Marlins Walk Off Padres

     The Miami Marlins pulled off a ninth-inning comeback with a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night at loanDepot park. Both teams will complete their three-game on Thursday. 

     The Marlins are now 16-4 in one-run games this season. They jumped over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League standings and are tied with the New York Mets for the second wild-card spot. 

     San Diego(25-30) broke out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Gary Sanchez, in his second game in a Padres uniform, ripped a solo home run to left field on a 2-2 pitch for his first homer of the year. 

     Miami(29-27) came back with two runs in bottom of the ninth against Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader to get the win. Jean Segura singled through the left side to score Yuli Gurriel with one out. After Segura stole third, he scored on a base hit by Nick Fortes down the first-base line. 

Andrew Brunette Nashville Predators Head Coach

     Andrew Brunette has been named the new head coach of the Nashville Predators. He once played with that organization during the 1998-99 NHL season and scored the first goal in Predators franchise history. 

     He became the interim head coach of the Florida Panthers in the early part of the 2021-22 season after the club fired head coach Joel Quenneville. Brunette had a 51-18-6 record in his short stint with the team. He guided the Panthers to the Atlantic Division title and the Presidents' Trophy with the most regular season points. He helped Florida become victorious in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Washington Capitals for their first postseason series win since the 1995-96 season. 

Padres Clip Marlins

     The San Diego Padres pushed by the Miami Marlins 9-4 at loanDepot park on Tuesday night. The Marlins began a nine-game homestand this week against the Padres followed by the Oakland A's and then the Kansas City Royals. 

     Miami(28-27) moved to a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Garrett Cooper singled through the left side and Bryan De La Cruz scored. 

     San Diego(25-29) tied it 1-1 in the top of the fourth. Matt Carpenter doubled to the right-field wall and brought in Rougned Odor

     The Fish answered back quickly in the bottom of the fourth. De La Cruz blasted a 1-0 pitch to left field for a two-run homer with Jon Berti aboard for a 3-1 lead. It was his seventh home run for De La Cruz in the 2023 campaign. 

     The Padres cut it to 3-2 in the fifth inning. Juan Soto knocked in Ha-Seong Kim with a base hit into right field.  

     The Marlins loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and eventually made it 4-2. De La Cruz singled through the right side and Berti crossed the plate. 

     It became 4-4 in the seventh inning when the Friars evened it up. Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in Trent Grisham on a base hit to left field. Juan Soto followed with a single to center field and Kim reached home. 

     In the ninth inning, San Diego broke the game open and compiled fiver runs for an 9-4 lead. Xander Bogaerts singled up the middle and Tatis scored. Odor then grounded into a fielder's choice and Soto would score on a throwing error by Berti to the plate. 

     Carpenter came up next and lined a double into the right-field corner for Bogaerts and Odor to cross the plate. Three batters later. Kim hit a sacrifice fly to right-center field and Brandon Dixon came home.

Jake Marisnick Dealt To Tigers

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Jake Marisnick has been traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations. He played in only nine contests this year with the White Sox and had just two plate appearances. 

     Marisnick was with the Miami Marlins in his first two Major League Baseball seasons in 2013 and 2014. He compiled one home run, five runs batted in and a .178 batting average in 54 games during his tenure in Miami. 

     He was dealt to the Houston Astros on July 31, 2014. Marisnick helped them capture the 2017 World Series and win American League championships in 2017 and 2019. 

Panthers And Heat Make Championship Rounds

     The Florida Panthers and the Miami Heat advanced to their league championship series in the last five days. It was the first time in South Florida sports history that two local professional sports teams made it to the championship round of their individual leagues in the same year.  

     The Panthers swept the Carolina Hurricanes in four games on Wednesday night in the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat took their seven-game series over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night. 

2023 NBA Finals Set

     The schedule of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets has been set. The Heat will be involved in the NBA Finals for the second time in the last four seasons while the Nuggets will participate in the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. 

     Game 1 will be on Thursday night and Game 2 on Sunday night in Denver. The Miami Heat will host Game 3 on June 7 and Game 4 on June 9.

     The best-of-seven series will shift to Denver on June 12 for Game 5, return to Miami for Game 6 on June 15 and end in Colorado on June 18 for Game 7. 

Heat Top Celtics In Game 7, Head To NBA Finals

     The Miami Heat topped the Boston Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on Monday night. The Heat captured the Eastern Conference title being the lowest seed in the NBA Playoffs as they won the best-of-seven series 4-3. 

     Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who will guide Miami to his sixth NBA Finals, now has a 5-3 record in Game 7 matchups. Miami won three road games in Boston during the seven-game series. The Heat had never been victorious in three away contests in one postseason series. In addition, Miami won a Game 7 playoff game on the road for the first time in franchise history. 

     They became just the second eighth-seeded club to appear in the NBA Finals since the NBA Playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1984. It was the first time that an eighth seed advanced to the NBA Finals since the New York Knicks in 1999. 

     The NBA Finals will begin on Thursday night as the Miami Heat visit the Denver Nuggets. The Heat will be playing in the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons and for the seventh time in franchise history. The Celtics became the fourth club in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit, win three straight games to tie the best-of-seven series and lose Game 7. 

     Boston scored the first five points of the contest and were up 9-4. Miami went on an 18-6 run to lead 22-15 at the end of the first quarter. Miami got the first five points and 11 of the first 14 points of the second to go ahead 33-18 at the 8:32 mark. The C's cut it down to an eight-point margin 47-39 with 1:49 left in the first half, but the Heat remained ahead 52-41 at halftime. 

     The Heat began the second half with an 7-2 spurt. The Celtics bounced back and closed it to 66-59 with 3:33 to go in the third. Miami held a 76-66 advantage at the end of the third quarter. The Heat got the first seven points of the final frame to lead by 17 points 83-66 at the 10:50 mark. The Celtics then trailed by 23 points 96-73 with 5:33 remaining in the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler, who was named the Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, had a game-high 28 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. Caleb Martin contributed a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Bam Adebayo was able to add 17 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson poured in 10 points each.

     The Celtics got 14 points and 11 rebounds from Jayson Tatum for a double-double. Jaylen Brown compiled 19 points and eight rebounds in the defeat. Derrick White, who made the buzzer-beating shot in Game 6, ended up with 18 points.

2023 Stanley Cup Final Set

     The National Hockey League has set their schedule for the 2023 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights. Turner Sports will have the national television broadcast on TNT with Kenny Albert as the play-by-play announcer along with Ketih Jones and Eddie Olcyzk as the game analysts. 

     The Florida Panthers will visit the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 1 on Saturday and Game 2 on Monday. The Panthers will host Game 3 on June 8 and Game 4 on June 10 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise. The series will shift to Las Vegas on June 13 for Game 5, return to South Florida for Game 6 on June 16 and finish in Las Vegas for Game 7 on June 19. 

Marlins Sweep Angels

     The Miami Marlins finished off a 10-game road trip as they held off the Los Angeles Angels 2-0 at Angel Stadium on Sunday. The Marlins return to Miami and face the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. 

     The Marlins had a three-game road sweep of Los Angeles(28-26) for the first time in franchise history. The Fish ended up with a 5-5 record during the road swing. 

     Miami(28-26) had a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Nick Cortes got his third home run of the season on a 2-2 pitch to left field. 

     The Marlins expanded it to 2-0 in the top of the sixth. Jean Segura singled down the right-field line to bring in Luis Arraez. 

Celtics Sting Heat In Game 6

     The Boston Celtics pulled off a buzzer-beater victory as they topped the Miami Heat 104-103 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya Center on Saturday night. The Celtics have won the last three games of the best-of-seven series and tied it up 3-3.

     The Celtics became the fourth team in NBA history to lose the first three games of a postseason series and respond with three straight wins to force a Game 7 contest. The final game of the series will be held at TD Garden in Boston. on Monday night. 

     Boston bolted out to a 34-29 by the end of the first quarter and remained in front 57-53. Miami was still behind 79-73 at the end of the third. The Heat had a 103-102 advantage in the final moments of the fourth quarter. Derrick White placed in a shot from close range following a rebound to get the win. 

     Three Heat players compiled double-doubles in the contest. Jimmy Butler led the way for the team with 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Caleb Martin had 21 points and 15 rebounds while Bam Adebayo added 11 points and 13 rebounds. Gabe Vincent dropped in 15 points and Duncan Robinson scored 13 points. 

     Jayson Tatum piled on a game-high 31 points and a club-high 12 rebounds for a double-double in the win. Jaylen Brown composed a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Smart was able to pour in 21 points for the C's.

Marlins Outduel Angels

     The Miami Marlins outscored the Los Angeles Angels 8-5 in 10 innings on Saturday night at Angel Stadium. The Marlins will complete a 10-game road trip on Sunday. 

     The game was tied 4-4 going into extra innings. Miami(27-26) put up four runs in the top of the 10th and Los Angeles(28-25) answered back with one run in the bottom of the 10th. 

Cf Montreal Shuts Out Inter Miami CF

     CF Montreal blanked Inter Miami CF 1-0 at Stade Saputo in Montreal on Saturday night. Inter Miami CF is 4-3-0 in their last seven contests. It is the first time since the pandemic that Inter Miami CF(5-9-0) played a game in Montreal. 

     The only goal came during the second half of play. Chinonso Offor was able to score in the 53rd minute for CF Montreal(6-8-0). 

Chicago Cubs Release Eric Hosmer

     Eric Hosmer has been released by the Chicago Cubs. He had two home runs, 14 runs batted in and a .234 batting average in 31 games this year. 

