Heat Hold Off Bucks

     The Miami Heat slipped by the Milwaukee Bucks 115-104 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday night. The contest was held at the Field House in Lake Buena Vista. 

     It was high scoring by both clubs during the first quarter as Milwaukee led 40-29. Miami was able to cut the deficit down to one point with one minute left in the second quarter and trailed the Bucks 63-60 at halftime. The Heat eventually got ahead and were up 92-86 after three quarters. Miami went on a 16-5 spurt to go up 111-101 with 1:16 left. in the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler led the Heat with a game-high 40 points while Goran Dragic added 27 points. Bam Adebayo collected a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Khris Middleton had a team-high 28 points and Brook Lopez dropped in 24 points for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo fell short of a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. 

Marlins Slide By Mets

     The Miami Marlins came back to defeat the New York Mets 5-3 at Citi Field on Monday. It was a make-up contest from August 27 when both clubs protested at the start of the game because of racial injustice.

     New York(15-20) went out in front during the third inning. Jeff McNeil drove in Ahmed Rosario on a double to right field. Two batters later, Dominic Smith hit a sacrifice fly into right to bring home Brandon Nimmo for a 2-0 lead. 

     Miami(15-15) put up four runs in the top of the sixth and took the lead 4-2.  Garrett Cooper led off the inning and drilled a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch. Three batters later, Lewin Diaz lined a double to the right-center field alley and Matt Joyce scored. Miguel Rojas then knocked in Diaz on a looping base hit into shallow left. Jorge Alfaro followed and doubled to the right-field corner for Rojas to cross the plate. 

     The Mets answered back and closed it to 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth. Robinson Cano sliced a solo homer to left-center field on a 2-2 count for his sixth home run of the 2020 season. 

     In the eight inning, the Marlins expanded their lead to 5-3. Brian Anderson lifted a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch. 

Marlins Acquire Starling Marte From Diamondbacks

     The Miami Marlins have acquired outfielder Starling Marte from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Fish send pitchers Caleb Smith,  Humberto Mejia and Julio Frias to the D-backs in the four-player deal. 

     Marte joined Arizona for the 2020 campaign after spending his first eight seasons of his major league career with Pittsburgh Pirates. He compiled two home runs, 14 runs batted in and a .311 batting average in 33 games with the Diamondbacks. 

Marlins Trade Jonathan Villar To Blue Jays

     The Miami Marlins have traded Jonathan Villar to the Toronto Blue Jays for Griffin Conine. The Marlins are expected to reinstate Isan Diaz to take his place on the roster.

     Villar joined the Marlins in a trade from the Baltimore Orioles in December 2019. He entered the game on Monday with two home runs and nine runs batted in and .272 batting average in 29 games with Miami this season. 

     Conine is the son former Miami Marlins outfielder and broadcaster Jeff Conine, a.k.a. Mr. Marlin. He was drafted out of high school by Miami in the 31st round and eventually played college baseball at Duke University.  

New York Rangers Add Jacques Martin

     The New York Rangers have hired Jacques Martin as their new assistant coach and replaces Lindy Ruff. He was recently an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins until earlier this month and contributed to their two Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. 

     Martin was the Florida Panthers head coach from May 2004 to April 2008. He also was the Panthers general manager for three seasons from 2006-07 until 2008-09. The club never made any postseason appearances during his reign. 

A.J. Ramos Signing With Cubs

     Former Miami Marlins relief pitcher A.J. Ramos is signing a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs. He has not pitched in the majors since 2018 with the New York Mets. 

     Ramos was with the Marlins from 2012 until 2017. He had a 15-16 record in 374 appearances with the Fish during that time. 

Miami Dolphins Make Roster Moves

     The Miami Dolphins made some minor changes in their roster. They signed wide receiver Andy Jones and released linebacker James Crawford. 

     Jones was with the Miami Dolphins during the 2019 season, however he did not play in any regular season contests. He previously was with the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans. Jones did have 11 catches for 80 receiving yards and one touchdown with the Lions in 2018. 

     Crawford played in three games with Miami last season and had one assisted tackle. He once was with the Green Bay Packers in 2018. 

Florida Panthers Ink Brady Keeper

     The Florida Panthers have re-signed defenseman Brady Keeper to a one-year contract. He was with the Panthers AHL affiliate the Springfield Thunderbirds during the 2019-20 season and compiled 18 points in 61 games. 

     Keeper played in Game 2 of the best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifier Series for the Florida Panthers against the New York Islanders earlier this month. He had two blocks and two hits in that one contest. 

Kalen Ballage Staying With Dolphins

     Running back Kalen Ballage will be remaining with the Miami Dolphins. The trade between the Dolphins and the New York Jets from last week has been cancelled because Ballage failed his physical. 

     Ballage was taken by Miami in the 2018 NFL Draft during the fourth round. He has 110 carries for 326 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 24 games over the past two seasons. 

Nashville SC Stops Inter Miami CF

     Inter Miami CF was shut out by Nashville SC 1-0 on Sunday night at Nissan Stadium. It was the first road game for Inter Miami CF since the MLS Tournament in Orlando. Nashville SC won their first Major League Soccer home game in franchise history. 

     The only goal in the contest was by Nashville SC in the second half. Anibal Godoy was able to capitalize on an Inter Miami clearing pass and blasted a right-footed shot from 19 yards out into the top right corner of the cage in the 53rd minute of play. 

Rays Slam And Sweep Marlins

     The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Miami Marlins 12-7 on Sunday at Marlins Park and swept the three-game series. The Marlins, who have lost four straight games, fell below the .500 mark for the first time this season. The Rays have won their last eight games against the Marlins. 

     Tampa Bay(24-11) rocketed out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Joey Wendle led off the contest with a solo homer to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch. Three batters later, Yoshi Tsutsugo smashed a solo home run to right-center field on a 1-2 count with Yandy Diaz aboard. 

     The Rays make it a five-run gap in the top of the fourth. Kevan Smith grounded into a force out at third with the bases loaded and Brian O'Grady scored. Brian Anderson made a throwing error to first for Kevin Kiermaier to score. 

     Miami(14-15) finally got on the scoreboard at Marlins Park against the Rays for the first time in forty innings during the bottom of the fourth. Corey Dickerson powered a solo home run to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch. 

     In the fifth inning, Tampa Bay added four more runs on one play. Willy Adames lifted a grand slam homer barely over the left-field fence on a 2-0 count. Choi, Diaz and Tsutsugo all scored in front of Adames. 

     Hunter Renfroe later doubled off the right-field wall and O'Grady crossed the plate for a 10-1 lead. Kiermaier came up next and walloped a two-run home run to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch to score Renfroe. 

     The Marlins cut the large deficit in the bottom of the frame. Lewis Brinson nailed a solo home run to left-center field on a 2-1 count. It was his first home run in the majors since September 7, 2018. 

     The Fish made it 12-3 in the sixth inning. Garrett Cooper smashed the first pitch over the left-center field fence for a solo homer. 

     Miami closed it to 12-7 in the bottom of the seventh. Cooper hit a double down the left-field line that scored Chad Wallach, Jon Berti and Dickerson. Matt Joyce followed with a single to right field which brought in Cooper. 

Rays Shut Out Marlins Again

     The Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Miami Marlins 4-0 at Marlins Park on Saturday night. It was the second straight game that Miami(14-14) was held scoreless by the Rays. 

     Tampa Bay(23-11) waited until the sixth inning to go up 1-0. Yandy Diaz had an infield hit to the left side of the infield for Michael Perez to score. 

     In the seventh inning, the Rays made it 2-0. Kevin Kiermaier knocked in Joey Wendle with a single into center field. 

     It became 4-0 for Tampa Bay in the top of the eighth inning. Hunter Renfroe and Ji-Man Choi scored on a Wendle ground-rule double to right-center field. 

Vincent Viola Will Not Co-Own New York Mets

     Florida Panthers majority owner Vincent Viola will not end up becoming a co-owner of the New York Mets. He was involved with Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez as one of remaining three bidding groups that wanted to buy the Mets from Palm Beach resident Fred Wilpon along with his son Jeff Wilpon. 

     They did make the largest offer to the Wilpon family to buy the team. Mets minority owner Steven Cohen will now have the exclusive negotiations to purchase the club.

Raekwon McMillan Traded To Las Vegas Raiders

     The Miami Dolphins have traded linebacker Raekwon McMillan and a 2021 fifth-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders. The club will receive back a 2021 fourth-round draft pick.

     McMillan was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He started in all 16 games during the 2018 season and played in 13 contests in 2019. McMillan was able to compile 177 combined tackles in his two regular seasons with Miami. 

C.J. Silas In San Luis Obispo

      Former Miami sports talk radio host C.J. Silas is in San Luis Obispo. She hosts a Wednesday afternoon sports show on KXTK-AM. Silas, a Syracuse University grad, has been the baseball public address announcer of Cal Poly Tech home games for the last couple of years. 

     Silas first started at ESPN as the Sunday Night Baseball producer and Jim Rome Show producer on ESPN2. She then joined KJR-AM in Seattle as a sports talk host. Silas landed at 560 WQAM-AM in Miami as a weekend host and fill-in host. She then was at CBS Sportsline.com in Fort Lauderdale as an evening host.

     She went back to Seattle as a weekend host on KJR-AM and morning co-host at KJR-FM. Silas later went on the national airwaves as an afternoon co-host on Fox Sports Radio and fill-in host at ESPN Radio. 

Rays Blank Marlins

     The Tampa Bay Rays shut out the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Friday night at Marlins Park. The Rays continues to remain on top in the American League East while the Marlins are in playoff contention. 

     Tampa Bay(22-11) moved ahead in the eighth inning. Yandy Diaz singled up the middle to score Austin Meadows. 

