Marlins Edge Royals

     The Miami Marlins got by the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Tuesday night at Kaufman Stadium. The Marlins and the Royals play the rubber game of the three-game series tomorrow. 

     Kansas City(43-38) raced out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Vinnie Pasquantino drove in Maikel Garcia with a base hit into center field. 

     Miami(28-51) got ahead with two runs during the top of the seventh for a 2-1 lead. Nick Gordon picked up an infield single for Otto Lopez to score. Two batters later, Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled to the pitcher and Gordon scored on a throwing error. 

Florida Panthers Championship Parade

     The Florida Panthers will hold their Stanley Cup championship parade on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale beginning at 11 a.m. The route used for the parade will be down A1A going south from Riomar Street to Southeast 5th Street. The celebration ceremony will then follow on Fort Lauderdale Beach by the Atlantic Ocean. 

     The Panthers won the 2024 Stanley Cup title on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise with a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7. Florida won the championship in their 30th National Hockey League season. 

Marlins Add Austin Kitchen

     The Miami Marlins have picked up pitcher Austin Kitchen off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. He has never played in the majors. 

     Kitchen was in the Rockies minor league system. He split his time between Alburquerque in the Pacific Coast League and Hartford in the Eastern League. 

Garrett Cooper Off To Orioles

     One-time Miami Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper has agreed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He had stints earlier this season with the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. 

     Cooper was with the Marlins from 2018 to 2023. He chalked up 52 home runs, 201 runs batted in and a .269 batting average in 427 games during his time in Miami. 

Elieser Hernandez Leaving Brewers

     Former Miami Marlins pitcher Elieser Hernandez has decided to leave the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He was designated for assignment last week. Hernandez had stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Brewers this year.

     Hernandez played the majority of his MLB career with the Marlins from 2018 until 2022.  He had a 10-21 record with a 5.04 earned run average in five seasons with Miami. 

Florida Panthers Engraved On Stanley Cup

     The Florida Panthers captured their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in Sunrise on Monday night when they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the best-of-seven series. The club will have their name and personnel engraved onto the Stanley Cup next week. 

     The Florida Panthers team will remain on the replica Stanley Cup that is showcased throughout the world for the next 59 years. The original Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall Of Fame in Toronto will always have the club name on it. The National Hockey League states that there can be a maximum 55 people from the organization placed on the Stanley Cup. 

     Vincent Viola and Doug Cifu, owner of the Florida Panthers, will be the first names engraved on the Stanley Cup underneath the Florida Panthers name and 2023-24 season. Upper management consisting of president Matthew Caldwell will be next. Hockey operations personnel will follow that includes general manager Bill Zito, head coach Paul Maurice, coaching staff, scouting department, analytics department, player personnel department, athletic training staff, equipment staff, conditioning staff, video staff and others.  

     Florida Panthers players on the roster will conclude what will be engraved. It will start with Aleksander Barkov along with name captain. Other player names will be Aaron Ekblad, Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, Evan Rodrigues, Gustav Forsling, Brandon Montour, Dmitry Kulikov, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niko Mikkola, Kevin Stenlund, Vladimir Tarasenko, Kyle Okposo, Steven Lorentz, Ryan Lomberg, Nick Cousins and Anthony Stolarz.

Vincent Viola & Doug Cifu Receive Stanley Cup

     Florida Panthers owner/chairman/governor Vincent Viola and vice chairman/partner/alternate governor Doug Cifu received the Stanley Cup on Monday night in Sunrise. The Panthers knocked off the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. 

     Viola and Cifu bought the team back in September 2013. The Panthers have won a Stanley Cup, two Eastern Conference titles, three Atlantic Division crowns, one Presidents' Trophy and made six postseason appearances during their 11-season tenure. Florida changed their logo and design of their uniforms prior to the 2016-17 campaign. 

     They are the fourth ownership in franchise history to own the club. Previous Panthers owners over the past 30 NHL seasons include H. Wayne Huizenga, Alan Cohen and Cliff Viner. 

Paul Maurice Finally Gets Stanley Cup

     Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice guided the Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup title on Monday night. The Panthers pulled off a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7. Maurice won the Stanley Cup in his 26th NHL season as a head coach. 

     Maurice had coached and won the most games in National Hockey League history prior to winning the Stanley Cup. He has won two straight Eastern Conference championships and one Stanley Cup title in his two seasons at the helm of the Florida Panthers. 