     Hosmer, an American Heritage High School grad, played his first seven years in the majors with the Kansas City Royals from 2011 to 2017. He helped the team win the World Series in 2015 and two American League pennants. He was with the San Diego Padres from 2018 until 2022. 

Colton Sceviour Staying In Europe

     Former Florida Panthers right wing Colton Sceviour has re-signed with SC Bern in Switzerland. He had 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points with the club in 2022-23. 

     Sceviour played with the Florida Panthers for four seasons from 2016-17 to 2019-20. He compiled 79 points in 284 contests with the club. 

Marlins Knock Off Angels

     The Miami Marlins flew by the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 at Angel Stadium on Friday night. It was the beginning of a rare appearance by the Marlins in Anaheim 

     Miami(26-26) had a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Jean Segura knocked in Bryan De La Cruz on a base hit into center field. 

     They made it 2-0 in the third inning. Jorge Soler pounded a solo home run to center field on a 1-0 count for his 15th homer of the season.

      Los Angeles(28-24) closed it to 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Mike Trout drove in former Marlins player Chad Wallach on a base hit to left field. 

     The Marlins put it back to a two-run margin 3-1 in the top of the sixth. Nick Fortes singled to left field which brought in De La Cruz. 

     The Angels cut it to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Brandon Drury bashed a solo home run to right-center field on a 00-1 pitch for his eighth home run.  

     It became 5-2 for the Fish in the seventh inning. De La Cruz smashed a two-run homer to right-center field on a 1-2 pitch with Garrett Cooper aboard for his sixth home run of the year. 

     Miami increased it to 6-2 in the top of the eighth. Luis Arraez lifted a base hit into center field to score Jonathan Davis. 

Celtics Mow Down Heat In Game 5

     The Boston Celtics blew by the Miami Heat 110-97 on Thursday night in Game 5 at TD Garden and staved off elimination from the NBA Playoffs. The Celtics have won their last two games, but the Heat still hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 will occur in Miami on Saturday night.

     Boston raced out to a 35-20 lead at the end of the first quarter. The C's continued to stay in front 61-44 by halftime. Miami could not dent the lead and trailed 90-72 after three quarters. The Heat began to roll late in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to a 13-point margin. 

     Duncan Robinson came close to a double-double for Miami with 18 points and nine assists. Bam Adebayo added 16 points along with eight rebounds. Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin both contributed 14 points each for the defeat. 

     Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both had 21 points each for Boston. Marcus Smart drained 23 points while Derrick White added 24 points. 

Inter Miami CF Avenges Nashville SC

     Inter Miami CF held on to a 2-1 home victory over Nashville SC on Tuesday night at DRV Stadium. It was the fourth win in the last six contests for Inter Miami CF. Both teams met each other just six days ago with Nashville SC winning 2-1 that night. 

     All the scoring was done in the second half of play. Franco Negri made it 1-0 for Inter Miami CF in the 57th minute. Nashville SC evened it up 1-1 in the 66th minute on a tally by Alex Muyi. Inter Miami CF retook the lead 2-1 during the 73rd minute as Nicolas Stefanelli scored. 

Rockies Slide By Marlins

     The Miami Marlins suffered a 7-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday. The Marlins will visit Anaheim and face the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series this weekend. 

     Miami(25-26) got ahead 1-0 in the top of the third. Yuli Gurriel tripled down the third-base line into the left-field corner for Jorge Soler to score. 

     The Marlins made it 2-0 in the top of the fourth. Xavier Edwards singled to left field and Jonthan Davis reached home. 

     Colorado(22-29) scored in the bottom of the frame. Alan Trejo knocked in Randal Grichuk with a base hit into right field.

     The Rockies tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Elias Diaz clobbered a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch for his ninth homer of the year. 

     It became 6-2 for Colorado in the eighth inning as they piled on four runs. The Fish fought back with four runs in the top of the ninth to even it up 6-6. Garrett Cooper capped the frame for the Fish with two out as he blasted a two-run homer to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch with Gurriel aboard for his fifth home run this season. 

     In the bottom of the ninth, the Rockies had the bases loaded and got the walk-off victory. Ezequiel Tovar singled through the left side and Kris Bryant scored. 

Florida Panthers Home Handshake Lines

     There was a home handshake line that occurred on Wednesday night at FLA Live Arena between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes at the end of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. It was the first time that the Panthers were the victors in a home handshake line held in Sunrise. 

     The handshake line is a National Hockey League playoff tradition that goes back to April 8, 1952 between Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens and Jim Henry of the Boston Bruins at the Montreal Forum. it shows off the best qualities of sportsmanship and respect in the game of hockey at the end of a postseason series. 

     There now have been seven handshake lines that involved the Florida Panthers at a home venue in the South Florida region. The first four handshake lines happened at Miami Arena during the Panthers long playoff run in 1995-96. The Cats defeated the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals. Florida fell to the New York Rangers in the 1996-97 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. 

     There were two occurrences at the current arena in Sunrise prior to last night. The Panthers were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in the 1999-2000 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and the 2011-12 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. 

Marlins Roll By Rockies

     The Miami Marlins crushed the Colorado with a 10-2 win on Wednesday night at Coors Field. The Marlins will complete a four-game set in Denver tomorrow.

     Colorado(21-29) scored in the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Jurickson Profar doubled into the right-field corner for Charlie Blackmon to score. 

     Miami(25-25) compiled two runs in the fourth inning to go up 2-1. Yuli Gurriel knocked in Luis Arraez on a base hit up the middle. The Fish pulled off a double steal with Gurriel taking second and Bryan De La Cruz stealing home. 

     The Marlins added three more runs in the top of the fifth. Jon Berti hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Jacob Stallings crossed the plate. Two batters later, Arraez singled into center field and Jonathan Davis scored. 

     Gurriel scored on a sacrifice fly by Jacob Stallings in the top of the sixth. Davis later connected on a to right field for his first home run in a Marlins uniform to make it 7-1. 

     After a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-1 count by Elias Diaz for Colorado in the bottom of the sixth, the Fish responded back in the seventh inning. Jorge Soler powered a solo home run to left field on the first pitch of the frame for his 14th homer of the season and an 8-2 lead. 

Florida Panthers Reach Stanley Cup Final

     The Florida Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996 as they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday night. The Panthers swept the best-of-seven series 4-0 over the Hurricanes. 

     The Panthers have won 11 of their last 12 playoff games. Florida became the third team since the National Hockey League expansion era started in 1967-68 to be the lowest-seeded team to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. The Nashville Predators accomplished it in 2017 and the Montreal Canadiens did it in 2021.The Cats also reached the Stanley Cup Final as the lowest playoff seed that swept in the Stanley Cup Semifinals since the NHL expanded. 

     Florida rocketed out to a 1-0 lead just 41 seconds into the first period. Aleksander Barkov made a pass in the slot area and Carter Verhaeghe angled a pass to his right. Anthony Duclair took a forehand shot from the right of the crease which was saved by Frederik Andersen. Duclair scored on his second chance from the same spot for his third goal of the playoffs.

     The Panthers increased it to 2-0 on the power play with 9:37 left in the first. Gustav Forsling passed the puck from the top of the zone. Aaron Ekblad released a wrist shot from above the top right circle that was deflected by a Hurricanes defender. Matthew Tkachuk snapped a shot from the top of the crease for his eighth goal of the postseason. 

     Carolina closed it to 2-1 with 6:57 remaining in the first period. Jordan Martinook backhanded the puck from the left wing to the left point. Brady Skjei blasted a slap shot that was redirected by Paul Stastny in the low slot that was stopped by Sergei Bobrovsky. Stastny poked in the rebound from the blue paint for his fourth tally of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     In the second period, the Canes evened it up again 2-2 at 2:51. The Panthers turned the puck over behind their own cage. Jesperi Kotkaniemi passed it out from the low left circle. Skjei took a snap shot that was blocked in the slot area. Martin Necas put in a forehand shot from the low slot for his fifth goal of the postseason. 

     The Cats reclaimed the lead 3-2 at the 9:49 mark. Ryna Lomberg stole the puck at the right point and passed it ahead to Eric Staal in the right circle. He sent a backhand pass across the low slot area. Colin White slipped a pass from the left of the crease and Lomberg steered the puck into a half-empty net for his first goal. 

     The Hurricanes tied it 3-3 with 3:22 to go in the third period. Jalen Chatfield cycled the puck from the right wing. Martinook made a backhand centering pass from the end wall. Jesper Fast one-timed a shot from the low slot for his sixth goal of the playoffs. 

     Florida regained the lead 4-3 on the power play with 4.3 seconds left in the third. Sam Reinhart placed a wrist shot from the left-circle dot wide left of the net. Barkov centered the puck from the right circle. Tkachuk skated to the top of the crease and scored on a forehand shot from the low slot for his second of the contest and ninth goal of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Bill Zito Jim Gregory General Manager Award Finalist

     Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito has been named a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins and Jim Nill were the other finalists announced. 

     It is the second time that Zito has been a finalist. He was a finalist at the end of the 2020-21 NHL season. 

     Zito joined the Panthers organization prior to the start of the 2020-21 season. The Cats made the postseason in 2020-21 The club finished with the best record in the National Hockey League during the 2021-22 campaign, won the Atlantic Division and captured their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history. Florida won their first playoff series since 1996. 

     The Panthers ended up with the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference during 2022--23 regular season. Zito is credited with hiring head coach Paul Maurice, the acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk along with numerous free agent signings such as Eric Staal and Marc Staal during the offseason. 