     Miami(14-13) surrendered another run in the top of the ninth. Michael Perez knocked in Joey Wendle with a base hit into right field. 

Dolphins Ink Avery Moss

      The Miami Dolphins have inked defensive end Avery Moss to a new deal. He was with the Dolphins last season and had 25 combined tackles in 11 games. 

     Moss played the 2017 season with the New York Giants. He had 15 combined tackles in 11 contests. 

Marlins Return Sterling Sharp To Nationals

     The Miami Marlins have returned pitcher Sterling Sharp to the Washington Nationals. He was a Rule 5 Draft pick by the Marlins from the Nationals in 2019. 
     Sharp did get to appear in the majors with the Marlins during the 2020 season. He played in four games and had a 10.13 earned-run-average in 5 1/3 innings. 

Marlins And Mets Game Postponed

     The Miami Marlins and New York Mets game for Thursday night at Citi Field has been postponed. Both clubs protested the contest due to racial injustice. 

     The Mets had taken the field prior to the start of the contest. Both teams stepped out of their dugouts prior the first pitch and took a 42-second moment of silence. Both the Marlins and Mets then left the field and went to their own locker rooms. 

Kalen Ballage Traded To Jets

     The Miami Dolphins made a rare deal with another AFC East Division team. They traded running back Kalen Ballage to the New York Jets for a conditional late-round pick. 

     Ballage was selected by the Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He had 110 carries for 326 yards and four touchdowns in 24 games over two seasons. 

Mets Edge Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were topped by the New York Mets 5-4 at Citi Field on Tuesday night. The Marlins had their three-game winning streak stopped. 

     In the first inning, New York(13-16) scored their first run since their hiatus from Major League Baseball. Robinson Cano smacked a ground-rule double over the right-field wall to score Michael Conforto. 

     The Mets made it 2-0 in the bottom of the third. Conforto belted a solo home run to right field on a 3-2 pitch. 

     Miami(14-12) cut it to 2-1 in the top of the fourth. Corey Dickerson grounded out to first for Matt Joyce to score. 

     New York expanded their lead in the fifth inning. Brandon Nimmo connected with a solo homer to right on a 0-1 count. Conforto would later score on a ground out by Dominic Smith to second.

     The Marlins added three runs with the bases loaded during the eighth inning and tied it 4-4. Jesus Aguilar knocked in Jorge Alfaro with an infield hit to the left side. Dickerson followed with a walk and Jonathan Villar crossed the plate. Brian Anderson came up next and walked to bring home Jon Berti. 

     The Mets responded in the bottom of the frame. Wilson Ramos singled into right field and Billy Hamilton scored to make it 5-4. 

Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United FC Game Postponed

     The Inter Miami CF game against Atlanta United FC on Wednesday night at Inter Miami CF Stadium was called off. Both clubs protested over racial injustice and mutually agreed not to play the contest. It was to be the second home game in Inter Miami CF franchise history. 

     Other sporting events were also postponed today. Three games were to be played in the NBA Playoffs being held outside of Orlando. Four other Major League Soccer games were also postponed. 

Miami Dolphins Claim Salvon Ahmed

     The Miami Dolphins have picked up running back Salvon Ahmed off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers. He has not participated in a National Football League regular season contest yet. 

     Ahmed played college football with the University of Washington from 2017 to 2019. He had 188 carries for 1,022 yards and 11 touchdowns during his junior season last year.

Dolphins Re-Sign Trent Harris

     The Miami Dolphins have re-signed linebacker Trent Harris to a deal. The club waived Harris back on July 26. 

     Harris was with the Dolphins last season. He played in 11 games and had 22 combined tackles and one forced fumble. 

Marlins Sweep Doubleheader From Mets

     Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Rogers made his major league debut as Miami swept a doubleheader and allowed no runs against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday night. The Marlins won the second seventh-inning game 3-0 between both clubs with New York(12-16) designated as the visiting team. 

     Miami(14-11) got two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Brain Anderson hit a double into left field that scored Jon Berti and Corey Dickerson. 

     A rare feat happened in the sixth inning. Berti was able to not only steal second base and third base, he stole home standing up with Mets relief pitcher Jeurys Familia on the mound. 

Marlins Blank Returning Mets

     The Miami Marlins shut out the New York Mets 4-0 in a seven-inning contest for the first game of a doubleheader. New York(12-15) have not played since August 19 in Miami due to two people in their organization that tested positive for coronavirus. 

     Miami(13-11) scored three runs in the second inning. Lewis Brinson got a base hit to left field and Brian Anderson scored. Miguel Rojas followed with a two-run single to right field which brought in Jorge Alfaro and Brinson.

     The Marlins extended their lead to 4-0 in the top of the second. Lewin Diaz picked up his first career RBI on a shot through the right side of the infield and Anderson crossed the plate. 

Curtis Weaver Waived By Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins have waived linebacker Curtis Weaver. He was injured during their team practice on Saturday and was designated to the injury list. Weaver was eventually claimed by the Cleveland Browns.

     Weaver was selected by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He did play college football at Boise State and participated in 40 games during three seasons. 

Carolina Panthers Waive Jordan Scarlett

     The Carolina Panthers have waived running back Jordan Scarlett. He played in nine games for that club last season and had four carries for nine yards.

     Scarlett played his senior year of high school football with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders and helped the school win the FHSAA Class 7A state championship in 2014.  He attended the University of Florida and was with the Gators for four seasons. 

Marlins Knock Down Nationals

      The Miami Marlins finished off a five-game series with the Washington Nationals and were victorious 11-8 at Nationals Park on Monday night. The Fish next head to New York for a doubleheader on Tuesday and face the Mets, who has not played a game since August 19 in Miami due to the positive tests of two people to coronavirus. 

     Miami(12-11) moved ahead 1-0 during the third inning. Jesus Aguilar walked with the bases loaded and Jonathan Villar scored. 

     In the fourth inning, the Marlins compiled six more runs for a 7-0 lead. Brian Anderson scored on a base hit up the middle by Villar. Matt Joyce followed with a two-run single into right field to score Jorge Alfaro and Villar. Aguilar came up and doubled to center which brought in Miguel Rojas and Joyce. Corey Dickerson capped the big rally and drove in Aguilar with a single into right field. 

     Washington(11-15) got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with three runs. Victor Robles hit a sacrifice fly to center field for Yan Gomes to score. Adam Eaton knocked in Eric Thames with a single into left field. Two batters later, Howie Kendrick had a RBI-single to right which scored Eaton. 

     The Marlins compiled two runs in the seventh and two runs in the eighth. The Nationals were able to keep pace with two runs in the seventh and three runs in the eighth for an 11-8 gap. 

Heat Sweep Pacers

     The Miami Heat finished off the first-round series with a 99-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at the Field House in Lake Buena Vista. It was the sixth series sweep for Miami in their franchise history winning 4-0 in the best-of-five series. The Heat will move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals and face the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic series.

     Indiana was ahead 22-21 after one quarter, however Miami came back to lead 48-42 by halftime. The Heat remained in front 70-62 after three quarters. The Pacers were able to cut the deficit down to five points 91-85 with 3:36 left in the fourth. 

     Bam Adebayo put together a double-double of 14 points and 19 rebounds for Miami. Goran Dragic added 23 points while Tyler Herro had 16 points. Myles Turner compiled a double-double with 22 points along with 14 rebounds and Victor Oladipo dropped in 25 points for Indiana. 

Dolphins Home Games To Have Fans

      The Miami Dolphins announced on Monday that the team will have 2020 home games at Hard Rock Stadium with fans in attendance. It solved a big question for the club in terms of team revenue this season if fans will be allowed to watch the game from inside the stadium facility with the coronavirus pandemic threat. 

     The Dolphins will host eight regular season contests this year. The club will allow only twenty percent of the stands to be filled which is a total of a maximum amount of 13,000.  Miami will play their first home game of the season against the Buffalo Bills on September 20. 

Nationals Breeze By Marlins

      The Washington Nationals pounded the Miami Marlins 9-3 on Sunday at Nationals Park. The Marlins have lost seven of their last nine games.  Both clubs conclude their five-game series on Monday. 

     Washington(11-14) scored in the first inning. Howie Kendrick doubled into center field to score Trea Turner. 

     Miami(11-11) tied it up 1-1 in the top of the second. Corey Dickerson sliced the first pitch over the left-field fence for his third homer with his new club. 

     The Nats reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the second. Turner hit the ball to short for an infield single with Luis Garcia crossing the plate.

     The Nationals added on two more runs in the fourth inning. Adam Eaton lined a double to the right-field warning track for Garcia and Turner to score. 

     In the fifth inning, Washington chalked up five more runs for a 9-1 lead. The bases were loaded when Carter Kieboom walked and Eric Thames scored. Victor Robles came up next and singled to through the left side which brought in Kurt Suzuki and Garcia. Turner then tripled down the right-field line for Kieboom and Robles to score. 

     The Marlins got two more runs in the ninth inning. Berti knocked in Magneuris Sierra with a single to left field. Jesus Sanchez followed with a RBI-double into the left-field corner for his first base hit in the majors to score Berti. 

FrontPage305 Podcast

      Several Miami sportswriters have come together to form the FrontPage305 Podcast. It consists of Manny Navarro, Andre Fernandez and Walter Villa.

      The first podcast was initiated on June 27. They were added to SLAM Radio at SiriusXM Radio on August 4 for a live noon program on Tuesdays.

     Navarro has worked at The Athletic Miami as the University of Miami Hurricanes athletic program beat writer since September 2018. He previously had a long tenure at the Miami Herald for 23 years. Navarro covered high school sports in Dade County and Broward County followed by being the Miami Heat reporter. 

     Fernandez recently was the Miami Heat beat reporter for The Athletic Miami from September 2018 to June 2020. Prior to that, he was employed with the Miami Herald as their lead high school sports reporter until early 2018 and elevated to the Miami Marlins beat writer position for the 2018 season. 