     He started his head coaching career with the Hartford Whalers and moved with them to become the Carolina Hurricanes. Maurice led the Canes to the 2002 Eastern Conference title and lost the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. 

     Maurice then moved on to the Toronto Maple Leafs for two seasons. He returned back to Carolina for a second stint and stayed there for four seasons. Maurice had a stint with the Winnipeg Jets for nine seasons.

Florida Panthers Win Stanley Cup

     The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday night. The Panthers won the best-of-seven series 4-3 and avoided a memorable series collapse. 

     The Panthers won their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history. Florida completed their 30th season in the National Hockey League. 

     Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov became the first captain from Finland to lift the Stanley Cup. Oilers center Connor McDavid was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, even though his team lost in the Stanley Cup Final. 

     Florida took a 1-0 lead at the 4:27 mark of the first period. Evan Rodrigues released a shot from the left wing and Carter Verhaeghe redirected it from the crease area by Stuart Skinner for his 11th goal of the postseason. Anton Lundell was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     Edmonton tied it up 1-0 at 6:44 of the first. Cody Ceci sent a long lead pass ahead from his own zone. Mattias Janmark carried it from the Panthers blue line through the right circle on a breakaway and put in a forehand shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his fourth playoff goal. 

     In the second period, the Panthers moved ahead 2-1 with 4:49 remaining. Dmitry Kulikov steered the puck out of the blue paint. Verhaeghe made a diagonal pass from his own zone and Sam Reinhart skated with it down the right side of the neutral zone. He snapped a shot from the right circle for his second tally of the series and his 10th goal in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Royals Crown Marlins

     The Kansas City Royals skipped by the Miami Marlins 4-1 at Kaufman Stadium on Monday night. The Marlins began a seven-game road swing. 

     Miami(27-51) scored first during the top of the third for a1-0 advantage. Bryan De La Cruz doubled into left field and Jazz Chisholm Jr. reached home. 

     Kansas City(43-37) leaped over the Fish in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez connected with back-to-back home runs. Kyle Isbel later knocked in Michael Massey with a single up the middle. 

     It became 4-1 for the Royals in the sixth. Hunter Renfroe smacked a solo home run to left field on a 1-2 pitch for his seventh homer of the year. 

Marc Savard New Coaching Position

     Marc Savard has a new coaching position in the National Hockey League. He was named as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Savard reunites with Maple Leafs new head coach Craig Berube, who hired him in 2019-20 while at the helm of the St. Louis Blues. Savard was a Calgary Flames assistant coach in 2023-24.

     The Florida Panthers once acquired Savard from the Boston Bruins in July 2015. He was placed on the Panthers long-team injured reserve list for the 2015-16 season and never played one game with the team. Savard was dealt by the Panthers to the New Jersey Devils in June 2016. 

Jordan Groshans Traded To A's

     Former Miami Marlins third baseman Jordan Groshans has been traded by the New York Yankees to the Oakland A's for J.D. Davis. Groshans was picked up on waivers by the Yankees from the Marlins in February. He never got the majors with New York. 

     Groshans did play for the Miami Marlins during the 2022 campaign. He had one home runs, two runs batted in and a .262 batting average in 17 contests with the Fish. 

Derick Brassard Retires

     Former Florida Panthers forward Derick Brassard has retired from the National Hockey League. He did not play during the 2023-24 NHL campaign.     

     Brassard was acquired by the Panthers at the 2018-19 trade deadline in 2021 from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Cats did not end up making the postseason. He had one goal and three assists for four points in 10 contests for Florida. 

Marlins Blitz Mariners

     The Miami Marlins breezed by the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Sunday at loanDepot park. The Marlins finished and concluded their six-game homestand. 

     The Fish will visit the Kansas City Royals tomorrow. The Mariners will have the shorter trip across the state to Tampa Bay and take on the Rays Monday. 

     Miami(27-50) rocketed out to a 4-0 in the bottom of the first. Jake Burger knocked in Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a base hit into left field. Nick Gordon followed with a three-run homer to right field on a 2-1 pitch with Jesus Sanchez and Burger aboard. It ended up being the seventh home run of the season for Gordon. 

     The Marlins made it 5-0 during the second inning. Chisholm singled into right field and Vidal Brujan crossed the plate. 

     In the third inning, the Fish extended it to 6-0. Sanchez smashed a solo home run to right-center field on 0-1 count for his seventh homer of the 2024 campaign. 