Celtics Escape Heat In Game 4

     The Boston Celtics avoided a four-game series sweep and held off elimination with a 116-99 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat still lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. Game 5 will occur in Boston on Thursday night. 

     Boston started off ahead 10-4, however Miami pushed back with an 18-5 run and led 22-15 with 4:06 left in the first. The Heat had a 29-23 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The C's had a 14-5 spurt to begin the second quarter and were up 37-34 with 7:46 remaining in the frame. Miami finished the first half on a 13-6 spurt and had a 56-50 halftime lead. 

     In the second half, the Celtics scored 16 consecutive points and took a 68-61 lead with 6:50 to go in the third. Boston later controlled a double-digit margin and had an 88-79 lead at the end of three quarters. The C's got a 12-4 run at the start of the fourth quarter and were up 100-83 with 7:25 left in the game. 

     Jimmy Butler fell short of a double-double with 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Heat. Gabe Vincent dropped in 17 points and Caleb Martin had 16 points. 

     Jayson Tatum piled on a double-double with game-highs of 33 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points while Derrick White drained in 16 points. 

Rockies Freeze Marlins

     The Miami Marlins lost to the Colorado Rockies 5-4 at Coors Field on Tuesday night. The Marlins played in a one-run contest for the eighth time in their last 15 games.

     Miami(24-25) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Jorge Soler smashed a solo home run to center field for his 13th homer of the season. He has compiled eight home runs in the last 18 games. 

     Colorado(21-28) made it 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Harold Castro singled up the middle to score Randal Grichuk. 

     The Rockies moved ahead 5-1 with four runs in the fifth inning. Charlie Blackmon knocked in Miguel Toglia on a double to the base of the center-field wall. Three batters later, Grichuk singled into center field for Blackmon and Jurickson Profar to cross the plate. Elias Diaz would score when Ryan McMahon hit into a force out. 

     The Marlins closed it to 5-3 in the top of the seventh. Garrett Cooper smacked a two-run homer to right field on the first pitch with Jon Berti aboard. It was the fourth home run by Cooper this year. 

     The Fish cut the lead again in the ninth inning to 5-4. Soler sliced a double into the right-field corner and Berti reached home to make it 5-4. 

Florida Panthers On National Radio

     Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes was broadcast nationally on radio last night on Sports USA. Seattle Kraken television voice John Forslund was the play-by-play announcer, Los Angeles Kings television game analyst Jim Fox was the game analyst and Boston Bruins television studio analyst Billy Jaffe was the rinkside reporter. Sports USA will broadcast all games in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Final this year. 

     It was the first time that a Panthers home playoff game at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise was aired nationally on terrestrial radio. The 2023 NHL All-Star Game at the same venue was broadcast by SiriusXM Radio. 

     The Panthers had five postseason contests previously on Sports USA before Monday night. Two of the broadcasts were from Amalie Arena in Tampa. Florida faced the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Amalie Arena in Tampa and Game 3 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

     Florida has been on several times during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on national terrestrial radio. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston was broadcast by Sports USA on April 19. The first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals with the Panthers and Hurricanes from PNC Arena in Raleigh were aired several days ago. 

Marlins Acquire Jonathan Davis

     The Detroit Tigers traded outfielder Jonathan Davis to the Miami Marlins for minor league outfielder Brady Allen. Davis joined the Tigers as a free agent back in January and stayed in their minor league system this year. 

     Davis was with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022. He has played 171 games in the majors during his five-year career and compiled a .185 batting average with four home runs and 20 runs batted in. 

Rockies Fly By Marlins

     The Colorado Rockies beat the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Monday night at Coors Field. The Marlins continued their 10-game road swing out west. 

     Colorado(20-28) rolled out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a doubles parade. Kris Bryant knocked in Jurickson Profar with a double to left field. Elias Diaz followed and doubled to center field for Bryant to score. 

     Miami(24-24) cut it to 2-1 in the top of the third. Luis Arraez drove in Jacob Stallings on a base hit into center field. 

     The Marlins tied the contest 2-2 in the fourth inning. Stallings grounded into a force out and Bryan De La Cruz scored. 

     In the sixth inning, the Rockies regained the lead 3-2. Diaz cracked a solo home run to left-center field for his fourth homer of the season. 

     It became 5--2 for Colorado in the bottom of the seventh. Profar powered a double into right field for Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar to reach home. 

     The Fish got one more run in the top of the eighth. Stallings singled through the right side and De La Cruiz crossed the plate. 

Panthers Blank Hurricanes In Game 3

     The Florida Panthers shut out the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at FLA Live Arena on Monday night. The Panthers are ahead in the seven-game series 3-0. Game 4 will be held in the same arena on Wednesday. 

     It was the first postseason shutout for Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in his NHL career.  It took him 64 playoff games to get that accomplishment.   

     After a scoreless first frame, Florida scooted out to a 1-0 lead on the power play at the 10:05 mark of the first period. Sam Bennett sent the puck from the end wall to Matthew Tkachuk on the right wing. He centered it and Sam Reinhart snapped a shot from the inner right circle past Frederik Andersen for his seventh goal of the postseason. 

     Carolina pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 3:22 remaining in the third period. Marc Staal flipped a shot from his own zone into the empty net with 2:06 to go for a 2-0 lead, but it was not allowed. 

Austin Brice Goes To Minnesota

     Former Miami Marlins relief pitcher Austin Brice has signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. He was with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. 

     Brice had two stints with the Marlins organization. He had his rookie season with the Fish in 2016.and returned to Miami in 2019. He made 51 relief appearances in those two seasons and had a 1-1 record with a 4.30 earned run average. 

Heat Dominate Celtics In Game 3

     The Miami Heat took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 128-102 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya Center on Sunday night. The Heat can advance to the NBA Finals on Tuesday night in Game 4. It was the largest defeat in Boston Celtics franchise history. 

     No team has even come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA postseason history. The NBA Playoffs all-time record in a best-of-seven series for a club down three games to win is 0-149. 

     Miami ended the opening frame on a 9-2 spurt and were ahead 30-22 at the end of the first quarter. The Heat went on a 15-3 run and led 56-35 with 5:06 left in the second quarter. Boston had a 9-2 spurt at the end of the first half, however Miami had a 61-46 lead at halftime. 

     The Heat started the second half on a 28-10 run and were up 89-56 with 4:44 left in the third. The Celtics trailed 93-63 at the end of the three quarters. 

     Gabe Vincent scored a game-high 29 points while Duncan Robinson added 22 points for Miami. Jimmy Butler chalked up 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Caleb Martin dropped in 18 points and Bam Adebayo contributed 13 points. 

     Jayson Tatum led the C's with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Jaylen Brown, Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard each had 12 points each. 

Giants Swim By Marlins

     The San Francisco Giants handled the Miami Marlins 7-5 in the rubber game of a three-game series on Sunday at Oracle Park. The Marlins next visit the Colorado Rockies tomorrow on their long 10-game road trip. 

     Miami(24-23) roared out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning during their second at-bat of the contest. Jorge Soler golfed a solo home run down the left-field line on a 2-0 pitch for his 12th homer of the season. Both teams traded runs in the second inning. 

     San Francisco (22-24) moved ahead with three runs in the bottom of the third for a 4-2 lead. It was capped on a two-run homer by J.D. Davis to center field on a 1-0 count with Thairo Estrada aboard. Davis collected his eighth home run of the 2023 campaign. 

     The Marlins picked up two runs over the next two frames and tied it 4-4. Nick Fortes connected on a solo home run to left field on a first pitch for his second homer this year in the top of the fourth. Soler drove in Xavier Edwards with a double down the left-field line. in the fifth inning. 

     The Giants added two runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 6-4 advantage. Mitch Haniger singled into right field for Davis to score. Three batters later, Haniger scored on a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher by Patrick Bailey to give them a 6-4 lead. 

Panthers Top Hurricanes In Game 2 Overtime

     Matthew Tkachuk got the goal-winning goal at the 1:51 mark in overtime as the Florida Panthers edged the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at PNC Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. Game 3 will be played on Monday night at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.

     Tkachuk tied a National Hockey League playoff record with the game-deciding goal. He scored his third overtime goal in one postseason which tied Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks in 2017, Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens in 1951 and Mel Hill of the Boston Bruins in 1939. Tkachuk also set the Florida Panthers franchise record as he compiled his 18th point in one postseason surpassing Dave Lowry with 17 points back in 1996. 

     Florida has a 10-3 overall record during the postseason and have won eight consecutive road games. The Panthers have won six overtime games this postseason, which includes five contests on the road. The Hurricanes have lost 10 straight games in the Eastern Conference Finals going back to the 2009 postseason. 

     Carolina quickly took a 1-0 lead just 1:43 into the first period. Jalen Chatfield released a snap shot from an acute angle from the low left circle that got by Sergei Bobrovsky for his first tally of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stefan Noesen and Sebastian Aho both were credited with assists on the play. 

     In the second period, Florida answered back at the 7:43 mark of the second period to tie it 1-1. Josh Mahura sent a wrist shot from the left point. Aleksander Barkov stopped the puck at the top of the crease, faked a between-the-legs shot and then scooped in a backhand shot past Antti Raanta from the right of the crease for his fourth goal of the postseason. He tied a Florida Panthers franchise history for second most with his 10th career postseason goal. 

