and became the morning co-host with Steve Zemach in January 2016. They both did the program until March 2017.
     Prior to 640 Sports, Raineri did work at WRMF-FM in West Palm Beach. He did the morning shift at that station from 2011 to 2014.

West Palm Beach Ratings May 2018

     The West Palm Beach market saw the effects of a change in the landscape. ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM went their first full month with a new lineup of one continuous non-stop hour of Evan Cohen, two hours of Josh Cohen in mid-afternoons and the entire ESPN Radio weekday lineup.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM continued to increase their audience with a positive bump for the second straight month from a 0.2 to a 0.3 in May. The impact of New York Yankees game broadcasts along with their only local program Kevin's Other Show has helped.
     1230 The Zone WBZT-AM remained at a 0.0 for the ninth consecutive month. The station still has not improved even with Miami Marlins broadcasts.

Giants Avoid Sweep To Marlins

     The Miami Marlins finished a seven-game home stand and lost to the San Francisco Giants 6-3 in 16 innings at Marlins Park on Thursday. The Fish head to Baltimore and face the Orioles to begin a nine-game road trip. Dereck Rodriguez, son of former Florida Marlins catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and a Monsignor Pace grad, was the starting pitcher for San Francisco.
     The Giants got the early lead for the fourth straight game against the Marlins in the first inning. After a Buster Posey walk with one out, Andrew McCutchen crushed a two-run homer to left on a 2-1 pitch for his eighth home run of the season.
     San Francisco(34-35) extended the gap in the top of the second. Mac Williamson powered a home run to left field on a 0-2 count.
     Miami(26-43) got their first run during the bottom of the fifth inning. J.T. Riddle smashed a lead-off solo homer to center field on a first pitch for his third home run of the year.
     In the seventh inning, the Marlins closed the margin. J.B. Schuck scored on a base hit to left field by Bryan Holaday.
     The Fish rallied again in the ninth inning to tie the contest. Stalin Castro reached second on a fielding error by Joe Panik by the right-field line. After a sacrifice bunt by Riddle, Lewis Brinson followed with a sacrifice fly to the warning track into center field and Castro crossed the plate to tie it 3-3.
     The game would go into the 16th inning before either club scored. San Francisco was able to load the bases with no outs. Pablo Sandoval drove in McCutchen and Brandon Crawford with a single into right-center field for a 5-3 lead. Two batters later, Alen Hanson scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Gorkys Hernandez.

Florida Panthers Preseason Schedule

     The Florida Panthers 2018-19 preseason schedule was released on Thursday. It will be prior to the 25th anniversary NHL season for the franchise.
     The Panthers will play their annual doubleheader against the Nashville Predators in Sunrise on September 17. The Cats will play their next four games outside the state of Florida. They visit the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on September 19. The Panthers then goes to Tulsa and face the Dallas Stars on September 22.
     Florida will challenge the Tampa Bay Lightning in three different contests. They will play at Amalie Arena in Tampa on September 25, at Amway Center in Orlando on September 27 and the BB&T Center in Sunrise on September 29.

Giants Covered By Marlins

     The San Francisco Giants were dropped by the Miami Marlins 5-4 at Marlins Park on Wednesday night. The Marlins complete their seven-game home stand tomorrow and have been victorious in five of their last eight games.
     San Francisco(33-35) jumped on the Fish in the first inning. After Buster Posey laced a double off the wall in right-center, Andrew McCutchen bashed a two-run homer to center field on the first pitch. It was his seventh home run of the season with his new team.
     Miami(26-42) tied the contest 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Cameron Maybin singled into left-center field to bring in Brian Anderson. Two batters later, Lewis Brinson get an infield single up the middle for J.T. Realmuto to score.
     In the sixth inning, the Giants regained the lead. Austin Jackson connected on a base hit to center as Brandon Crawford crossed the plate.
     The Marlins evened it up in the bottom of the frame. Justin Bour muscled a one-out single to short center field and Realmuto scored.
     There would be another lead change in the top of the seventh. Evan Longoria lifted a base hit into center field with two outs that scored Buster Posey.
     The Fish again tied it in the bottom of the eighth. Bour came up with two out and walloped a double to the right-center field warning track and drove in Anderson on the play to make it 4-4.
     Miami put together a rally to load the bases in the ninth inning. Anderson hit a sacrifice fly to center field and Miguel Rojas scored the game-winning run from third.