     Seattle(45-35) chalked up two runs in the top of the fourth and were down 6-2. Luke Raley collected his ninth homer this year with a two-run home run to left field. Dominic Canzone scored in front of him on the play. 

     The Mariners put up two more runs in the seventh inning to make it 6-4. Randy Bliss grounded out to short and Raley reached home. J.P. Crawford came up next and drove in Mitch Garver on a single up the middle. 

Mariners Wallop Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were routed by the Seattle Mariners 9-0 on Saturday at loanDepot park. The Marlins had their winning streak of three walk-off victories snapped. 

     Seattle(45-34) broke out with two runs in the top of the first. Miami(26-50) gave up four more runs in the fourth inning and trailed 6-0. 

Oilers Even Panthers In Game 6

     The Edmonton Oilers topped the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on Friday night. The Panthers had won the first three games and now are tied in the best-of-seven series 3-3 with the Oilers. 

     Game 7 will be played on Monday night in Sunrise to decide who will capture the Stanley Cup. Teams leading 3-0 in a best-of-seven NHL postseason series have a 206-4 record all-time to eventually win the series. Edmonton became the third team to be in a 3-0 game deficit in a Stanley Cup Final and force a Game 7. 

     Florida will be looking to win their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history during their 30th NHL season. The Oilers will try to collect their sixth Stanley Cup title in team history and become the first Canadian-based club to win it since 1993. 

     Edmonton raced out to a 1-0 lead at the 7:27 mark of the first period. Brett Kulak cleared the puck out of his zone to center ice. Leon Draisaitl angled a pass from the top right circle and Warren Foegele placed in a snap shot from the low left circle past Sergei Bobrosky for his third goal in the playoffs. The Cats were held to two shots on goal in the first.

     In the second period, the Oilers increased it to 2-0 just 46 seconds into the frame. Mattias Ekholm sent a long lead pass from behind his own cage. Mattias Janmark got it at the Panthers blue line and made a cross-ice pass from the left circle. Adam Henrique put in a wrist shot from the low right circle for his fourth postseason goal. The Cats had a goal disallowed 10 seconds later on an Oilers replay challenge for offside. 

     It became 3-0 for Edmonton with 1:40 to go in the second. Gustav Forsling had his slap shot blocked on the left point by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and it bounced out to the top of the Panthers zone. Zach Hyman hustled down the middle of the ice on a breakaway and slipped in a backhand shot from the crease area for his 16th goal of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     Florida cut it to 3-1 at 1:28 of the third period. Dmitry Kulikov stopped a clearing attempt on the right point and Carter Verhaeghe backhanded the puck from the right wing. Aleksander Barkov carried it through the right circle and scored his eighth goal of the postseason on a forehand shot by Stuart Skinner from the top of the crease. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 3l30 remaining. The Oilers made it 4-1 with 3:15 left when Ryan McLeod took a backhand shot from the Panthers blue line for an empty-net goal. 

     Florida went again for an extra attacker on the ensuing faceoff and the result was the same several seconds later. Skinner pushed the puck out of his own crease and Darnell Nurse sent a long shot deep in his own zone for another empty-net tally with 3:03 to go. It turned out to be Skinner's first career postseason point. 

Xavier Restrepo On Pnil Steele Magazine Cover

     University of Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Xavier Restrepo is on the front magazine cover of the 2024 Phil Steele's College Football Preview. He was placed on the East Coast regional cover.

     Restrepo participated with two prominent Broward County high school football programs. He was with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders in his first three years and won a FHSAA Class 7A state championship in 2016. Restrepo played his senior year with the Deerfield Beach Bucks during 2019. 

Marlins Let Go Burch Smith

     The Miami Marlins have released relief pitcher Burch Smith. He was designated for assignment by the organization last week. 

     Smith played the 2022 season in Japan and the 2023 season in Korea. He had a 2-0 record with a 4.25 earned run average in 25 innings pitched. 

Mariners Overcome By Marlins

     The Seattle Mariners blow a two-run lead and fell to the Miami Marlins 3-2 in 10 innings at loanDepot park on Friday night. The Mariners made the longest possible trip in Major League Baseball. The Marlins have won three straight games. 

     Seattle(44-34) picked up one run in the first and one run in the second for a 2-0 advantage. Miami(26-49) chalked up two runs in the bottom of the sixth and tied it up 2-2. 

     The Marlins got their third consecutive walk-off win during the 10th inning. Tim Anderson singled through the left side and Jake Burger scored. 