     The Panthers won the game 2-1 early in overtime at 1:51 on the power play. Barkov chipped the puck from the right corner to the right wing. Sam Bennett connected a diagonal pass from the top right circle. Sam Reinhart made a square pass from the left of the crease and Tkachuk one-timed a forehand shot into the net from the right of the crease for his seventh goal of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Orlando City SC Routs Inter Miami CF

     Orlando City SC outdueled Inter Miami Cf 3-1 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night. It was a battle between the two MLS teams based in Florida. Inter Miami CF has lost their last two contests. 

     Ercan Kara gave Orlando City SC a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. Inter Miami CF tied it 1-1in the 57th minute when Leonardo Campana scored. 

     Orlando City SC would pull away for the remainder of the second half. Martin Ojeda found the back of the net in the 68th minute and Rafael Santos capped it with a tally in the 86th minute. 

Marlins Shut Out Giants

     The Miami Marlins blanked the San Francisco Giants 1-0 on Saturday at Oracle Park. The Marlins, who have won four of their last games, continued their 10-game road trip. San Francisco(21-24) had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Marlins. 

     Miami(24-22) scored the only run of the contest during the eighth inning. Jon Berti singled into right field and Garrett Hampson crossed the plate. 

Giants Drive By Marlins

     The San Francisco Giants pushed by the Miami Marlins 4-3 at Oracle Park on Friday night. Miami lost just their second one-run game of the season. 

     The Marlins had their four-game winning streak snapped. The Giants were victorious and now have a four-game winning streak.

     San Francisco(21-23) moved out to a 1-0 lead during the fourth inning. Mitch Haniger doubled off the base of the left-center field wall for Michael Conforto to score. 

     Miami(23-22) jumped to a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth. Bryan De La Cruz knocked in Jorge Soler and Luis Arraez on a double into the right-center field gap. 

     The Giants reclaimed the lead 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth with three runs. J.D. Davis hit a sacrifice fly to right field which brought in Lamont Wade Jr. on the play. Conforto followed with another sacrifice fly, this one a line drive to center, for Thairo Estrada to cross the plate. Three batters later, Giants rookie Casey Schmitt drove in Haniger on a base hit through the left side. 

     The Marlins closed it to 4-3 in the top of the eighth. De La Cruz smacked a solo home run to left-center field on a full count for his fifth homer of the 2023 campaign. 

Heat Slow Down Celtics In Game 2

     The Miami Heat kept up the pressure and stopped the Boston Celtics 111-105 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Friday night at TD Garden. The Heat hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 will be played in Miami on Sunday night.

     The Heat have never lost a postseason series when they are up 2-0. The Celtics are 5-27 in a series which they lost the first two games at home. 

     The Heat began the contest on a 22-14 spurt, but the Celtics responded with an 11-2 advantage and held a 25-24 after one quarter. Boston went on a 15-4 run to begin the second quarter and led 40-28 at the 9:08 mark. Miami answered back with a 19-2 run to take the lead 47-42 with 4:57 to go in the second. The Heat had a 54-50 edge by halftime. 

     The Celtics had an eight-point margin several times in the third quarter and were ahead 83-75 at the end of the frame. They stretched it up to a 12-point gap 89-77 with 10:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. Miami outscored Boston 24-9 in the final six minutes of the contest. 

     Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Caleb Martin poured in 25 points in the victory. Bam Adebayo nailed a double-double with 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. Duncan Robinson was able to drain in 15 points. 

     Jayson Tatum had a game-high 34 points along with 13 rebounds and eight assists for a double-double. Jaylen Brown contributed 16 points while Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III both added 13 points each. 

Carolina Panthers Release Preston Williams

     The Carolina Panthers have cut wide receiver Preston Williams. He played just one game with them in 2022 and compiled no catches. 

     Williams was with the Miami Dolphins during his first three NFL seasons from 2019 to 2021. He had 56 pass receptions for 787 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 24 contests with them. 

Panthers Outlast Hurricanes In Four Overtime Game 1

     Matthew Tkachuk scored a quadruple overtime goal with 12.7 seconds left as the Florida Panthers got by the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at PNC Arena. The Panthers have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. 

     Florida was victorious on the road for the seventh consecutive time in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was the sixth longest game ever in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. 

     It was the longest postseason game ever played in Florida Panthers franchise history. Their previous best was when Uwe Krupp scored at the 4:31 mark in triple overtime for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of the 1996 Stanely Cup Finals to eliminate the Panthers at Miami Arena. 

     The Panthers played in a third-round playoff contest for the first time since the 1995-96 postseason. The Hurricanes reached this stage for the first time since 2019. 

     The Cats won Game 1 in a playoff series for just the second time since 1998. Florida beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening contest of the previous series. 

     It was the longest postseason contest in Carolina Hurricanes franchise history. Their longest postseason game was during the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals in Game 3 versus the Detroit Red Wings. Igor Larionov scored at 14:47 of the third overtime. Current Panthers head coach Paul Maurice was the head coach of the Canes that game. 

     Carolina took a 1-0 lead on the power play with 11.1 seconds left in the first period. Brent Burns forwarded the puck from the top right circle. Sebastian Aho made a pass from the right goal line and 

Seth Jarvis blasted a one-time slap shot from the high slot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal of the postseason. 

     Florida evened up the contest 1-1 with 4:32 remaining in the second period. Carter Verhaeghe sent a diagonal cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. Anthony Duclair carried the puck into the Canes zone on the right wing. He connected a centering pass and Aleksander Barkov snapped a shot from the inner left circle past Frederik Andersen for his third goal of the playoffs. 

     The Panthers moved ahead 2-1 with 2:17 to go. Barkov made a forehand shot from the left wing which was deflected on net by Duclair at the left of the crease. Duclair banked a pass from the end wall off the right skate of Jordan Staal in the crease area. Verhaeghe brought the puck from the right corner and released a wrist shot from the right-circle dot for his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     In the third period, the Hurricanes tied it up with the man advantage at the 3:47. Martin Necas backhanded a pass back from the low left circle. Jarvis pushed it from the slot area and Srefan Noesen placed in a wrist shot from the low right circle for his fourth tally of the postseason. 

     Florida thought they won the game at 2:35 of the first overtime on a goal by Ryan Lomberg. It was negated due to goaltender interference by Colin White. 

     The Panthers ended the contest with 12.7 seconds left in the fourth overtime. Sam Bennett stopped a backhand clearing pass by Burns on the right wing. He centered it and Tkachuk scored his sixth postseason goal on a high wrist shot from the inner right circle. 

West Palm Beach Ratings April 2023

     The West Palm Beach sports talk format radio station ratings were released. The time span went from the last week of March to the last week of April. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM remained at a 0.5 for the second straight period. The Florida Atlantic University Owls men's basketball reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history and fell. WMEN did not have Florida Panthers and New York Yankees game broadcasts like they had two years ago. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM ended up with a 0.2 for the eighth consecutive month. The Miami Marlins 2023 campaign started with a better record than anticipated. Fewer Florida Panthers games were on the airwaves, which included playoff games, due to a timing conflict between Panthers broadcasts and the Marlins broadcasts. 

Marlins Topple Nationals

     The Miami Marlins held off the Washington Nationals 5-3 at loanDepot park on Thursday. The Marlins swept the Nationals in the three-game series and will face the Gants on Friday night in San Francisco. 

     Miami(23-21) got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Bryan De La Cruz smacked a solo home run to center field on a 1-2 pitch for his fourth homer of the season. He was able to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. 

     The Marlins expanded their lead to 2-0 in the third inning. Jean Segura, who extended his hit streak to five games, drove in Xavier Edwards on double down the right-field line. 

     Washington(18-26) responded in the top of the fourth and cut it to 2-1. Jeimer Candelario walloped a solo homer over the right-center field fence on a 3-1 count for his fifth home run of the year. 

     It became 3-1 for the Fish during the bottom of the fourth. Edwards singled through the right side for Joey Wendle to cross the plate. 

     In the seventh inning, Miami made it 4-1. Garrett Cooper knocked in Nick Fortes on a base hit to shallow center field. 

     The Nationals closed it to 4-3 in the top of the eighth. Candelario drove in Luis Garcia on a double into the right-field corner.  Corey Dickenson later had an infield hit to third which scored Lane Thomas. 

     The Marlins regained a two-run margin in the bottom of the frame. Fortes singled into right-center field and De La Cruz scored. 

Heat Drop Celtics In Game 1

     The Miami Heat picked up a 123-116 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on Wednesday night. The Heat lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. Game 2 will be Friday in the same venue. The Heat have been victorious in Game 1 for their sixth straight postseason series. 

     The Heat and the Celtics are facing each other in the third round of the NBA Playoffs for the second straight year and the third time in the last four seasons. Both clubs have won at least one Eastern Conference title since 2020. 

     Neither team led by more than four points during the opening frame of the contest. Boston carried a 30-28 lead at the end of the first quarter. It remained close for the most of the second quarter. The Celtics scored 10 straight points late in the second to pull ahead 66-57 at halftime. 

     Miami went on a 29-14 run to the start of the second half and led 103-91 after three quarters. The C's got seven unanswered points on their way to a 12-5 spurt and they trailed 103-98 with 7:49 to go in the fourth. The Heat extended their lead to double digits 120-110 on a Jimmy Butler three-point shot with 1:03 left in the game. 

     Butler led the Heat as he compiled 35 points, seven assists, five rebounds and postseason career-high six steals. Bam Adebayo composed 20 points and eight rebounds. Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry all had 15 points each. 

     Jayson Tatum had 30 points and seven rebounds for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown fell short of a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds. Marcus Smart contributed 13 points and 11 assists while Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points. 