     Villa currently works for the Miami Herald. He has written articles on high school sports, college sports and pro sports at that newspaper. 

Inter Miami CF Wins Franchise Home Opener

      Inter Miami CF finally held their first home opener in franchise history on Saturday night and defeated Orlando City SC 3-2 at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The home opener had been slated for March 14 against LA Galaxy, however the coronavirus pandemic postponed it and changed the 2020 season for Major League Soccer. It was also the first franchise victory for Inter Miami CF after five straight losses to begin the season.  

     It started off great for Inter Miami CF as they scored the opening goal at the 12th minute. Rodolfo Pizarro placed a left-outlet pass from the center of the field. Julian Carranza dribbled the ball into the box on the left side and struck an 11-yard shot with his left foot into the low left corner of the net. 

     Orlando City SC evened it up 1-1 at the 18-minute mark. Daryl Dike took a shot from 14 yards from the right shot which was saved, however he got the rebound in the middle of the box and blasted in a goal from 14 yards into the right side of the net for his first MLS goal. 

     Inter Miami CF made it 2-1 during the 23rd minute. Ben Sweat kicked a cross from the left side of the field and Carranza headed the ball from the inside the right side of the six-yard box high into the top left corner of the cage. 

     Momentum continued for Inter Miami CF in the second half in the 49th minute. The team sent a cross from the right wing which was moved across more with a head ball and Pizarro volleyed the ball with his right foot from 11 yards out into the low right corner of the net for a 3-1 lead. 

     It remained a close contest as Orlando City SC cut the gap again around the 80th minute. Nani was able to score for the Lions.

Marlins Split Doubleheader With Nationals

     Marlins starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez made his Major League Baseball debut as they took the Washington Nationals with a 5-3 victory in the second game of a doubleheader at Nationals Park. The Marlins were designated as the home team in this contest.

     Washington(10-14) struck first and led 1-0 in the top of the third. Yan Gomes connected a solo home run to center field on a 0-1 pitch. 

     Miami(11-10) answered back quickly in the bottom of the third against Nationals starting pitcher William Crowe who also was making his debut in the majors. Corey Dickerson towered a two-run homer to right-center field on a 1-1 count with Matt Joyce aboard. 

     The Fish added two more runs in the fourth inning. Magneuris Sierra was at the plate with the bases loaded with two out when he struck out, but the ball hit the home plate umpire's mask and rolled into the Marlins third-base dugout for Jorge Alfaro to score from third. Pinch-hitter Lewis Brinson followed with a base hit to short which brought in Jon Berti for a 4-1 lead. 

     The Nationals cut the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the fifth. Victor Robles pounded a two-run home run down the left-field line on a 3-1 pitch with Gomes scoring in front of him. 

     The Marlins pulled ahead 5-3 in the bottom of the frame. Berti drove in Brian Anderson on a sacrifice fly into left. 

Marlins Lose First Game Of Doubleheader

      The Miami Marlins played in the first game of a doubleheader and fell to the Washington Nationals 5-4 in a seven-inning contest at Nationals Park on Saturday. The Marlins did previously play in a doubleheader during the 2020 Major League Baseball season involving seven-inning games on August 5 at the Baltimore Orioles. 

     The Nationals knocked out Marlins starting pitcher Daniel Castano in the first inning. Trea Turner was able to score from third on an infield hit to the hole on the left side by Asdrubal Cabrera. Two batters later, Josh Harrison singled into left field and Howie Kendrick scored. 

     Washington(10-13) made it a three-run margin in the bottom of the third. Kendrick drove in Turner on a sacrifice fly to center field. 

     Miami(10-10) surrendered another run in the fourth inning and were down 5-0. Harrison knocked in Kurt Suzuki with a single into right field. Victor Robles later lined a ball to left field and Corey Dickerson dropped the ball when catching it. It was classified as a sacrifice fly for Harrison to cross the plate. 

     In the fifth inning, the Marlins broke the shutout and crawled back into the contest. Jonathan Villar sliced a base hit into shallow left for Magneuris Sierra to score. Matt Joyce followed with his first home run as a Miami player on a 1-1 pitch to right-center field which scored Villar. Jesus Sanchez came out with the bases loaded and walked to score Jesus Aguilar to make it 5-4. 

Heat Outstride Pacers In Game 3

     The Miami Heat escaped the Indiana Pacers 124-115 in Game 3 of the first round series at AdventHealth Arena in Lake Buena Vista on Saturday. Miami set a franchise record with 124 points in a playoff contest. The Heat now have a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and look to sweep the Pacers, who have lost eight consecutive postseason games, on Monday. 

     Miami had a 34-27 edge after one quarter. The Heat went on an 11-2 spurt to go up 60-43 with 4:51 left in the second quarter and led 74-56 at halftime. The 74 points was the most points scored by Miami in a half for a playoff game. Indiana cut the deficit as they outscored Miami 34-20 in the third quarter and trailed 94-90. The Heat made a 10-3 run in the final two minutes of the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler had a team-high 27 points along with eight rebounds while Goran Dragic contributed 24 points and six assists for Miami. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler Herro was able to drop in 20 points. Malcolm Brogdon got a game-high 34 points and 14 assists for the Pacers.

Dolphins Get Nate Holley

     The Miami Dolphins have signed linebacker Nate Holley to a contract. He had the status of an unrestricted free agent and has not played a regular season game in the National Football League. 

     Holley played safety for Kent State from 2013 to 2016. He had one interception and 256 solo tackles in 43 games with them. 

Aleksi Saarela Heads To Finland

      Florida Panthers forward Aleksi Saarela will be joining Luuko in the Finnish Elite League for the next couple of months. Saarela did play for that club in the 2016-17 season. He will be playing there until the restricted free agent has a new contract with the Panthers. 

     Saarela was acquired by Florida from the Chicago Blackhawks for Ian McCoshen on October 22, 2019. He played in nine games during the 2019-20 regular season with the Panthers and compiled two goals along with two assists. 

Daniel Kilgore To Sign With Chiefs

     Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore is expected to sign a deal with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. It will be his third NFL club to be on. He played his first seven seasons in the National Football League with the San Francisco 49ers. 

     Kilgore joined the Dolphins in 2018 and only played four games that season due to injury. He started in 13 games for Miami during the 2019 season. 

Marlins Halt Losing Streak Versus Nationals

      The Miami Marlins returned to the road and slipped by the Washington Nationals X-X on Friday night at Nationals Park. The Marlins won their 2,000th franchise victory and were able to stop a five-game losing streak. The Marlins home game on Thursday night against the Mets was postponed because members of the Mets organization tested positive for the coronavirus.

     Miami(10-9) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Miguel Rojas hammered a three-run homer to left field on a 2-0 pitch. Jorge Alfaro and Lewis Brinson both scored in front of him on the play. 

     The Nationals got one run back in the bottom of the second. Yan Gomes belted a solo home run to center field on a 2-2 count. 

     In the third inning, Washington(9-13) made it 3-2. Former Park Vista High School grad Trea Turner sliced a solo homer on a 2-1 pitch to right-center field. 

Sixto Sanchez Called Up By Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have promoted pitcher Sixto Sanchez to the majors. He is expected to pitch for the club sometime this week. 

     Sanchez is a top prospect in their minor league system. He was the key piece that was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies for J.T. Realmuto. Sanchez had a 2.19 earned-run-average last season in the minors and 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings. 

Brandon Marshall Joins Fox Sports 1

     Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be joining Fox Sports 1 as their new morning co-host of First Things First on Monday. He replaced Cris Carter who was last seen on the program in November 2019. 

     Marshall played with six different clubs during his 13-year career in the National Football League. He was with the Dolphins in 2010 and 2011. Marshall compiled 167 pass receptions for 2,228 yards and nine touchdowns in 30 games. 

Marlins And Mets Game Postponed

     The Miami Marlins home game against the New York Mets on Thursday night at Marlins Park has been postponed. One player and one staff member of the Mets organization has tested positive for coronavirus. 

     Both clubs have faced each other for the past three days in Miami. No word if the Marlins game in Washington will be played on Friday night. The Mets home contest versus the New York Yankees on Friday has also been postponed by Major League Baseball due to the circumstances. 

Heat Expose Pacers

     The Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 109-100 in Game 2 on Thursday at The Field House outside of Orlando. The Heat set a franchise record with 18 three-point field goals made in a postseason game and now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.

     The Heat jumped out to a quick lead 12-3 in the first three minutes of the contest thanks to three straight three-point shots made by Duncan Robinson. Indiana overcame it and led 24-22 after one quarter of play. Miami scored seven straight points near the end of the second quarter and were in front 51-46 at halftime. The Heat pushed ahead 88-77 after three quarters and held at least a seven-point margin throughout the final quarter. 

     Robinson guided Miami with 24 points while Goran Dragic hammered in 20 points. Jimmy Butler was able to add 18 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. Victor Oladipo had a team-high 22 points for Indiana. 

Obafemi Ayanbadejo Baltimore Ravens Announcer

     The Baltimore Ravens have named Obafemi Ayanbadejo as their new radio game analyst. He will begin with the club in early September when the 2020 NFL season starts. 

     Ayanbadejo once played for the Miami Dolphins during the 2003 season as he made 12 catches for 53 yards in 16 games. Ayanbadejo did win Super Bowl XXXV with the Ravens over the New York Giants. His brother Brendon Ayanbadejo was with Miami in 2003 and 2004. 

Mets Get By Marlins

     The New York Mets defeated the Miami Marlins 5-3 at Marlins Park on Wednesday night. The Marlins have lost five straight games. The Mets look to sweep the four-game series against the Marlins on Thursday. 

     In the second inning, New York(12-14) took a 1-0 lead. Wilson Ramos hit a sacrifice fly into right field that scored Pete Alonso. 