Alex Donno Named Best AM Radio Host

     The Miami New Times has named Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM evening host Alex Donno as the best AM radio host. Donno is also the studio host on the Florida Panthers Radio Network and Miami Hurricanes Radio Network. The WQAM afternoon show with Marc Hochman, Channing Crowder and Zach Krantz won the award last year from the Miami New Times.
     Donno, a University of Miami 2007 grad, began his professional broadcast career at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM as a producer and reporter. He eventually moved up to become the Sunday morning MMA host and the afternoon sports anchor on the Dan Le Batard Show.
     He left The Ticket and joined WQAM in July 2012. Donno first worked as a Saturday night MMA host and midday sports anchor. He was elevated to the evening host spot in August 2014 after a seven-month stint with Brandon Guzio as a midday co-host. He was added to the Florida Panthers Radio Network just prior to the 2014-15 season.

Giants Fall To Marlins

     The San Francisco Giants were defeated by the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Tuesday night at Marlins Park. The Fish have won four of the last seven games while the Giants have lost four of their last seven. Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Richards picked up his first major league win.
     San Francisco(33-34) waisted no time and pulled ahead 1-0 in the first inning. Brandon Crawford grounded out to short for Joe Panik to score.
     Miami(25-42) compiled three runs in the bottom of the third. Starlin Castro singled into left field to score Derek Dietrich. J.T. Riddle followed with a double to the right-field wall which brought in Brian Anderson and Justin Bour.

Miami Ratings May 2018

     The Miami/Fort Lauderdale market ended up in a tie between Entercom Communications sister stations for the top sports format radio station. It finishes a run where Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM was in first place by themselves for four consecutive months.
     The Ticket remained at a 0.9 for the fifth straight month. The station has been helped with ESPN Radio game broadcasts of the NBA playoffs and Sunday night baseball. In addition, the station finished their first season with Miami Hurricanes baseball broadcasts.
     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM rose from a 0.7 to a 0.9 in the period. The station showed improvement with the same weekday lineup and no game broadcasts.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM stayed at a 0.3 for the third consecutive month. They were able to maintain their audience even as the Marlins fell to last place in the National League East division.

Marlins Run From Giants

     The Miami Marlins rallied to a 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Marlins Park on Monday night. The Fish have won three of their last six games.
     The Giants scored first during the top of the third. Evan Longoria got a RBI-single which brought in Gorkys Hernandez.
     Miami(24-42) overtook the lead in the fourth inning. Brian Anderson lined a solo home run to right field on a 2-1 pitch. Lewis Brinson later tripled to deep center field to score J.T. Realmuto.
     San Francisco(33-33) came back with three runs in the fifth. Andrew McCutchen knocked in Hernandez with a double to left. Marlins pitcher Wei-Yin Chen then balked to bring in Buster Posey. McCutchen would score with the bases loaded when Nick Hundley walked.
     The Fish again tied the contest 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth. Cameron Maybin hit a sacrifice fly to right for Anderson to score. Brinson got another RBI with a base hit to left field and Realmuto scored.
     In the seventh inning, the Giants got there third lead of the game. Brandon Crawford drove in McCutchen with a sacrifice fly to left and made it 5-4.
     The Marlins answered back in the bottom of the frame. Anderson knocked in Yadiel Rivera on a double to right field. Realmuto came to the plate next and blasted a go-ahead home run to center field on a 2-2 count.

Marlins Almost No-Hit By Padres

     Clayton Richard pitched a no-hitter for 6-2/3 innings as the San Diego Padres toppled the Miami Marlins 3-1 at Marlins Park on Sunday. It concluded the Marlins 25th anniversary celebration this weekend. The Marlins have lost nine of their last 12 games.
     San Diego(31-36) got on the scoreboard first during the top of the second. Freddy Galvis hit a sacrifice fly to center field for Hunter Renfroe to score.
     The Padres extended their lead to 3-0 in the sixth inning. American Heritage grad Eric Hosmer blasted a two-run homer to left-center field on a 3-2 pitch. Travis Jankowski scored in front of him on the play.
     Miami(23-42) got a tally in the bottom of the seventh inning. Miguel Rojas broke out the no-hitter with two outs as he singled into center. J.T. Riddle later knocked in Lewis Brinson with a base hit to right field.