Nashville SC Tops Inter Miami CF

     Nashville SC beat Inter Miami CF 2-1 at GEODIS Park on Wednesday night. It was a rare mid-week Major League Soccer contest between both squads. Inter Miami CF had their three-game MLS winning streak snapped. 

     In the first half, Fafa Picault made it 1-0 for Nashville SC in the 33rd minute. It became 2-0 during the 49th minute when Lukas MacNaughton scored. Inter Miami CF broke the shutout during stoppage time at the end of second half with a goal by Dixon Arroyo. 

Marlins Cut Down Nationals

     The Miami Marlins edged the Washington Nationals 4-3 on Wednesday at loanDepot park. The Marlins, who have won three straight games, will complete their six-game homestand on Thursday before playing a three-game weekend series against the Giants in San Francisco

     Washington(18-25) jumped on the Fish in the top of the second with two runs. Former Marlins player Corey Dickerson pounded a two-run homer to right-center field on a 1-0 pitch with Jeimer Candelario aboard. It was the first home run for Dickerson with his new team. Dickerson made his fifth plate appearance this year and was playing in just his third contest with the Nats.  

     Miami(22-21) answered back in the bottom of the second to make it 2-1. Yuli Gurriel hit a sacrifice fly to left field and Bryan De La Cruz scored. 

     The Marlins took the lead 3-2 in the fourth inning. Jorge Soler blasted a two-run homer to center field on the first pitch to center field for his 11th home run of the season. Luis Arraez scored in front of him on the play. 

     It became 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth for the Fish. De La Cruz doubled to right-center field wall and Soler crossed the plate. 

     The Nationals trailed 4-3 in the seventh inning. Alex Call grounded out to shortstop and Dickerson reached home. 

Cedric Ogbuehi Joins Miami Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins have signed offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to a contract. It is a one-year deal between him and the club. 

     Ogbuehi has bounced around the National Football League. He was with the Cincinnati Bengals(2015-2018), Jacksonville Jaguars(2019), Seattle Seahawks(2020-2021), Baltimore Ravens(2021) and New York Jets(2022). 

Dolphins Add Bryce Thompson

     The Miami Dolphins have added defensive back Bryce Thompson to their roster. It is a one-year deal with the team. 

     Thompson has played the last two seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He only had two combined tackles in eight contests. 

Anibal Sanchez Retires

     Former Marlins starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez has retired from Major League Baseball. He last participated with the Washington Nationals in 2019, 2020 and 2022 and won the World Series in 2019. 

     Sanchez was with the Marlins franchise under the Florida Marlins name from 2006 to 2011 and then with the Miami Marlins in 2012. He had a 44-45 record with a 3.75 earned run average in seven seasons. 

     He was traded to the Detroit Tigers in July 2012. Sanchez contributed to the Tigers winning the American League pennant later that year. 

Marlins Skip By Nationals

     The Miami Marlins squeezed by the Washington Nations 5-4 at loanDepot park on Tuesday night. The Marlins now have a 13-1 record in one-run games this season. 

     Miami(21-21) took a 2-0 lead on a strange play in the bottom of the second. Joey Wendle grounded into a force out at second for Jean Segura to score. Nationals starting pitcher Josiah Gray fell down and fumbled the ball on the attempted completion of a double play at first base for an error. Peyton Burdick strolled on home to make it 2-0. 

     Washington(18-24) chopped it down to 2-1 in the sixth inning. Lane Thomas sliced a solo home run to right field on a 0-1 pitch for his fifth homer of the season. 

     The Nationals moved ahead 4-2 in the top of the eighth. Jeimer Candelario singled through the right side and Luis Garcia crossed the plate. Three batters later, Dominic Smith drove in Michael Chavis and Candelario with a base hit up the middle for a 4-2 lead. 

     The Marlins had a last chance in the ninth inning, and they made the best of it with a two-out rally. Luis Arraez knocked in Garrett Cooper on a single to right field and cut it to 4-3. Jorge Soler came up next and blasted a walk-off, two-run homer to left-center field on a 3-2 count. Pinch-runner Jon Berti scored in front of him on the play. 

Miami Ratings April 2023

     The sports talk format radio ratings in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market rolled out. The time span went from the last week of March until the last week of April. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM rose from a 0.5 to a 0.6 in the period. The University of Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team completed their run in the NCAA Tournament and played in the Final Four for the first time in school history. The Miami Heat lost a play-in contest and won a play-in contest to get the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They upset the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who had the best regular season record in the NBA, during the first round in five games. The Florida Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cats were battling the Boston Bruins, who set NHL regular season records in win and points, in the first round. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM remained at a 0.1 for the second straight month. The Marlins started off the 2023 campaign with a better record than expected at 12-13.

     The stream for WQAM stayed at a 0.2 for the second straight month. They gained an audience with the influx of postseason action from the University of Miami basketball, Miami Heat and Florida Panthers. WKIS-FM-HD2 has been obsolete for people with the WQAM signal on their own streaming channel and it finished with a 0.0 for the third straight time. 

Colby Robak Ends Career

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Colby Robak has retired from professional hockey. He made the announcement on Monday. 

     Robak was selected in the second round by the Panthers in the 2008 NHL Draft. He was with Florida for four seasons from 2011-12 until 2014-15. Robak compiled just no goals and three assists in 42 games with that organization. 

Mike Piazza Trade 25th Anniversary

     Monday was the 25th anniversary of the Mike Piazza trade by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Florida Marlins. Piazza was dealt in a seven-player trade from the Dodgers to the Marlins on May 15, 1998. He and Todd Zeile were acquired while Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich and Manuel Barrios were sent to Los Angeles.

     Piazza spent just one week in a Marlins uniform. He had five runs batted in and a .278 batting average in five games with the Marlins. Piazza was traded to the New York Mets for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz on May 22, 1998. 

     He would help the Mets win the 2000 National League championship and reach the World Series for the first time in 14 years. Piazza hit a famous go-ahead home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first baseball game played after the September 11 attacks on the United States. He eventually was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. 

NHL Eastern Conference Finals Schedule Set

     The National Hockey League announced the Stanley Cup Playoffs dates for the Eastern Conference Finals between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes. TNT will broadcst the entire third-round series with Kenny Albert as play-by-play announcer along with Keith Jones and Eddie Olcyzk as game analysts. 

     The Hurricanes will host Game 1 on Thursday and Game 2 on Saturday. The best-of-seven series will switch to FLA Live Arena where the Panthers will host Game 3 next Monday and Game 4 on May 24. Game 5 will occur in Carolina on May 26, Game 6 will happen in Sunrise on May 28 and Game 7 takes place in Raleigh on May 30. 

     There is great news for South Florida sports fans with this schedule. There will be no conflicts between the Florida Panthers and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs playing on the same night. 

2023 Palm Beach County High School Football Spring Games

     Spring high school football games with Palm Beach County teams will be played during the month of May. Contests will be played over the next two weeks. 

     The spring football schedule started on May 11 when Boca Raton Christian visited St. Andrew's. Pahokee makes the long trip down Route 27 to take on Somerset Academy on May 15

      Local Palm Beach County high school spring football games will happen this Thursday on May 18. That day will have Glades Central at Palm Beach Central, Boca Raton at Wellington, Park Vista at Melbourne, St. John Paul II at Jupiter Christian. South Broward at Santaluces and Oasis at Glades Day. Boynton Beach hosts a spring jamboree against Olympic Heights and Suncoast. 

     Royal Palm Beach will host The King's Academy and Miami Beach in a spring jamboree this Friday on May 19. Other games on that date includes John I. Leonard at Palm Beach Lakes, Inlet Grove at Fort Pierce Central, Jensen Beach at Jupiter, Tampa Catholic at Forest Hill, South Fork at Seminole Ridge, Coral Glades at Somerset Academy-Canyons and West Boca Raton at Doral Academy. 

     There will be only one Palm Beach County school playing on May 25. American Heritage will head for Fort Lauderdale and face Pine Crest

     A spring jamboree involving 10 high schools will occur at Palm Beach Gardens High School on May 27. It will include Palm Beach Gardens, Miramar, Miami Palmetto, Coconut Creek, Lakewood, Treasure Coast, Miami Edison, Atlantic, Calvary Chrisian Academy and Boyd Anderson. Another spring jamboree will happen just four miles north of that at Dwyer. It will have Dwyer, Plantation, Stranahan and Martin County. 

     Several high schools with have team scrimmages and not participate in spring football games. They are Cardinal Newman(May 18), Benjamin(May 20) and Oxbridge Academy(May 25). 

Isaiah Wynn Joins Miami Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins have signed offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn. It is a one-year contract with no terms of a dollar amount. 

     Wynn was selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He has played only 43 games over the last five seasons. 

Marlins Pass By Reds

     The Miami Marlins avoided a three-game sweep to the Cincinnati Reds with a 3-1 win at loanDepot park on Sunday. The Fish have Monday off and then host the Washington Nationals in a three-game set beginning on Tuesday. 

     Cincinnati(19-21) had a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Tyler Stepenson grounded out to first for Jonathan /India to score. 

     Miami(20-21) matched it with one run in the bottom of the sixth. Jean Segura singled through the right side and Bryan De La Cruz scored. 

     The Marlins would take a 3-1 lead with two runs in the seventh inning. Garrett Cooper doubled into the right-center field gap and Garrett Hampson reached home. De La Cruz then got a base hit to center field and Cooper crossed the plate. 

Heat And Panthers Clinch Series On Same Day

     South Florida Sports history was made on Friday night. The Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers clinched their series wins on the same day for the first time ever. In addition, both teams reached the Eastern Conference Finals in the same year. 