     The Mets made it 2-0 during the top of the seventh. Luis Guillorme singled to right field and Alonso crossed the plate.  

     Miami(9-9) cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the frame. Eddy Alvarez was able to score from third on a wild pitch by Justin Wilson. 

     New York regained a two-run lead in the eighth inning. Dominic Smith knocked in Michael Conforto with a double into right field. 

     The Marlins loaded the bases in the bottom of the eight. Alvarez was hit by a pitch and Jesus Aguilar scored on the play. Logan Forsythe came up next and walked for Matt Joyce to tie the contest 3-3. 

     The lead changed again in the ninth inning as the Mets reclaimed the lead 5-3. Conforto cracked a two-run homer to center field on a 2-1 pitch with Brandon Nimmo aboard. 

Vince Biegel Out For Season With Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins will not have linebacker Vince Biegel available for the 2020 NFL season. He tore his achilles tendon on Tuesday. 

     Biegel was acquired by the Dolphins on September 2, 2019 from the New Orleans Saints for Kiko Alonso. He played in 15 games last season with the Fins and compiled 59 combined tackles and one interception. 

Mets Pull Away From Marlins

     The New York Mets handled the Miami Marlins 8-3 at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. The Marlins have lost four straight games and seven of their last nine contests. 

     New York(11-14) opened up the scoring in the third inning. Brandon Nimmo blasted a solo home run to right-center field on a 1-0 pitch. 

     The Mets added on two runs in the following frame. J.D. Davis belted a solo homer over the center-field wall on a 1-0 count. Dominic Smith later hit a ground-rule double to left field which scored Michael Conforto. 

     In the bottom of the fourth, Miami(9-8) got on the scoreboard. Jesus Aguilar knocked in Matt Joyce on a double to deep right. Two batters later, Aguilar scored on a base hit by Brian Anderson into right field to make it 3-2. 

     New York extended their lead to 4-2 in the seventh inning. Amed Rosario ripped a solo home run on a 2-1 pitch to left field. 

     Four more runs scored for the Mets in the top of the eighth inning. Smith walked was the bases loaded and Conforto crossed the plate. Rosario came up next and drove in Robinson Cano along with Pete Alonso on a two-run single to right. Nimmo then singled to right and pinch-runner Billy Hamilton scored for an 8-2 lead. 

     The Fish scored in the ninth inning and closed it to 8-3. Magneuris Sierra hit the ball down the third-base line and Francisco Cervelli scored following a throwing error by Edwin Diaz. 

Heat Take Pacers In Game 1

     The 2020 NBA Playoffs finally began on Tuesday for the Miami Heat as they topped the Indiana Pacers 113-101 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at AdventHealth Arena in Lake Buena Vista. The Pacers moved past the Heat for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference during the final game of the regular season between both clubs on Saturday. 

     Indiana held a 33-27 lead with a late 11-6 spurt at the end of the first quarter. Miami took control in the second quarter and led at halftime 56-52. The Heat remained in front 81-80 after three quarters and moved ahead 107-95 with 2:29 left in the final quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler led Miami with 28 points while Goran Dragic dropped in 24 points. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Pacers got 22 points apiece from T.J. Warren and Malcolm Brogdon. 

Mets Slam Marlins

     The Miami Marlins continued their first home stand of the 2020 regular season with an 11-4 loss to the New York Mets on Monday night at Marlins Park. The Marlins have fallen in six of their last eight games. 

     Miami(9-7) scooted to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Matt Joyce hit a double into the right-center field gap to score Jonathan Villar. 

     New York(10-14) answered quickly in the top of the second. Dominic Smith had a two-run double to right field which brought in Michael Conforto and Robinson Cano. Two batters later, Smith scored on a double by Amed Rosario to center. 

     It became 5-1 for the Mets in the following inning. Cano lined a two-run homer to right-center field on a full count with J.D. Davis aboard. 

     In the fifth inning, they made it a five-run margin. Pete Alonso lifted a solo home run over the left-field fence on the first pitch. 

     The Marlins cut the lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the frame. Villar smacked a solo homer on the first pitch to center field. 

     The Mets added four more runs in the top of the sixth. Jeff McNeil knocked in Brandon Nimmo on a sacrifice fly to right. They then got back-to-back home runs as Cano and Alonso both nailed their second home runs of the contest to make it 10-2. 

     The Fish brought in second baseman Logan Forsythe to pitch in the ninth inning. New York increased their lead to 11-2 when Billy Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly into left for Rosario to cross the plate. 

     Miami put up two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Lewin Diaz drove in Monte Harrison with a base hit into center field. Jon Berti later singled through the left side with the bases loaded to score Diaz. 

Inter Miami CF Home Opener Saturday

     Inter Miami CF has set their schedule for the next month. They will finally have their home opener at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night against Orlando City SC. 

     The team was to have their franchise home opener back on March 14 against LA Galaxy. It was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic that stopped Major League Soccer and the regular season. 

      The regular season slate in the next 30 days for Inter Miami CF has been released. They host Atlanta United FC on August 26 and Nashville SC on September 6. The club will visit Nashville SC August 30, Atlanta United FC September 2 and Orlando City SC on September 12. 

Tommylee Lewis Signs With Carolina Panthers

     Former local high school football player Tommylee Lewis has signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers. Lewis played high school football with the Dwyer Panthers as a wide receiver. He was with Northern Illinois University from 2011 until 2015. 

     Lewis was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints in 2016 and remained there for three seasons. He is best remembered as the wide receiver when a controversial defensive pass interference situation was not called by the game officials late in the fourth quarter of the 2018 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams. The NFL later apologized for the missed call by the officiating crew. Lewis signed with the Detroit Lions in 2019 and did not play a regular season contest. 

Aubrey Hill Passes Away

     Aubrey Hill passed away on Sunday at the age of 48. He has been associated with high school football and college football in the state of Florida. 

     Hill attended and played for Miami Carol City High School. He helped the Chiefs capture the FHSAA Class 6A state championship in 2016 as their head coach. 

     He moved on to the University of Florida as a wide receiver. Hill contributed to the Gators winning three SEC championships in 1991, 1993 and 1994. He became a graduate assistant with the football program and stayed there from 1996 until 1998. 

     Hill had stints as a wide receiver coach at Duke, Elon and Pittsburgh prior to returning to South Florida. He joined the University of Miami in 2008 to coach the wide receivers and added duties as the Hurricanes recruiting coordinator for one year in 2010. 

     He went back to Florida as a wide receiver coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011 to 2012. Hill returned to Miami Carol City and was the head coach from 2013 until 2016. He has been with Florida International University as the Panthers wide receivers coach over the past four years. 

Braves Shut Out Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves dropped the Miami Marlins 4-0 on Marlins Park on Sunday. The Marlins have lost five of their last seven games. Miami(9-6) will continue their first home stand of the 2020 regular season on Monday against the New York Mets. 

     Atlanta(13-10) pulled ahead 1-0 during the top of the sixth. Nick Markakis singled into right field to score Dansby Swanson. 

     In the seventh inning, the Braves were able to get a two-out rally and load the bases. Marcell Ozuna walked and Ender Inciarte crossed the plate. Markakis followed with a double to the right-field warning track which brought in Swanson and Freddie Freeman to make it 4-0. 

Miami Dolphins Claim Jeremiah Dinson

     The Miami Dolphins have claimed defensive back Jeremiah Dinson off waivers. He was with the Detroit Lions. 

     Dinson was signed by the Lions earlier this year. He played college football with the Auburn University Tigers from 2015 to 2019. 

Braves Squeeze By Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves edged the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Saturday night at Marlins Park. Both teams are battling it out for first place in the National League East. 

     In the seventh inning, Atlanta(12-10) reached the scoreboard first. Former Marlin Marcell Ozuna smashed a solo home run into left-center field on a 2-0 pitch and gave them a 1-0 lead. 

     Miami(9-5) evened it up in the bottom of the eighth. Monte Harrison ripped a solo homer to right-center field on a 2-1 count. 

     The Braves reclaimed the lead in the top of the ninth. Adam Duvall connected on a 0-1 pitch for a solo home run off the left-field foul pole. 

Marlins Win Home Opener Over Braves

     The Miami Marlins defeated the Atlanta Braves 8-2 in their home opener at Marlins Park on Friday night. They were the last Major League Baseball club to hold a home opener this season. The Marlins came off their longest road trip in franchise history which was just short of three weeks. 

Pacers Take Fourth Seed From Heat

     The Miami Heat played their final game of the 2019-20 regular season and fell to the Indiana Pacers 109-92 on Friday at AdventHealth Arena in Lake Buena Vista. The clubs battled it out in the contest on who would get the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

     Both teams will face each other next week in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Heat will not have the home-arena advantage in the series, even though it is being held at a neutral site. 

     Indiana(45-28) got out to a 28-13 lead after one quarter and were up 58-44 at halftime. Miami(44-29) could not dent the double-digit lead in the third quarter and trailed 84-70 heading into the fourth. 

Paul McFarland Goes to OHL

     Paul McFarland has joined the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League as their new head coach. He worked this past season as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

     McFarland was once as assistant coach of the Florida Panthers for two years. He worked the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons under head coach Bob Boughner. 

FHSAA Fall Schedule Effects South Florida

     The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors voted on Friday to begin fall sports practices on August 24 and games on September 4. The decision will have different responses from school districts throughout the 67 counties of Florida. 

     Most South Florida high schools are not expected to follow that timetable set by the FHSAA due to coronavirus concerns. It means that fall sports practices such as football are not likely to start in the last week of August and that games will not occur on the first weekend of September. All high schools will have the option to opt out of the state series along with their sanctioned state schedules by September 18. 