Miami Dolphins On Magazine Covers

     Miami Dolphins players appear on the pro football annual magazine covers. This year the focal point was not on one star athlete.
      Lindy's Sports placed defensive lineman Cameron Wake on the cover. Athlon Sports had quarterback Ryan Tannenhill while Street & Smith's got defensive back Rashad Jones.

Padres Get By Marlins

     The San Diego Padres slipped by the Miami Marlins 5-4 at Marlins Park on Saturday. The Fish have fallen in eight of their last 11 games.
     San Diego(30-36) rocketed out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Cory Spangenberg knocked in Eric Hosmer with a base hit to right-center field. Freddy Galvis came up and Jose Pirela scored on a passed ball. Galvis then doubled to left which score Spangenberg.
     In the third inning, Miami(23-41) put up a tally. Derek Dietrich drove in Starlin Castro on a single to left field.
     The Padres were able to regain a three-run margin in the fourth. Galvis smacked a solo home run to right field on a 1-1 count.
     The Marlins tied the contest up 4-4 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Dietrich blasted a  solo homer to right-center on a 2-2 pitch. Justin Bour later scored on a wild pitch and Brian Anderson tied it up on a fielding error by Pirela during a Miguel Rojas at-bat.
     The eighth inning came and the Friars got the go-ahead run. Hunter Renfroe cross the plate when Travis Jankowski singled to right-center field.

Tommy Hutton On Marlins Telecasts

     Longtime Marlins television game analyst Tommy Hutton is returning to Fox Sports Florida on Monday. He will be used in a studio analyst capacity.
     Hutton worked as a game analyst for Marlins telecasts from 1997 until 2016. He teamed in the broadcast booth with play-by-play announcers Joe Angel, Dave O'Brien, Len Kasper and Rich Waltz. The Marlins franchise won two World Series titles in 1997 and 2003.
     He previously worked television broadcasts of the Montreal Expos, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays as a game analyst. Hutton replaced Gary Carter in 1997 for Florida Marlins games on SportsChannel Florida and WBFS-TV.

Marlins Dispose Of Padres

     The Miami Marlins began their 25th year anniversary weekend on Friday night as they handled the San Diego Padres 4-0 at Marlins Park. The Marlins wore their original home uniforms that they had during the 1993 season.
     Miami(23-40) placed two runs in the fourth inning. Lewis Brinson hit a sacrifice fly into left field and Justin Bour scored. Two batters later, Marlins starting pitcher Caleb Smith drove in Cameron Maybin with a single to right.
     San Diego(29-36) surrendered another run with the bases loaded in the fifth. Yadiel Rivera walked which caused Bour to cross the plate.
     In the sixth inning, the Fish made it 4-0. J.T. Realmuto grounded into a fielder's choice to short for Starlin Castro to score.

Cardinals Stop Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Thursday at Busch Stadium. The Fish had their two-game win streak halted. The Marlins completed a 10-game road trip and finished a stretch in which they played 16 of 19 games on the road.
     In the first inning, St. Louis(33-27) pulled out to a 2-0 lead. Jose Martinez powered a two-run homer to left field on a 2-1 count with Tommy Pham scoring in front of him.
     Miami(22-40) got their only tally during the top of the sixth. Justin Bour knocked in Starlin Castro with a double into center field.
     Former Marlin Marcell Ozuna extended the Cards margin in the bottom of the frame. He singled to left and brought home Pham.
     The Redbirds picked up an insurance run in the seventh inning. Luke Voit connected with a solo home run to left field on a 1-2 pitch.