     The Miami Heat vanquished the New York Knicks 96-92 in Game 6 at Kaseya Center on Friday night during the NBA Playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Florida Panthers eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime 4-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena. 

     The Heat and the Panthers did sometime in the postseason last year. Both teams won a playoff series in 2022. Neither club had captured a series victory in the same season from 1993-94 to 2020-21.

Inter Miami CF Stops New England

     Inter Miami CF defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 at DRV Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night. It was the third straight MLS regular season win for Inter Miami CF. The Revolution remained tied for first overall in the Major League Soccer standings with 24 points.

     All scoring in the contest was done in the first half. David Ruiz gave Inter Miami CF(5-6-0) a 1-0 lead during the sixth minute. Carlos Gil was able to even it up 1-1 in the 26th minute for New England(7-2-3). Inter Miami CF regained the lead 2-1 with a goal from Josef Martinez in the 44th minute. 

Reds Get By Marlins

     The Cincinnati Reds edged the Miami Marlins 6-5 on Saturday at loanDepot park. Cincinnati(18-21) look to sweep the three-game weekend series against the Marlins on Sunday. 

     Miami(19-21) had a Major League Baseball record end on Saturday. The Marlins had 12 consecutive one-run victories to start a regular season and it was snapped. 

NBA Eastern Conference Finals Games Set

     The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks to win the best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last night. They will face the winner between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their series being played on Sunday. 

     The dates for the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals have been set. The Heat will play Game 1 on Wednesday and Game 2 on Friday away. Miami will host Game 3 on May 21 and Game 4 on May 23. They will be on the road for Game 5 on May 25. The Heat return home for Game 6 on May 27 and finish the series away on Memorial Day May 29. 

Matthew Tkachuk Hart Memorial Trophy Finalist

     Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk was named one of three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2022-23 for Most Valuable Player in the National Hockey League. Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins were the other finalist for the trophy.   

     Tkachuk was acquired by the Florida Panthers during the offseason from the Calgary Flames for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. He played 79 games with the Panthers this season and compiled 40 goals and a career-high 69 assists for a career-high 109 points. Tkachuk was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 NHL All-Star Game held in South Florida. 

Panthers Advance By Maple Leafs In Game 5

     The Florida Panthers eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime 4-3 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Scotiabank Arena on Friday night. The Panthers captured the best-of-seven series 4-1. The Cats will remain on the road and challenge the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals next week in Raleigh. 

     The Panthers reached the third round of the playoffs for the second time in franchise history. They last accomplished it during the 1995-96 postseason. Florida had won seven of their last eight playoff games. The Maple Leafs had a 1-5 home record in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     Florida converted on the man advantage at the 3:31 mark of the first period for a 1-0 lead. Carter Verhaeghe moved the puck from the right wing. Gustav Forsling angled a pass from the top of the zone. Aaron Ekblad smacked a one-time slap shot from the top left circle past Joseph Woll for his first goal of the playoffs. It was the second career postseason goal for Ekblad. 

     The Panthers expanded it to 2-0 with 3:42 left in the first. Ekblad was able to clear the puck out of his defensive zone. Anthony Duclair carried the puck from the right point to the high slot. He connected a diagonal pass to his right and Verhaeghe one-timed a slap shot from the low right circle for his fifth goal of the postseason.      

     Toronto closed it to 2-1 at 7:50 of the second period. David Kampf touched the puck in the left corner. Sam Lafferty cycled it from the left corner. Morgan Rielly released a wrist shot from the left point, which went off the left shin of Nick Cousins, by Sergei Bobrovsky for his fourth tally of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     The Maple Leafs thought they tied it 2-2 with 2:49 remaining in the second. Ryan O'Reilly forwarded the puck from the left point off a Florida player and it bounced across the ice. Rielley skated into the crease area and might have scored on a forehand shot, but it was disallowed because the puck never crossed the goal line. 

     In the third period, the Leafs evened it up 2-2 with 4:24 left. T.J. Brodie sent a long outlet pass from his own zone. John Tavares guided the puck at the red line. William Nylander brought the puck into the Panthers zone. He hustled to the left right circle and snapped a shot for fourth goal of the playoffs.    

     Florida ended it with 4:28 to go in overtime for a 4-3 victory. Radko Gudas stopped a centering pass and pushed the puck ahead. Nick Cousins skated with the puck on the left side through the neutral zone into the Maple Leafs zone. He brought to the inner left circle and scored on a snap shot for his second goal of the postseason. 

Heat End Knicks In Game 6

     The Miami Heat eliminated the New York Knicks 96-92 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat took the best-of-seven series 4-2 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year and the third time in the last four seasons. 

     The Heat made National Basketball Association history from this game. They became just the second team in NBA history as an eighth seed reach a conference final. 

     New York went on a 16-3 run and were ahead 31-17 with 2:40 to go in the first. The Heat answered back with seven straight points and trailed 31-24 at the end of the first quarter. Miami had a 13-5 spurt to begin the second and moved ahead 37-36 with 7:51 remaining in the quarter. The Heat were able to stay in front 51-50 by halftime. 

     The contest remained close during the early part of the second half as Miami held a 74-71 lead after three quarters. The Heat got eight consecutive points to take an 85-77 lead with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter. The Knicks cut it down to 92-90 with 54.1 seconds remaining in the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler had 24 points and eight rebounds for the Heat. Bam Adebayo added 23 points and nine rebounds to fall short of a double-double. Max Strus was able to score 14 points. 

     Jalen Brunson compiled a game-high 41 points for the Knicks. Julius Randle contributed a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

Eury Perez Debuts, Reds Topple Marlins

     Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez made his Major League Baseball debut as the Fish lost to the Cincinnati Reds 7-4 at loanDepot park on Friday night. Perez went 4 2/3 innings, had seven strikeouts and allowed two runs on four hits. 

     Perez became the second youngest player in Marlins franchise history to make his Major League Baseball debut. Former Florida Marlins shortstop Edgar Renteria made his MLB debut with the team as 19 years and 277 days. 

     It turned out that Perez is the youngest pitcher to strike out at least seven batters during his debut in the majors. David Clyde last did it for the Texas Rangers in 1973 when he was 18 years old. 

     Cincinnati(17-21) had a 1-0 lead during the top of the fourth. Tyler Stephenson walloped a solo home run to left field on a 3-2 pitch for his second homer of the year. 

     Miami(19-20) tied it up 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Bryan De La Cruz doubled into left-center field for Luis Arraez to score. 

     The Reds reclaimed the lead 2-1 in the fifth inning. Jake Fraley powered a solo homer to right-center field on the first pitch for his third home run of the season. 

     The Marlins leaped over their opponent in the bottom of the frame to go up 3-2. Joey Wendle first scored on a passed ball. Jazz Chisholm Jr. then homered to right-center field on a 1-2 pitch for his sixth home run in 2023. 

     It became 4-2 for the Fish in the sixth inning. Peyton Burdick blasted a solo home run to right-center field on a 2-2 count for his first homer of the campaign. 

     In the seventh inning, the Red Legs managed to tie it 4-4. Spencer Steer knocked in Stuart Fairchild and Fraley on a double into the left-field corner. 

     Cincinnati compiled three runs in the ninth inning for a 7-4 advantage. Fraley picked up his second home run of the contest on a 1-1 count to right field. Fairchild and Jose Barrero scored in front of him on the play. 

Miami Dolphins 2023 Schedule Released

     The National Football League released the 2023 regular season schedules of all 32 teams on Thursday night. The Miami Dolphins had their schedule issued for the upcoming season. Two contests were announced yesterday because of special circumstances. 

     The schedule has the Dolphins away in three of their first four contests. They end the regular season with four of their last five games at home. 

     The Dolphins will begin the 2023 campaign in Week1 on the road at the Los Angeles Chargers. The club will visit the New England Patriots for Sunday Night Football in Week 2. They host their home opener versus the Denver Broncos in Week 3 and then visit the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

     The New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers come to South Florida in Week 5 and Week 6. The Dolphins head to the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7 and the New England Patriots arrive in Miami for Week 8. 

     The Fins will fly out of the country for Week 9 on November 5. They will face the reigning Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs in Frankfurt, Germany. The Dolphins will have a bye week following that game. The Las Vegas Raiders invade Miami in Week 11. 

     Miami will participate in the first Black Friday game in NFL history in Week 12. They will challenge the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey on the day after Thanksgiving on November 24. Miami will travel to the Washington Commanders in Week 13. 

     The Dolphins will have three straight home games. They host the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, the New York Jets in Week 15 and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16.

     They conclude the 2023 regular season at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17 and return home against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18

Tyler Kroft Goes To Dolphins

     Tight end Tyler Kroft has signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins. It is a one-year deal and the dollar amount has not been said. 

     Kroft participated in 11 games last season with the San Francisco 49ers and compiled four catches for 57 receiving yards. He was with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2015 until 2018, the Buffalo Bills from 2019 to 2020 and the New York Jets in 2021. 

Knicks Stay Alive In Game 5

     The New York Knicks avoided elimination as they got by the Miami Heat 112-103 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. The Heat still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game 6 to played in Miami on Friday.  

     Miami scored eight straight points to be up 16-10 with 4:29 remaining in the opening frame. The Heat had a 24-14 advantage at the end of the first quarter. New York went on an 18-2 run at the start of the second quarter and led 32-31 at 9:06. The Knicks maintained a 50-47 lead at halftime. 