Dan Le Batard And Stugotz Lose One Hour

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz will lose one hour of their program on ESPN Radio, 560 The Joe WQAM-AM and ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM as of Monday. South Florida Sports Coverage broke this story back on July 7 when Mike Greenberg was being added by ESPN Radio and that they would cut Le Batard's show by one hour which would effect the weekday schedules of two South Florida sports format radio stations.

     The schedule change on ESPN Radio, WQAM and ESPN West Palm will have Dan Le Batard and Stugotz on for two hours from 10AM to noon followed by Mike Greenberg for two hours from noon to 2PM. The early afternoon show First Take Your Take with Jason Fitz was eliminated from the schedule.

     It is expected that Le Batard, Stugotz and their Shipping Container production crew will expand and add more podcast materials. Le Batard and Stugotz has co-hosted a radio show since August 2004 and were added by WQAM in August 2019. The program became nationally syndicated by ESPN Radio in September 2013. 

Dolphins Make Secondary Moves

     The Miami Dolphins have signed and added cornerback Deatrick Nichols to their roster. The club has also decided to waive defensive back Steven Parker. 

     Nichols has not played in the National Football League since the 2018 season. He played in two games in his one year with the Arizona Cardinals. 

     Parker played last season with the Dolphins. He participated in 14 games with four starts and had two interceptions for 35 yards. Parker was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Vikings. 

Marlins Trade For Jesus Tinoco

     The Miami Marlins have acquired right-handed pitcher Jesus Tinoco from the Colorado Rockies for right-handed pitcher Chad Smith. Tinoco will be put on the 60-player pool list and report to the alternate training site. 

     He did pitch in the majors last season. Tinoco was a middle relief pitcher and held a 0-3 record with one save in 24 games. 

Inter Miami CF Signs Blaise Matuidi

     Inter Miami CF has signed midfielder Blaise Matuidi to a contract. He helped France capture the 2018 World Cup over Croatia and will be the only player to currently participate in Major League Soccer to win that title. 

     Matuidi has also won eight domestic league championships and includes the past three years with Juventus in Serie A. He won the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain in four seasons. Matuidi also compiled eight league cups which includes seven in Ligue 1 and one in Serie A. 

Jim Rutledge In Madison

     Former West Palm Beach sportscaster Jim Rutledge continues to made an impact on the radio airwaves in Madison, Wisconsin. He will move his three days a week afternoon show on ESPN Madison WTLX-FM to five days a week in the mid-afternoon spot on August 17. Rutledge is currently the program director in the organization and has hosted for 12 years. He originally joined ESPN Madison as a producer.  

     Rutledge previously worked at ESPN Radio 760 WEFL-AM in West Palm Beach during the mid-2000s. He began as a producer and added duties as a sports reporter with that radio station. 

Marlins Hold Off Blue Jays

     The Miami Marlins outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays 14-11 in 10 innings at Sahlen Field on Wednesday night and snapped a three-game losing streak. It was the second Major League Baseball game ever played in Buffalo. The Marlins will finally have their home opener of the 2020 season as they host the Atlanta Braves on Friday. 

     In the first inning, Miami(8-4) rocketed out to a 3-0 lead. Brian Anderson bashed a three-run homer to left field on a 2-0 pitch. Corey Dickerson and Matt Joyce were able to score on the play. 

     The Marlins chalked up five more runs n the top of the third. They had the bases loaded when Eddy Alvarez walked and Dickerson crossed the plate. Two batters later, Magneuris Sierra beat Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the first-base bag for an infield single and Joyce scored. Francisco Cervelli would score from third on a passed ball with Jonathan Villar at the plate. 

     The bases were filled again and the Blue Jays tried a pick-out attempt to second from their catcher Danny Jansen after a pitch. Alvarez capitalized on the mistake and stole home for a seven-run margin. Jesus Aguilar then drove in Sierra with a single into right field for an 8-0 gap. 

     Toronto(6-9) broke the shutout in the bottom of the frame. Teoscar Hernandez belted a two-run homer to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch which scored Bo Bichette.

     They added two more runs in the fourth inning and trailed 8-4. Rowdy Tellez popped a two-run shot to right-center field on a 0-1 pitch with Randal Grichuk aboard. 

     In the fifth inning, the Fish compiled three runs to go up 11-4. Villar knocked in Cervelli with a base hit into center field. Aguilar came up next and connected with a two-run single to right as Alvarez and Jon Berti scored. 

     The Blue Jays answered back in the bottom of the frame with two runs. Travis Shaw cracked the first pitch over the left-field wall for Bichette to score on the home run. 

     The deficit became 11-8 in the sixth for Toronto. Jansen lined a two-run homer to left-center on a 1-0 pitch and Tellez crossed the plate. 

     Another home run for the fifth straight inning by the Blue Jays in the bottom of the seventh cut the deficit down to 11-9. Guerrero hammered a solo home run to center for his second round-tripper of the season. 

     It became a tie game 11-11 in the eighth inning. Toronto was able to get solo home runs from Bichette and Shaw. 

     In the 10th inning, Miami lashed out with three runs for a 14-11 lead. Sierra drove in Alvarez and Berti with a single into right field. Two batters later, Sierra scored on a base hit by Aguilar to right. 

Thunder Slip By Heat

     The Oklahoma City Thunder got by the Miami Heat 116-115 on Wednesday night at VISA Athletic Center outside of Orlando. It was the Heat's first one-point loss of the season. They will face the Indiana Pacers in their final game of the 2019-20 regular season on Friday and the opening round of the postseason. 

     Miami(44-28) moved out to a 42-29 lead after one quarter and stayed in front 66-62 by halftime. Oklahoma City(44-27) could not keep up and were down 100-82 at the end of three quarters. 

     The Thunder outscored the Heat 34-15 in the final quarter. Solomon Hill made a left-handed layup to give Miami a 115-113 lead with 11.6 seconds remaining. Mike Muscala nailed a three-point shot and the Thunder led 116-113 with 5.2 seconds left. 

     The Heat was led by Tyler Herro with his game-high 30 points. Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson both had 16 points each. Darius Bazley came off the bench to give the Thunder a team-high 21 points. 

Derek Dietrich Joins Texas Rangers

     Former Miami Marlins player Derek Dietrich signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on Monday. He was immediately called up from their alternate training camp to the major league roster on Tuesday. He had been in the Chicago Cubs 60-man player pool until Sunday. 

     Dietrich spent the 2019 season with the Cincinnati Reds and had a career-high 19 home runs. He was with the Miami Marlins for six seasons from 2013 to 2018 and played in 608 games with the club. 

Jacques Martin Not Renewed By Penguins

     Former Florida Panthers head coach Jacques Martin will not be retained by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He joined that club in August 2013. He contributed to the Penguins as an assistant coach winning two Stanley Cup titles in 2015-16 and 2016-17. 

     Martin held several positions with the Florida Panthers organization and the team never made any postseason appearances. He was the head coach of the Florida Panthers from May 2004 to April 2008. He also held the post of general manager for three seasons from 2006-07 to 2008-09.

Marlins Lose To Blue Jays In Buffalo

     The Miami Marlins played in the first Major League Baseball regular season game ever in Buffalo and were defeated by the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 10 innings on Tuesday night. It was the Blue Jays home opener at Sahlen Field because they can not play home contests in Toronto due to the coronavirus guidelines by the Canadian government. 

     Miami(7-4), who have lost three straight games, got the first run of the contest in the second inning. Brian Anderson socked a solo home run to left field on a 3-2 pitch.

     Toronto(6-8) bounced back in the bottom of the sixth with three runs. Bo Bichette smashed a three-run homer on a 1-2 count to left field. Danny Jansen and Cavan Biggio scored on front of him on the play. 

     The Blue Jays extended their lead in the following frame to 4-1. Biggio knocked in Randal Grichuk with a single into right field. 

     In the ninth inning, the Marlins were down to their final out. Francisco Cervelli tied it up 4-4 with a three-run homer on a 3-0 pitch to left-center field that had Jon Berti and Anderson cross the plate.

     The Fish had their first opportunity with the new MLB rule to have a runner placed at second base to begin extra innings, however they did not generate anything. Toronto got the game-winning run with the bases loaded in the 10th inning. Travis Shaw was at the plate and singled to right field for pinch-runner Anthony Alford to score.  

Lamar Miller Signs With Patriots

     Former University of Miami running back Lamar Miller has signed a deal with the New England Patriots. He is a Miami native and played with Killian High School followed by the Hurricanes from 2010 to 2011. 

     Miller played his first four NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins. His best season with Miami was in 2014 when he ran for 1,099 yards and eight touchdowns. Miller was with the Houston Texans from 2016 until 2019. 

Chris Perkins Joins Sports Illustrated

     Longtime South Florida sports journalist Chris Perkins has joined Sports Illustrated. He will be the University of Miami Hurricanes writer for the SI.com website. He once did cover the Canes from 1997 to 1999 with the Palm Beach Post. 

     Perkins recently worked for The Athletic Miami as the Miami Dolphins beat reporter. He was the first media member to join that organization in August 2018 and stayed there until June 2020. 

     He was at the Palm Beach Post and held several positions. They included Miami Hurricanes writer, Miami Dolphins writer and Miami Heat beat reporter. His position with the Palm Beach Post was eliminated when the newspaper decided to no longer cover the Miami Heat on a regular basis in the middle of the 2009-10 season. He also had short stints with NBA.com as a basketball writer and Fox Sports Florida.com as a Miami Heat reporter. 

     Perkins landed at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel as a sports columnist. He was soon elevated to the position of Miami Dolphins beat reporter and held the spot until August 2018. 

     He also was part of sports shows on South Florida radio. Perkins was a morning co-host alongside Armando Salguero and Larry Milian on 640 Sports WMEN-AM from August 2011 to August 2012. He was an afternoon co-host with Ethan J. Skolnick and later Curtis Stevenson on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM from late 2016 to August 2019. 