Joy Taylor Joins The Herd

     Former Miami sports radio personality Joy Taylor will become the new sports anchor on nationally syndicated The Heard with Colin Cowherd at Fox Sports Radio and Fox Sports 1 on June 18. She replaces Kristine Leahy who recently left the program.
     Taylor moved to a national forum in 2016. She became the moderator of Undisputed with Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe in September 2016 and will be leaving that program. Taylor also co-hosted a Saturday afternoon show on Fox Sports Radio from April 2016 through 2017.
     She began her professional broadcasting career at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM as a producer, show sidekick, sports anchor and sports host. Taylor joined Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM as a morning sports anchor and show sidekick. She was elevated to morning co-host alongside Jonathan Zaslow when Marc Hochman exited the station in December 2013. Taylor left The Ticket in February 2016.

Kristina Pink On Thursday Night Football

     Former Miami sportscaster Kristina Pink has been named as a sideline reporter for Thursday Night Football games on Fox Sports. She has been an NFL sideline reporter for Fox Sports since September 2012. Pink added duties as a college football sideline reporter on Fox Sports and Fox Sports 1 in 2013.
     Pink was a sports anchor and sports reporter at NBC6 WTVJ-TV in Miami from December 2011 until late August 2012. She moved across the country to become the sideline reporter for Los Angeles Clippers games at Fox Sports West in October 2012. Pink had stints as a sportscaster at WDBD-TV in Jackson, Mississippi and WGNO-TV in New Orleans earlier in her career.

Marlins Outlast Cardinals

     The Miami Marlins disposed of the St. Louis Cardinals 11-3 on Wednesday night at Busch Stadium. The Marlins won their second straight contest after losing six consecutive games prior to that.
     The Redbirds announced at the start of the game that St. Louis Cardinals legend Red Schoendienst passed away at the age of 95. He was the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
     Miami(22-39) went out in front 3-0 in the third inning and never looked back. Derek Dietrich smacked a two-run homer to right field on a 0-1 pitch with Starlin Castro scoring in front of him. Brian Anderson grounded into a fielder's choice for J.T. Realmuto to score.
     The Cardinals answered back in the bottom of the third. Jose Martinez doubled to left and Tommy Pham got their first run of the game. St. Louis(32-27) made it 3-2 during the fourth when Yario Munoz hit a sacrifice fly into right field to score Harrison Bader.
     In the fifth inning, the Marlins piled on three more runs. Anderson drove in Dietrich with a double to center field. Bour scored on a throwing error by Munoz during a Miguel Rojas at-bat. J.T. Riddle later singled in Anderson with a hit into center.
     After the Fish put up two runs in the sixth, they added two runs in the top of the seventh for an eight-run margin. Lewis Brinson would connect on a solo home run to left on a 1-1 count to begin the seventh.
     The Cards generated one more run in the bottom of the seventh. Martinez got another RBI on a single to right and Matt Carpenter crossed the plate. Brinson whacked his second homer of the game for Miami in the eighth inning on a 1-0 pitch.

Steve Goldstein Working Belmont Stakes

     Florida Panthers television play-by-play announcer Steve Goldstein will be part of the radio broadcast of the Belmont Stakes at Westwood One and NBC Sports Radio on Saturday. Justify attempts to become the 13th horse in horse racing history to win the Triple Crown.
     Goldstein previously worked the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in May. He has been the Panthers television voice since 2007.

Marlins End Losing Streak Against Cards

     The Miami Marlins ended a six-game losing streak as they topped the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night. The Fish have won four of their last 16 games. Marlins starting pitcher won his first game after beginning the season with a 0-7 record.
     The Cards moved out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Yadiel Molina knocked in former Marlin Marcell Ozuna with a base hit into left field.
     Miami(21-39) responded with two runs in the top of the second. Justin Bour grounded into a double play for Stalin Castro to score. Brian Anderson then hit an infield single that scored Derek Dietrich.
     St. Louis(32-26) tied it 2-2 in the second. Tommy Pham ended up grounding out into double play for Matt Carpenter to score.
     The Marlins stretched the margin to 5-2 in the fifth inning. Bour drove in Dietrich with a sacrifice fly to left. Anderson followed smashing a two-run homer to right field on a 2-1 pitch.
     The Cardinals stayed close in the bottom of the frame with two runs to make it 5-4. Luke Voit scored on a fielder's choice by Pham. Ozuna came up next and singled to left which brought in Jose Martinez.
     In the sixth inning, Miami was able to pull away from the Redbirds. J.T. Riddle cracked a solo home run to center field on a 2-0 count. J.B. Schuck later scored on a sacrifice fly by Dietrich to third.