     New York had a 23-7 spurt to begin the second half and were up 73-54 with 5:55 to go in the third. The Knicks would have an 84-74 lead after three quarters. Miami trailed 92-79 with 9:36 remaining in the final quarter. The Heat came the closest to the lead being down by two points 103-101 with 2:37 left in the fourth. 

    Jimmy Butler fell short of a double-double with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead Miami. Bam Adebayo contributed 18 points along with eight rebounds. Duncan Robinson added 17 points while Max Strus had 14 points.  

     The Knicks got a game-high 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists from Jalen Brunson. R.J. Barrett compiled 26 points and seven rebounds in the victory. Julius Randle was able to drop in 24 points for New York. 

Maple Leafs Survive Panthers In Game 4

     The Toronto Maple Leafs stayed alive with a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday night. The Panthers have a 3-1 lead in the seven-game series. Game 5 of the series will be held on Friday in Toronto. 

     After a scoreless first period, Toronto scored with the man advantage at the 3:29 mark of the second period. Mitch Marner pushed the puck from the right point. Michael Bunting was in the right corner when he passed the puck. It went off the official and landed in the crease area. William Nylander lifted a backhand shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his third goal of the playoffs. 

     In the third period, the Maple Leafs increased their lead to 2-0 with 9:57 left. Jake McCabe fired a slap shot and it was redirected in by Marner in the slot area for his third goal in the postseason.    

     Florida broke the shutout with 7:47 to go in the third while on the power play. Sam Bennett forwarded the puck from the right wing. Matthew Tkachuk centered the puck from the right goal line. Sam Reinhart took a snap shot from the top the crease which was saved by Joseph Woll. Reinhart poked in the puck from the blue paint for his sixth goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     Reinhart extended his point streak to three games. Tkachuk chalked up his 11th assist in single postseason to set a Florida Panthers franchise record. He surpassed Stu Barnes who had 10 assists during the 1995-96 playoffs. 

Marlins Slip By Diamondbacks

     The Miami Marlins completed a six-game road trip as they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 on Wednesday at Chase Field. The Marlins will be home on Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds. 

     Miami(19-19) got three runs in the top of the fourth. Jesus Sanchez blasted a three-run homer to center field on a 2-2 pitch for his third home run of the year. Jorge Soler and Luis Arraez scored in front of him on the play. 

     Arizona(20-17) answered back with four runs in the bottom of the frame and took a 4-3 lead. They had the bases loaded when Pavin Smith walked and Ketel Marte crossed the plate. Corbin Carroll would then score on a balk with Geraldo Perdomo batting. Perdomo drove in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a base hit to right field. The Diamondbacks finished the four-run rally as Smith scored on a ground out by Alek Thomas.   

     The Fish tied it up 4-4 in the fifth inning. Garrett Hampson singled through the left side for Peyton Burdick to score. 

     The Marlins regained the lead 5-4 in the top of the ninth. Bryan De La Cruz scored when Joey Wendle sliced a double into the left-field corner. 

Some Miami Dolphins Games Issued

     Some of the special games to be played for the 2023 regular season was issued by the National Football League. Two of the upcoming Miami Dolphins regular season contests were mentioned. 

    Miami will be part of the NFL international schedule. The Fins will go against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on November 5 during Week 9 in Frankfurt, Germany. 

     The Dolphins will also participate in the first Black Friday game in National Football League history. It will be held the day after Thanksgiving on November 24. They will travel and face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey during Week 12. 

Marlins Speed By Diamondbacks

     The Miami Marlins raced by the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 on Tuesday night at Chase Field. The Marlins will complete their six-game road trip tomorrow. 

     Miami(18-19) struck quickly during the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Luis Arraez singled up the middle for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to score. Arraez was able to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. 

     The Marlins compiled three more runs in the top of the second and led 4-0. Jorge Soler crushed a three-run homer to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch with Jon Berti and Chisholm aboard. 

     Arizona(20-16) made it 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Nick Ahmed knocked in Christian Walker with a base hit into left field. 

     It became 6-1 for Miami in the fifth inning. Soler came through again with a solo home run to left field on a full count for his second homer of the game and the ninth home run of the season. Chisholm was able to score in front of him on the play. 

     The Diamondbacks cut it to 6-2 in the bottom of the eighth. Evan Longoria got his fourth home run of the year on a 3-1 pitch to left field. 

Aleksander Barkov King Clancy Memorial Award Nominee

     Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov has been nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Award. All 32 National Hockey League players had nominated one player. 

     The award is given to an NHL player who best shows leadership qualities on and off the ice along with making a contribution toward their own community. Barkov, who is the Panthers captain, is in his 10th season with the club. He had 78 points in 68 games with the team during the 2022-23 regular season.

Diamondbacks Drop Marlins

     The Arizona Diamondbacks downed the Miami Marlins 5-2 at Chase Field on Monday night. The Marlins, who have fallen in six of their last seven games, continued their six-game road trip. 

     Arizona(20-15) had a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Christian Walker doubled to the left-center field wall and Emmanuel Rivera scored. 

     Miami(17-19) answered back quickly in the top of the fifth.  Jesus Sanchez connected with a double into the left-center field gap and Nick Fortes crossed the plate. 

     The Diamondbacks piled on three runs in the sixth inning. They added one run during the seventh inning for a 5- 1 lead. 

     The Marlins picked up a run in the top of the ninth. Garrett Hampson drove in Bryan De La Cruz on a double down the left-field line. 

Max Verstappen 2023 Miami Grand Prix Winner

     Max Verstappen won the 2023 Miami Gran Prix in Formula 1 Racing on Sunday at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens. The entire racecourse is outside of the Hard Rock Stadium facility. 

     Verstappen captured the event for the second straight year. He was able to win the inaugural Miami Grand Prix in 2022. 

Heat Knock Off Knicks In Game 4

     The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks 109-101 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Kaseya Center on Monday night. The Heat lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. Miami can clinch the series on Wednesday in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.

     The Heat have held a 3-1 series advantage during the NBA Playoffs on 14 previous occasions. Miami has never blown a postseason series lead like that in franchise history. 

     Miami strung up five points to start the contest on their way to a 15-9 spurt. The Heat had a 31-30 edge at the end of the first quarter. Miami outscored the Knicks 9-2 in the first four minutes of the second quarter, The Heat increased it to a 10-point margin 49-39 with 3:23 remaining in the first half. Miami remained ahead 56-48 at halftime. 

     New York scored seven straight points and cut it to 67-65 with 7:07 to go in the third. The Heat answered back with a 12-6 spurt to make it 79-71 with 4:08 left in the frame. Miami almost regained a double-digit lead and were up 90-81 after three quarters. The Heat had a 95-84 lead at 8:14 of the fourth quarter. Miami kept up the pace and were ahead 104-95 with 2:36 left in the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler compiled a double-double for Miami with a club-high 27 points along with 10 assists. Bam Adebayo got 23 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. Max Strus poured in 16 points and Kyle Lowry dropped in 15 points.

     The Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson with a game-high 32 points and 11 assists for a double-double. R.J. Barrett added 24 points while Julius Randle scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. 

Panthers Sign Mackie Samoskevich

     The Florida Panthers have signed forward Mackie Samoskevich to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was the Panthers first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. 

     Samoskevich played college hockey with the University of Michigan Wolverines. He helped that school to reach the Frozen Four for the second straight season in 2022-23. 

Panthers Take Maple Leafs In Game 3 Overtime

     Sam Reinhart scored in overtime as the Florida Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at FLA Live Arena on Sunday night. The Panthers, who have won a franchise-record six consecutive playoff victories, lead the best-of-seven series 3-0 and are one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. 

     Reinhart became the third Florida player to get an overtime goal during this postseason. He joined Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe during their first-round series against the Boston Bruins. 

     It was the first time that the Panthers won a second-round home game since 1996 at Miami Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers. Florida has never swept an opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs during their franchise history. The Panthers have a 3-0 series lead for the first time since the 1996 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals versus the Boston Bruins. 

     Toronto roared out to a 1-0 lead at the 2:26 mark of the first period. Morgan Rielly sent a long lead pass from his own zone to the Panthers blue line. David Kampf brought the puck to the right circle. He made a cross-ice pass and Sam Lafferty put in a one-time slap shot from the inner left circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his first goal of the playoffs.

     In the second period, Florida tied it up 1-1 on the power play at 2:36. Aaron Ekblad connected a lead pass from his own blue line to Anthony Duclair at the Toronto blue line. He skated in on a breakaway through the slot area and placed in a forehand shot from the crease area by Joseph Woll for his second goal of the postseason. 

     The Maple Leafs took a 2-1 lead at the 7:32 mark of the second. William Nylander had a backhand pass from the right point to the middle. Erik Gustafsson carried the puck into the left circle and then angled a pass to his right. It went off the stick of Marc Staal in the crease area and into the cage for his first tally.

     The Panthers evened it 2-2 with 7:32 remaining in the second. Josh Mahura passed from the left point across the ice. Radko Gudas released a snap shot from the right point and it was redirected in by the backside of Verhaeghe in the slot area for his fourth goal in the Stanely Cup Playoffs. 

     The Cats won it in overtime at the 3:02 mark. Reinhart brought the puck into the Leafs zone and stopped in the right wing. He dumped it around the boards to Anton Lundell on the left wing. Lundell returned it the Reinhart behind the Maple Leafs net. He scored on a forehand wraparound shot for his fifth goal of the postseason. Aaron Ekblad was credited with a secondary assist from starting the play on his own end wall.