Marlins Playing In Buffalo

     The Miami Marlins will be playing a Major League Baseball game in Buffalo for the first time ever. They will face the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener on Tuesday night. The Miami Dolphins have played an annual NFL game in Buffalo against the Bills every year since 1966. 

     The Blue Jays are playing their home games for the 2020 season in Buffalo. It was due to the coronavirus pandemic and that the government of Canada would not allow games to be played in Toronto. Buffalo has not held a top-level professional baseball regular season contest since the Federal League in 1915.  

Heat Drive By Pacers

     The Miami Heat took care of the Indiana Pacers 114-92 at VISA Athletic Center in Lake Buena Vista on Monday night. It was the first of two contests to be played between both clubs in five days. The Heat snapped a two-game losing streak and face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday in their final regular season game. 

     Miami(44-27) broke out to a 23-19 lead after one quarter and were tied with the Pacers 48-48 at halftime. Indiana(43-28) got leveled in the third quarter and trailed 85-71. 

     All five Heat starters scored in double figures. Jimmy Butler had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds while Derrick Jones Jr. added 18 points from the bench. Tyler Herro was able to drop in 17 points. Victor Oladipo led the Pacers with a team-high 14 points. 

Panthers Get 12th Pick In NHL Draft

     The National Hockey League held Phase 2 of the NHL Draft Lottery on Monday night. The eight teams that were eliminated in the Stanley Cup Qualifier Series were eligible. The New York Rangers were the winners and will select the first overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft later this year. 

     The Florida Panthers also had the opportunity to get the first pick of the draft. They will end up selecting 12th in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Dale Tallon Gone As Panthers General Manager

     Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon is no longer with the organization. His contract with the club expired at the completion of their 2019-20 season. The Panthers were eliminated by the New York Islanders on Friday in a best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifier Series in Toronto. 

     Tallon was the general manager of the team for the past 10 seasons. He helped the club win a Southeast Division title in 2011-12 and an Atlantic Division title in 2015-16. The team reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs three times which included this season. 

     Prior to the Panthers, Tallon worked with the Chicago Blackhawks as their general manager in the 2000s. Many of his draft selections ended up winning three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. 

Dolphins Sign Ricardo Louis And Chester Rogers

     The Miami Dolphins have inked wide receiver Ricardo Louis and wide receiver Chester Rogers. The team fills in several wide receiver spots because Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson opted out. 

     Louis returns to the Dolphins after being released by the club back in late July. He played high school football with Miami Beach Senior. He originally was signed by the Fins in 2019, however he never played a regular season game with the team. 

     Rogers was with the Indianapolis Colts for four seasons from 2016 to 2019. He had 16 catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns last season with the Colts. 

Mets Hook Marlins

     The New York Mets downed the Miami Marlins 4-2 at Citi Field on Sunday. The Marlins have lost two straight after winning six consecutive wins.

     New York(7-9) got in front 2-0 in the bottom of the third. Jeff McNeil grounded into a fielder's choice to second with the bases loaded and Andres Gimenez scored. Two batters later, Michael Conforto reached base on a fielding error to score Tomas Nido. 

     In the fourth inning, the Mets made it a three-run margin. Brandon Nimmo drove in Gimenez with a base hit into left field. 

     Miami(7-3) got their only runs during the top of the fifth. Jesus Aguilar hammered a two-run homer to left field on the first pitch which brought in Jon Berti. 

     The Mets increased their lead to 4-2 in the sixth inning. Gimenez scored for the third time in the contest when McNeil hit a sacrifice fly to center field. 

Mets Snap Marlins Streak

     The Miami Marlins had their six-game winning streak snapped by the New York Mets on Saturday. The Marlins were defeated 8-4 at Citi Field.

     Miami(7-2) got on the scoreboard first in the opening inning. Brain Anderson knocked in Jesus Aguilar on a single into center field. 

     New York(6-9) jumped over them in the bottom of the second to go up 2-1. Michael Conforto connected on a 2-2 count for a two-run homer to right-center field with Pete Alonso scoring in front of him. 

     The Mets added to their lead in the third inning and were in front 4-1. Alonso smashed a two-run home run to left-center field on the first pitch and J.D. Davis crossed the plate. 

     In the fifth inning, both teams scored a run. Logan Forsythe hit his first home run in a Marlins uniform on a 1-1 pitch to center. Davis matched it for the Metropolitans on a sacrifice fly into right to bring in Amed Rosario. 

     The Fish closed it to 5-4 in the top of the sixth. Monte Harrison drove in Corey Dickerson with a base hit to right field for Matt Joyce to score. 

     A three-run rally was put together by New York in the seventh inning. Davis nailed a three-run homer to right field on the initial pitch. Rosario and Jeff McNeil also scored on the play. 

Suns Upset Heat

     The Phoenix Suns stunned the Miami Heat 119-112 at VISA Athletic Center outside of Orlando on Saturday night. The Heat have three of the their last four games and play three more contests before the end of the regular season.

     Miami(43-27) pulled out to a 32-25 lead at the end of one quarter and were tied with the Suns 60-60 at halftime. Phoenix(31-39)  has a slight edge 88-86 after three quarters and held the Heat off on a 17-8 spurt midway through the final quarter. 

     Tyler Herro got a double-double with 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while Duncan Robinson had 25 points. Bam Adebayo added 18 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Devin Booker dropped in a game-high 35 points for the Suns. 

Marlins Get By Mets

     The Miami Marlins defeated the New York Mets 4-3 at Citi Field on Friday night. The Marlins extended their winning streak to six games.

     Miami(7-1) piled all of their runs during the second inning. Francisco Cervelli blasted a three-run homer to right field on the first pitch which brought in Brian Anderson and Matt Joyce. Jonathan Villar later doubled into center field and Magneuris Sierra scored. 

     New York(5-9) answered with one run in the bottom of the frame. Dominic Smith lifted a solo home run to right field on a 1-1 count. 

     The Mets cut the deficit to 4-3 in the eighth inning. Michael Conforto reached first on a fielder's choice at third with the bases loaded and Amed Rosario crossed the plate. J.D. Davis then lined a base hit into left field to score Brian Dozier. 

Islanders Eliminate Panthers In Game 4

     The New York Islanders eliminated the Florida Panthers from the postseason with a 5-1 victory in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Qualifier Series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Friday. The Panthers lost the best-of-five series to the Islanders three games to one. 

     The Panthers were knocked up of the playoffs for the second straight time by the Islanders because both clubs met back in 2016. The Islanders improved their all-time record to 7-1 in best-of-five playoff series. 

     New York took the lead 1--0 with 8:28 left in the first period. Brock Nelson stripped the puck from MacKenzie Weegar on the right wing and Josh Bailey pushed the puck ahead through the right circle. Anthony Beauvillier shoveled a blind backhand shot from an acute angle below the low right circle and it slipped by Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     The Islanders made it a 2-0 lead with 4:50 remaining in the first. Ryan Pulock sent a long lead pass from his own zone to Mathew Barzal at the Panthers blue line. He skated to above the right-circle dot, passed across and Beauvillier guided the puck in from the low slot for his second goal of the contest. 

     Florida quickly scored on their first power play and cut it to 2-1 with 1:19 to go. Aleksander Barkov forwarded the puck from the top left circle to Jonathan Huberdeau below the left circle. He sent a cross-ice pass through the crease and Mike Hoffman nailed a one-time slap shot from the low right circle past Semyon Varlamov for his third goal of the series. 

     In the second period, New York regained their two-goal margin at the 8:01 mark with their own power-play tally. Devon Toews passed the puck from the right point to Bailey on the left point. He carried it to the left wing, connected a cross-ice pass to the right circle and Nelson scored on a snap shot.

     The Islanders extended their lead to 4-1 with 9:26 left of the third period. Jordan Eberle cleared the puck out of the Isles defensive zone off the boards. Barzal chased the puck in the neutral zone, raced into the Florida zone on a breakaway and snapped a shot from the low slot. 

     New York would add another goal into an empty net with 2:43 remaining. Jean-Gabriel Pageau flicked the puck into the cage from the slot area. Leo Komarov was credited with an assist on the play. 

Dolphins Waive Javaris Davis

     The Miami Dolphins put defensive back Javaris Davis on waivers Thursday. He had signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. Davis participated in college football with the Auburn University Tigers. He played there for five season from 2015 to 2019. 

Marlins Sweep Orioles

     The Miami Marlins finished a make-up, four-game set from last week and swept the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 on Thursday night at Camden Yards. The Marlins was once again designated the home team as they were in one game of the doubleheader on Wednesday. Don Mattingly passed Jack McKeon for most wins as a Marlins manager in their franchise history with 282. 

     Miami(6-1) scored first for the fourth straight game against the O's in the bottom of the first. Jonathan Villar burned his former team with a home run to left-center field on the first pitch. 

     Baltimore(5-7) responded back in the following inning. Renato Nunez cracked a solo home run left-center field on a 2-0 count. 

     The Fish reclaimed the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the frame. Lewis Brinson was able to score on a sacrifice fly to right by Magneuris Sierra. 

     The Orioles put up two runs in the top of the third. Anthony Santander knocked in Hanser Alberto with a triple into left field. Two batters later, Dwight Smith Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to center field and Santander scored. 

     The Marlins answered back in the bottom of the third to go up 4-3. Brian Anderson drove in Francisco Cervelli and Jesus Aguilar on a base hit into center field. 

     In the fourth inning, the O's evened it up 4-4. Chance Sisco belted a solo homer to right-center field on a 2-0 pitch. 

     The lead changed again in the bottom of the fourth. Villar came through again with a two-run single to right field for Logan Forsythe and Sierra to cross the plate to give Miami a 6-4 lead. 

     In the sixth inning, Baltimore got back-to-back home runs to tie it again. Smith launched a solo shot to right-center field and Nunez followed with his second homer of the contest to left field. 