Nick Bosa On Phil Steele Magazine Cover

     The 2018 Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine was released. Former St. Thomas Aquinas and current Ohio State University Buckeyes defensive lineman Nick Bosa appears on the national edition front cover of the publication.
     He also appears on the front cover of other different 2018 annual football magazines. They include Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports and Street & Smith's.
     Bosa was with St. Thomas Aquinas for four years and he helped the Raiders capture three FHSAA Class 7A state championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015. He contributed to the Buckeyes Big 10 Conference title in 2017.

Diamondbacks Sweep Marlins

     The Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Miami Marlins with a 6-1 win at Chase Park on Sunday. The Marlins have lost six consecutive games and are now 1-6 on their 10-game road trip. The D-Backs outscored the Fish 21-4 in the three-game series.
     Arizona(31-27) loaded the bases during the bottom of the fifth. David Descalso grounded out to first for Nick Ahmed to score.
     In the seventh inning, the Diamonbacks added a couple of runs to go up 3-0. Descalco hit a sacrifice fly to center where Lewis Brinson make a fielding error. Jarrod Dyson and Ketel Marte scored on the play.
     Miami(20-39) surrendered another three runs in the eighth inning. David Peralta popped a solo home run to left field on a 0-1 pitch from Tayron Guerrero. It was the third straight contest that he homered against the Marlins. Chris Owings would later score on a wild pitch from third. Marte lined the ball through the left side of the infield and it kept rolling to the left-center field for a triple. Ahmed scored his second run of the game to make it 6-0.
     The Marlins finally scored in the top of the ninth. Justin Bour skyed a double to the top of the center-field wall that brought in J.T. Realmuto.

Marlins Fall To Diamondbacks

     The Arizona Diamondbacks rolled over the Miami Marlins 6-2 at Chase Field on Saturday night. The Fish have lost five straight and been on the losing end in 11 of their last 14 games.
     It was the same situation just like Friday as Arizona(30-27) scored in the first three innings. Paul Goldschmidt crushed a solo home run down the left-field line on a 2-1 pitch during the first.
     The D-Backs compiled two runs in the bottom of the second. Ketel Marte lined a triple to deep left center for Chris Owings to score. Two batters later, Marte scored on a sacrifice fly by former Marlin Jeff Mathis to left field.
     David Peralta jacked a two-run homer to left on a 2-2 count to make it 5-0 in the third inning. Goldschmidt scored in front of him on the play.
     The Diamondbacks extended their margin to six runs in the fifth inning. Deven Marrero walked with bases loaded and Nick Ahmed crossed the plate.
     In the sixth inning, Miami(20-38) finally got to Arizona starting pitcher Zack Greinke. Brian Anderson knocked in Starlin Castro with a triple into deep right field.
     The Marlins added another run with one out in the top of the ninth. Lewis Brinson smashed a solo home run to center field on a 1-1 pitch.

Diamondbacks Wallop Marlins

     The Miami Marlins continued their 10-game road swing and were pounded by the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-1 at Chase Field on Friday night. The Marlins have lost 10 of their last 13 games.
     Arizona(29-27) slowly built a big lead during the first three innings. David Peraltz singled to left field to scored Daniel Descalso in the first. Desclso lifted a two-run homer to right field in the second inning on a 2-0 pitch.
      Jake Lamb added a solo home run to left on a 2-1 count in the third. Three batters later, Peralta followed with a solo shot to left on a 3-2 pitch.
     In the fifth inning, John Ryan Murphy slammed a two-run homer to left center on the first pitch. Ketel Marte later added a solo home run on a 2-2 count to left-center field to make it 8-0.
     Miami(20-37) garnered their only run of the contest in the top of the seventh. Lewis Brinson knocked in Derek Dietrich with a base hit into shallow center field.
     The D-Backs concluded the game in the eighth. Marte connected with his second solo homer of the game on a 1-2 pitch.