Marlins Avoid Sweep To Cubs

     The Miami Marlins snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory in 14 innings over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday. The Marlins head for Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks to finish the road swing. 

     Miami(17-19) made it 1-0 in the top of the fifth. Yuli Gurriel smashed a solo home run to left field on a 2-2 pitch that ended in the overhanging basket. It was the third homer for Gurriel with his new team. 

     The Marlins increased it to 2-0 in the eighth inning. Former Cubs player Jorge Soler singled up the middle and Jon Berti scored. 

     Chicago(17-17) tied it up 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth. Cody Bellinger doubled into the left-center field gap and Ian Happ crossed the plate. American Heritage High School grad Eric Hosmer followed with a base hit to right field to score Bellinger. Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara, who was trying to get the complete-game victory, was pulled after that play. 

     The Marlins retook the lead 3-2 in the top of the 10th. Joey Wendle tripled to right field and Jean Segura scored from second. 

     The Cubbies evened it 3-3 in the bottom of the frame. Nico Hoerner singled to center field and Matt Mervis reached home from third. 

     The Fish moved ahead again 4-3 in the top of 13th. Jazz Chisholm Jr. knocked in Nick Fortes on a sacrifice fly to center field.  

     The Cubs matched it in the bottom of the 13th to make it 4-4. Happ drove in Hoerner with a base hit to center field. 

     Miami moved ahead of Chicago in the 14th inning with an unusual play. Garrett Hampson was able to score on a balk for the go-ahead run.

Ruthie Polinsky In Chicago

     Former Miami television sportscaster Ruthie Polinsky is now at WMAQ-TV in Chicago as a sportscaster. Polinsky, a University of Michigan grad, worked as a sports anchor and sports reporter at WTVJ-TV Channel 6 in Miami from March 2020 until February 2023. 

     She began her professional broadcasting career as a sportscaster at KFDX-TV in Wichita Falls, Texas. Polinsky moved on to WPRI-TV in Providence as a sports anchor and sports reporter. She was there for three years prior to her arrival in South Florida. 

Inter Miami CF Outpace Atlanta United FC

     Inter Miami CF held off Atlanta United FC 2-1 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday night. It was the first Major League Soccer home game for Inter Miami CF since April 8. 

     In the second half, Inter Miami CF(4-6-0) took a 1-0 lead in the 59th minute on a penalty kick by Josef Martinez. It became 2-0 for Inter Miami CF, who won their second straight contest, on another tally by Martinez during the 75th minute. Atlanta United FC(5-3-3) broke the shutout in stoppage time when Andrew Gutman scored. 

Gerard Gallant Out From Rangers

     Gerard Gallant has parted ways with the New York Rangers as their head coach. He held that post with the Rangers for the past two seasons and had a 90-46-19 record. 

     Gallant was once the head coach of the Florida Panthers. He joined the organization prior to the 2013-14 campaign and stayed until the middle of the 2016-17 regular season. Gallant finished with a 96-65-25 record in 186 games. He later became the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights and guided them to a Western Conference title in 2017-18. 

Heat Storm By Knicks

     The Miami Heat sunk the New York Knicks 105-86 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Kaseya Center on Saturday. Both teams have not played a contest in four days since Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The Heat are ahead in the best-of-seven series 2-1. 

     Jimmy Butler returned to the Heat lineup after missing Game 2. It was the Knicks first postseason appearance in Miami since 2012. Both clubs have faced each other in the NBA Playoffs on five previous occasions. 

     Miami went on a 23-10 run in the first eight minutes to begin the game. The Heat had a 29-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miami scored six unanswered points to start the second frame on their way to a 15-4 spurt and had a 19-point margin 44-25 with 8:26 left in the first half. New York responded with an 11-4 advantage and trailed 48-36. The Heat were still up 58-44 at halftime. 

     The Heat led by double digits throughout the third quarter, which included eight straight points in the middle of the frame. They led the Knicks 87-70 heading into the final frame. Miami had an 8-3 spurt at the beginning of the fourth quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler led the Heat in scoring with a game-high 28 points in the victory. Bam Adebayo was able to contribute a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Max Strus finished off strong as he dropped in 19 points.

     Jalen Brunson had a club-high 20 points for the Knicks. Two players compiled double-double for New York. Josh Hart got 15 points and 12 rebounds while Julius Randle added 10 points and 13 rebounds. R.J. Barrett chalked up 14 points in the loss. 

Cubs Slip By Marlins

     The Chicago Cubs erased a two-run deficit and pushed by the Miami Marlins 4-2 on Saturday at Wrigley Field. The Marlins extended their losing streak up to a season-high five games. 

     Miami(16-18) broke out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Bryan De La Cruz fisted a single into right field on a full count for Jorge Soler to score. 

     It became 2-0 for the Fish during the third inning. Soler burned his former team with a solo home run to left field on a 1-1 pitch for his seventh homer of the season. 

     Chicago(17-16) made it 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Matt Mervis, who played in his second Major League Baseball game, sliced a base hist to left field and Cody Bellinger crossed the plate. 

     The Cubs rallied with three runs in the bottom of the eighth and led 4-2. Nick Mardigal singled on the first pitch through the right side for Bellinger and Nelson Velazquez to reach home. Pinch-hitter Miguel Amaya followed with an infield single up the middle of the diamond for his first career hit in the majors. Madrigal raced home from second to score on the play. 

New York Jets Sign Caleb Johnson

     The New York Jets have inked linebacker Caleb Johnson to a contract. There are no details on the deal for the undrafted free agent. 

     Johnson was with the UCLA Bruins in 2020 and 2021. He transferred to the University of Miami for the 2022 campaign. Johnson had 48 total tackles and 1 1/2 sacks with the Hurricanes last season. 

Cubs Carve Out Marlins

     The Chicago Cubs handled the Miami Marlins 4-1 at Wrigley Field on Friday. The Marlins swept the Cubs in a three-game series last weekend in Miami. 

     Chicago(16-16) got a run in the bottom of the first. Ian Happ smacked a two-run homer to center field in the fifth inning to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Miami(16-17) is currently on a four-game losing streak. 

Meadowlark Media Gets Charlotte Wilder

     Meadowlark Media have added Charlotte Wilder to their talent pool. It is unknown at the present time how she will contribute to the organization. 

     Wilder has been employed at Fox Sports for the last couple of years. She previously worked at USA Today, SB Nation and Sports Illustrated. 

Panthers Stun Maple Leafs In Game 2

     The Florida Panthers overcome a two-goal deficit and were victorious over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Panthers now are ahead in the best-of-seven series 2-0. Florida will host Game 3 at FLA Live Arena on Sunday night. 

     The Panthers have won five consecutive postseason games for the first time in franchise history. In addition, they prevailed in the first two games of a Stanley Cup Playoff series for the first time since winning the first two contests against the Boston Bruins in the 1996 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. 

     Toronto roared out to a 1-0 lead at the 2:20 mark of the first period. Morgan Rielly fed a pass from the left point and Luke Schenn released a snap shot from the right point. Sergei Bobrovsky made the initial save, however Alexander Kerfoot scored on a forehand shot from the top of the crease for his second goal of the postseason. 

     The Maple Leafs extended their lead to 2-0 on the power play at 5:10. Auston Matthews pushed the puck from the crease area to Mitch Marner in the low left circle. He connected a cross-ice pass and Ryan O' Reilly one-timed a slap shot from the low right circle for his third tally of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     Florida cut the deficit to 2-1 with 8:37 left in the first period. Sam Reinhart backhanded a pass from the end wall behind the Toronto cage and Anton Lundell put in a wrist shot from the right of the crease by Ilya Samsonov for his first goal. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 just 19 seconds into the second period. Anthony Duclair stole the puck in the neutral zone and dropped a pass at the top of the zone. Aleksander Barkov skated to the top left circle and scored on a wrist shot for his second goal of the playoffs. 

     The Cats continued their momentum at the 1:06 mark of the second and took their first lead of the contest 3-2. Eetu Luostarinen stopped a clearing pass by Matthews at the top of the Leafs zone. Matthew Tkachuk did a give-and-go pass play with Lundell on the right wing. Tkachuk then sent a cross-ice pass and Gustav Forsling lifted a wrist shot from the left circle for his second tally of the postseason. 

Braves Sweep Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves swept a three-game series against the Miami Marlins with a 6-3 win on Thursday at loanDepot park. The Braves expanded their lead in the National League East Division. The Marlins finished off a six-game homestand with a 3-3 record and will visit the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday. 

     Atlanta(22-10) scored in the top of the first for a 1-0 advantage. Sean Murphy doubled off the top of the right-field fence for Ronald Acuna Jr. to score. 

     Miami(16-16) leaped over them for a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Jorge Soler hammered a two-run homer to left field on a 2-1 pitch with Jon Berti aboard for his sixth home run of the year. 

     The Braves reclaimed the lead 3-2 in the top of the second. Kevin Pillar hit a sacrifice fly to the edge of the warning track in right field and Marcell Ozuna reached home. Acuna came up next and knocked in Eddie Rosario on a base hit up the middle.

     It became 4-2 for the Bravos in the fourth inning. Ozuna ripped a solo home run to left-center field on a 1-0 count for his fifth homer of the year. He connected with his third home run in last two contests. 

     The Marlins cut it to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Soler drove in Peyton Burdick with a double to the left-field wall. 

     Atlanta extended it in the top of the ninth to 6-3. Matt Olsen lifted a solo home run to right field on a first pitch for his ninth home run in 2023. Four batters later, Vaughn Grissom drove in Austin Riley on a sacrifice fly to right.