     Miami made it 8-6 in the bottom of the seventh. Aguilar hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left for Jon Berti to score. Anderson came up next and tripled to deep center and Cervelli scored. 

     Baltimore tried to stay alive in the ninth inning. Pinch-hitter Pedro Serevino lined a single to left field which brought in Chris Davis and closed the gap to 8-7. 

Bucks Come Back On Heat

     The Milwaukee Bucks overcame the Miami Heat 130-116 on Thursday at The Arena in Lake Buena Vista. The Bucks remain first in the Eastern Conference standings and the Heat stayed in fourth place. 

     Miami(43-26) moved out to a 34-25 lead at the end of one quarter. The Heat went on an 11-3 spurt to begin the second quarter and led 73-56 by halftime. Milwaukee(55-14) chopped at the big deficit with a 20-5 run to start the second half and trailed 98-92 after three quarters. The Bucks outscored Miami 38-18 in the final quarter to get the win.

     The Heat was led by Duncan Robinson who had a team-high 21 points. Tyler Herro dropped in 20 points while Andre Iguodala picked up 12 points along with a team-high eight assists and seven rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game-high 33 points and 12 rebounds for Milwaukee. 

West Palm Beach Ratings July 2020

     The radio ratings were released for sports talk format stations in the West Palm Beach region. The time period went from the middle of June until the middle of July.

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida stayed at a 0.2 in the period. They will get a boost next month with the addition of the New York Yankees Radio Network and Florida Panthers playoff game broadcasts.  

     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM remained at a 0.0 for the fifth consecutive month. It will be the final period that they will not have access to Miami Marlins game broadcasts. 

Gregory Rousseau Opts Out From Miami

     University of Miami Hurricanes defensive end Gregory Rousseau has opted out and will not play with the school for the 2020 season. It is likely that Rousseau will declare himself for the 2021 NFL Draft and might have played for the last time with the Canes. 

Major League Roster Dropped To 28 Players

     Major League Baseball rosters were trimmed down to 28 players on Thursday. It has been agreed upon that number of players will remain at 28 for the rest of the 2020 regular season. 

     Baseball rosters during the regular season prior to 2020 was set at 25 players until September when they expanded for the final month. MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association had agreed prior to the 2020 campaign to have a 26-man roster prior to the coronavirus pandemic. It was changed to a 30-man roster with the launch of the delayed 2020 season.

     The Marlins had to cut their roster down to 28 players prior to their contest on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles. They optioned pitchers Brian Moran and Josh D. Smith to their alternate trainining site. 

Brandon Leibrandt Signs With Marlins

     Minor league pitcher Brandon Leibrandt has signed a deal with the Miami Marlins. He will be placed in the Marlins 60-player pool and be eligible to be called up to the majors during the 2020 regular season. 

     Leibrandt recently played in the Somerset Professional Baseball Series in New Jersey. There\ are a bunch of weekend games for the past several weeks between the New Jersey Blasters and the Somerset Patriots. Leibrandt last played in 2018 with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, who are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, and had a 4-1 record with a 1.42 earned-run-average in 20 games.

Albert Wilson Opting Out From Dolphins

     Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson has opted out from the team due to health concerns about the coronavirus. He became the second player on the club after wide receiver Allen Hurns to do that. 

     Wilson has played the last two seasons with the Dolphins. He made 43 catches for 351 yards and one touchdown in 2019. 

Marlins Sweep Doubleheader From Orioles

     The Miami Marlins took the second game of a doubleheader with a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles in Camden Yards. It was the second contest played in the new Major League Baseball rule of seven-inning games for doubleheaders. The Marlins were designated as the home team for this clash. 

     Miami(5-1) stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Jesus Aguilar drove in former Oriole Jonathan Villar with a sacrifice fly to right field. Brian Anderson followed with a base hit to center which brought in Jon Berti. 

     Baltimore(5-6) got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Austin Hays picked up an infield hit on the left side and Anthony Santander scored on the play. 

Marlins Blank Orioles In Seven Inning Game

     The Miami Marlins played in the first game of a doubleheader and got by the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 on Wednesday at Camden Yards. It was the first time the Marlins played in a seven-inning contest because of the new rule implemented by Major League Baseball for the 2020 season last week. 

     Miami(4-1) got in front 1-0 in the fourth inning. Brian Anderson belted a solo home run to right field on a 1-0 pitch. Baltimore(5-5) were shut out for the second straight time by the Fish and held to three hits in the seven-inning game. 

Panthers Stop Islanders In Game 3

     The Florida Panthers held off the New York Islanders 3-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Qualifier Series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday. The Panthers now trail 2-1 in the best-of-five series and will play Game 4 on Friday. It was the first time that the Panthers won a playoff elimination contest since Game 6 and Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals. 

     After a scoreless first period, Florida was able to score the first goal of the contest, for the third time in the series, on the power play. Mike Hoffman ripped a slap shot from the right circle which was saved and Evgenii Dadonov swept the rebound from the crease area. Erik Haula got to the loose puck in the low left circle and released a high wrist shot by Semyon Varlamov at 4:02 of the second period. It was the first goal by Haula in a Panthers uniform. 

     New York tied the game up 1-1 with 3:34 left in the second. Anthony Beauvillier raced for the puck in the left corner after he dumped it in from the red line. He centered it to the right circle and Jean-Gabriel Pageau snapped a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for the tally.

     The Panthers got the momentum with two goals in the first three minutes of the third period. After Varlamov was called for playing the puck outside the trapezoid, Florida scored with the man advantage 41 seconds in. Aleksander Barkov put the puck back from the left wing to Keith Yandle at the top of the zone. He fed it to the right circle and Hoffman blasted a one-time slap shot.

     The Cats made it a two-goal margin 3-1 at the 2:48 mark. Devon Toews attempted a backhand clearing pass from the slot area. Brian Boyle recovered the puck in the high slot and made a quick snap shot into the Isles cage. 

     The Islanders pulled their goalie with three minutes remaining for an extra attacker. It worked as Ryan Pulock made a slap pass from the top of the zone and Brock Nelson tapped in a shot from the left goal line off the skate of Aaron Ekblad with 1:27 left. 

Travis Benjamin And Marcus Gilbert Both Opt Out

     Former South Florida high school football players Travis Benjamin of the San Francisco 49ers and Marcus Gilbert of the Arizona Cardinals have both opted for playing this season. due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Football League had stated that players could opt out of the season by Thursday. 

     Benjamin was part of the Glades Central Raiders in high school and led them to the 2006 FHSAA Class 3A state title. He went to the University of Miami and played for the Hurricanes for four years. Benjamin has played four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and four seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. 

     Gilbert played high school football with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders and helped them reach the FHSAA Class 5A state title game against Lakeland in 2004 and 2005. He attended the University of Florida and was part of the Gators winning two national championships in 2006 and 2008. Gilbert played the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Allen Hurns Opts Out From Dolphins

     Miami Dolphins wide receiver Allen Hurns has opted out from playing this season with the club. He is the first player on the team to make that decision because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

     Hurns joined the Dolphins last season after playing the previous year with the Dallas Cowboys. He compiled 32 pass receptions for 416 yards and two touchdowns in his lone year with the Fins. 

Florida Panthers To Sign Henry Bowlby

     The Florida Panthers will sign forward Henry Bowlby to a  two-year, entry-level deal. The contract will take effect as of the 2020-21 season. 

     Bowlby played in 84 games with Harvard University over the last three seasons. He compiled eight goals and eight assists in 31 contests during the shortened 2019-20 season. 

Marlins Return With Victory Over Orioles

     The Miami Marlins returned back to action in the 2020 regular season and blanked the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 at Camden Yards on Tuesday night. It was the first time in nine days that the Marlins were involved in a game. They last played in a contest on July 26 in Philadelphia against the Phillies. 

     Miami(3-1) made it 1-0 during the top of the fifth. Francisco Cervelli smashed a solo home run to left field on a 3-1 pitch for his first home run with the new club. 

     In the sixth inning, the Marlins put up two runs for a 3-0 lead. Jon Berti knocked in Jonathan Villar with a base hit into center field. Four batters later, Logan Forsythe came through in his first game with Miami. He hit into a fielder's choice and an error was made by Baltimore(5-4) third baseman Renato Nunez which brought in Berti. 

     The Fish made it a four-run margin in the top of the eighth. Jesus Aguilar hit a solo shot to left on a 3-0 count for his third homer of the season.

Heat Outlast Celtics

     The Miami Heat powered by the Boston Celtics 112-106 at HP Field House outside of Orlando on Tuesday night. The Heat climbed closer to the Celtics for third place in the Eastern Conference standings. 

     Miami(43-25) led 33-28 after one quarter. The Heat went on a 12-5 run to begin the second for their biggest lead in the contest at that point 45-33. They were ahead of the Celtics 63-51 at halftime. Boston(44-23) came out with a 11-5 spurt at the start of the second half, still could not cut the deficit and were down 91-83 at the end of three quarters. The Celtics came as close as three points with 13 seconds remaining in the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo placed 21 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double while Goran Dragic put in 20 points for the Heat. Duncan Robinson drained in 21 points and Kelly Olynyk scored 15 points. Jayson Tatum had a game-high 23 points for Boston and Jaylen Brown compiled a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. 

Miami Ratings July 2020

     Sports talk format radio stations received the monthly ratings for the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market. The ratings period stretched from the middle of June until the middle of July. It would be the final month with no game broadcasts among the local competitors with all pro sports leagues returning from the coronavirus stoppage. 

     560 The Joe WQAM-AM fell from a 0.7 to a 0.6 in the month. Alex Donno has faired well filling in on the afternoon shift several days a week. It will the final period where the station carried the afternoon program with Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder for three hours. They have done that since the schedule change in early August 2019. 

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM moved from a 0.4 to a 0.2 in the period. It was one of the lowest ratings for that radio station in their 16-year history with the sports talk format. 

     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM dropped to a 0.1 after having a 0.3 last month. It was the lowest ratings for WINZ since September 2016. They maintained as the only sports station in the region with play-by-play broadcasts which included NASCAR races from Motor Racing Network during the time span. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM remained at a 0.0 hole for the third straight month. It looks like the radio ratings services no longer consider this entity as part of the Miami market because their transmitter is based in Royal Palm Beach. 

Islanders Overcome Panthers In Game 2

     The New York Islanders came back on the Florida Panthers 4-2 at Scotiabank Arena in Game 2 of the best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifier Series on Tuesday. The Panthers look to avoid a sweep by the Islanders in Toronto on Wednesday in Game 3.

     Florida took a 1-0 lead with 8:44 left in the first period. Mike Hoffman backhanded the puck around the end wall from the right corner to Jonathan Huberdeau in the left corner. He returned it back to Hoffman in the top slot and he followed with a snap shot past Semyon Varlamov for the goal.

     In the second period, New York evened it up 1-1 at the 6:12 mark. Tom Kuhnhackl pounced on the loose puck in the low right circle and carried it to the crease area. He dropped it to Matt Martin who one-timed a forehand shot by Sergei Bobrovsky. It was Martin's second career playoff goal in 40 games. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 on the power play at 7:54. Hoffman squared a pass from the right point to Keith Yandle on top of the zone. His angled pass went to Aleksander Barkov and he snapped a shot from the top left circle. 

     The Islanders matched it with their own man advantage to tie it 2-2 with 6:12 left in the second. Devon Toews make a pass from the top of the zone and Ryan Pulock blasted a one-time slap shot from just above the left circle. Former Panther Derick Brassard was also credited with an assist on the play. 

     It became 3-2 for the Isles with 3:33 remaining for their first lead of the contest. Mathew Barzal pushed the puck ahead from the blue line to Pulock in the right circle. He sent a cross-ice pass to Jordan Eberle and he fired in a wrist shot from the left circle. 

     New York scored again on the power play at 10:29 in the third period. Josh Bailey placed a pass from the left circle to Anthony Beauvillier in the inner left circle. His one-time shot was deflected in by Eberle on the left side of the crease for his second tally of the game. 

Marlins Plug In Roster For Restart

     The Miami Marlins have added numerous players to their major league roster. The replacements come in and take over for the 18 Marlins players who had a positive test to the coronavirus. Miami will play their first contest in nine days on Tuesday in Baltimore against the Orioles. 

     Outfielders Matt Joyce and Lewis Brinson come off the injured list. Infielders Logan Forsythe and Eddy Alvarez along with catcher Ryan Lavarnway and outfielder Monte Harrison were added to the roster from the 60-man player pool. A slew of pitchers join the staff which includes Jordan Yamamoto, Jorge Guzman, Justin Shafer, Mike Morin, James Hoyt, Josh A. Smith, Richard Bleier, Brian Moran, Josh D. Smith and Nick Vincent. 

Raptors Survive Heat

     The Miami Heat were edged by the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors 107-103 on Monday in Lake Buena Vista at the HP Field House. It was the second game for the Heat since the NBA restarted the regular season following the coronavirus pandemic. The Raptors have won 23 of their last 27 games. 

     Toronto(48-18) took a 23-17 lead after one quarter and stayed ahead 48-44 by halftime. Miami(42-25) was down 70-55 with 5:56 left in the third quarter and cut it down to 84-79 at the end of the frame. The Heat began the first two minutes of the fourth quarter with ten straight points to move ahead, however the Raptors climbed back and made free throws down the stretch to get the victory. 

     Goran Dragic let the Heat with 25 points while Kelly Olynyk added 17 points. Jimmy Butler put together 16 points and seven rebounds. Bam Adebayo compiled ten points and eight rebounds which was short of a double-double. Fred VanVleet scored a game-high 36 points for Toronto and Pascal Siakam dropped in 22 points. 

Marlins Get Brian Moran and Brett Eibner

     The Miami Marlins make two transactions to fill in their roster. They claimed pitcher Brian Moran off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays and signed outfielder Brett Eibner. 

     Moran returns to the Marlins after a short stint of two games with the Blue Jays this season. He went 1-0 in ten games with Fish in 2019. 

     Eibner has not played in the majors since the 2017 season. He spent the 2016 campaign with the Kansas City Royals and Oakland A's. Eibner played 17 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. 

The Rock Dwayne Johnson Buys XFL

     Former University of Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Dwayne Johnson has joined with RedBird Capital Partners to purchase the XFL from World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon. Johnson, once known as The Rock in professional wrestling, has been involved in acting and producing of movies and television shows.

     It is not known when the XFL will return to the field. The XFL had two stints in the professional sports with seasons in 2001 and 2020. 

No Local Connections On Phil Steele Cover

     The annual Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine did not had any player with a South Florida college or high school connection on their cover. The magazine was released in July which is much later than it usually is due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

     The publication came out with only one edition in 2020 with just a national cover. They had released several covers based on the conferences and geographic areas in the country over the past decade. It would include a state of Florida and a Southeastern Conference players magazine cover. 

     Many local connections have appeared on the Phil Steele magazine cover. They include Jacory Harris(Miami Northwestern/Miami) in 2010, Geno Smith(Miramar/West Virginia) in 2011 and 2012, Jon Bostic(Palm Beach Central/Florida) in 2012. Tre Mason(Park Vista/Auburn) in 2013 and Duke Johnson(Miami Norland/Miami) in 2013. 

     Amari Cooper(Miami Northwestern/Alabama) showed up in 2013 and 2014, Jake Rudock(St. Thomas Aquinas/Iowa/Michigan) in 2014, Alex Collins(South Plantation/Arkansas) in 2015, Dalvin Cook(Miami Central/Florida State) in 2016 and Lamar Jackson(Boynton Beach/Louisville) in 2016 and 2017. Other players included Nick Bosa(St. Thomas Aquinas/Ohio State) who appeared in 2018 and Jonathan Garvin(Lake Worth/Miami) along with C.J. Henderson (Columbus/Florida) in 2019. 

Rickie Ricardo Works Yankees Games On WMEN-AM

     Former WZTA-FM morning host Rickie Ricardo has worked the last eight games at the New York Yankees Radio Network heard on Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM. He has filled in as the play-by-play announcer for John Sterling over the past week. Sterling had not missed a combined total of three contests during his 31-year tenure with the club prior to the substitution.

     Ricardo went by the name Rickie Santana when he worked in Miami radio. He will continue as the Spanish language radio voice of the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Eagles when Sterling returns to the broadcast booth. Ricardo called the Philadelphia Phillies in Spanish from 2007 to 2013 and the Yankees since 2014. 

James Hoyt Dealt To Marlins

     Pitcher James Hoyt was traded to the Miami Marlins from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations. He pitched in eight games with the Indians and had a 2.16 earned-run-average. 

     Hoyt was with the Houston Astros from 2016 to 2018. He helped that club win their first World Series title in franchise history back in 2017. 

Islanders Defeat Panthers In Game 1

     The Florida Panthers lost to the New York Islanders 2-1 on Saturday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Qualifier Series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Islanders lead the best-of-five series 1-0.  It was a playoff rematch between both clubs who met each other in the 2016 Eastern Conference first round. 

     The Panthers were outshot by the Islanders 8-1 in the first 11 minutes of the game. New York scored first at the eight-minute mark of the opening period. Riley Stillman turned over the puck in the left corner when he got bumped off by Tom Kuhnhackl. Former Panther Derick Brassard sent a cross-ice pass through the crease and Jean-Gabriel Pageau tapped in a forehand shot from the top of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky.

     In the second period, New York converted on a power-play goal at 3:39. Josh Bailey reversed the puck back from the left wing. Devon Toews angled a pass from the top of the zone and Anthony Beauvillier blasted a one-time slap shot from the top right circle. 

     Florida struck 23 seconds into the third period and the cut the deficit to 2-1. Jonathan Huberdeau gave a back-and-forth pass with MacKenzie Weegar on the left side in the Islanders zone. Huberdeau skated through the low left circle into the crease and slipped a backhand shot by Semyon Varlamov. Aleksander Barkov was also credited with an assist on the play. 

Marlins Games Rescheduled Against Orioles

     Four games involving the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles have been rescheduled. They will take play in Baltimore from August 4 through August 6. Miami will be designated as the home team for two games.

     Two of the games will be a doubleheader. Both of those contests will go just seven innings each based on the Major League Baseball new rule during the 2020 season.

     The Marlins and Orioles were scheduled to play a four-game, home-and-home series from July 27 until July 30. All games were postponed because Miami personnel came up with positive tests from the coronavirus. 

Heat Top Nuggets As Regular Season Returns

     The Miami Heat restarted the 2019-20 regular season with a 125-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets at HP Field House in Lake Buena Vista on Saturday. Miami will play seven more games outside of Orlando prior to the NBA playoffs to complete the regular season. They entered the contest fourth in the Eastern Conference. 

     It is the first time that the Heat played a regular season game since March 11 against the Charlotte Hornets in Miami. The NBA suspended the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

     Miami(42-24) moved out to a 28-26 lead after one quarter. Denver(43-23) got on a 12-4 spurt near the end of the first half and led 57-56 at halftime. The third quarter belonged to the Heat as they outscored the Nuggets by 16 points in the frame to go up 94-79. Miami made it a 22-point margin 117-95 with 4:14 left in the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler both had a team-high 22 points each for the club.  Adebayo fell short of a double-double with game-high nine rebounds. Kelly Olynyk had several three-point shot in the fourth quarter and ended with 20 points. Duncan Robinson dropped in 17 points while Goran Dragic came off the bench with 13. Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant both had 19 points each for Denver.