Ali Sanchez Traded To Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have acquired catcher Ali Sanchez from the Chicago Cubs. The Fish sent cash back in the transaction. 

     Sanchez has not been in the majors in the past three seasons. He played five contests with the New York Mets in 2020 and with two games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. 

Tyreek Hill On Athlon Sports Cover

     Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill appears on the front cover the annual Athlon Sports pro football magazine. It was the second straight year that Hill was selected for their magazine cover. He was one of four athletes chosen for the AFC East Division Athlon Sports cover. 

     Hill has played the past two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, following his trade from the Kansas City Chiefs. He made 119 catches and had a league-leading 1,799 receiving yards along with 13 touchdowns last year. 

Inter Miami CF Holds Off Columbus Crew

     Inter Miami CF handled the defending Major League Soccer champions the Columbus Crew 2-1 at Chase Stadium on Wednesday night. The Herons have won two straight games and are 9-1-2 in their past 12 contests. 

     The Crew entered the contest tied with the fewest losses so far in  the Major League Soccer regular season. Inter Miami CF will have a 10-day break and will not play again until June 29. 

     The first half belonged to Inter Miami CF(12-3-5) as they pushed ahead 2-0. They took a corner kick from the right side and Ian Frey gave the Herons the lead 1-0 in the 10th minute on a header from seven yards away. Leonardo Campana made it a two-goal margin during the 21st minute when he put in a rebound shot from two yards out with his left foot. 

     Columbus(7-3-6) cut it to 2-1 before halftime. Cucho Hernandez was able to find the net in the 40th minute when he placed in a right-footed, five-yard volley shot. 

Devils Acquire Jacob Markstrom

     Former Florida Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom has been traded by the Calgary Flames to the New Jersey Devils. It will be his fourth NHL club that he will join. 

     Markstrom played his first four seasons in the National Hockey League with the Panthers. He had an 11-25-5 record with a 3.21 goals-against-average in 43 games with Florida. Markstrom was dealt in a four-player trade to the Vancouver Canucks for Roberto Luongo on March 4, 2014.

Scott Gomez Gets Head Coaching Position

     Former National Hockey League center Scott Gomez has joined the Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League as their new head coach and general manager. He captured two Stanley Cup titles with the New Jersey Devils in 2000 and 2003. 

     Gomez spent one season with the Florida Panthers in 2013-14. He compiled two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 46 games with the Cats. 

Yonny Chirinos Makes Marlins Debut

     Yonny Chirinos will make his Miami Marlins debut with the team this afternoon. He will be the starting pitcher versus the St. Louis Cardinals at loanDepot park. 

     Chirinos signed a minor league deal with the club in February and participated in their spring training camp at Jupiter. He made 12 pitching appearances with their Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville. 

Marlins Outlast Cardinals

     The Miami Marlins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Wednesday at loanDepot park. The first two games of the three-game series went into extra innings. The Fish have the most walk-off wins in the majors this year with seven. 

     The Marlins decided on a different starting pitcher today. Yonny Chirinos made his first appearance with the club. 

     In the first inning, Miami(25-49) moved in front 1-0. Bryan De La Cruz socked a solo home run on the first pitch to left-center field for his 13th home run of the season. Jesus Sanchez followed with a solo homer over the center-field wall for his sixth home run of the campaign.

     St. Louis(36-37) answered back with two runs in the top of the second. Norlan Gorman powered a solo shot to center field on a 3-2 count for his 16th homer of the year. Two batters later, Brendan Donovan knocked in Nolan Arenado on a base hit into right field. 

     The Marlins broke the tie and made it 3-2 during the sixth inning. Dane Myers hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Sanchez crossed the plate. 

     The Redbirds tied it 3-3 in the top of the seventh. Masyn Winn was able to reach home on a fielding error by Jake Burger. 

     The Fish picked up the walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth. Otto Lopez singled into right field and Tim Anderson scored. 

Oilers Survive Panthers In Game 5

     The Edmonton Oilers escaped the Florida Panthers 5-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night. Florida now leads the best-of-seven series 3-2. The Panthers will attempt for the third time in the series to capture their first Stanley Cup title in Game 6 on Friday night in Edmonton. 

     Edmonton got out to a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at the 5:30 mark of the first period. Connor Brown tipped the puck from a Brandon Montour cross-ice pass at the top of the Oilers zone and carried it down the ice on a breakaway. He slipped in a backhand shot from the crease area past Sergei Bobrovsky for his second goal in the series. 

     The Oilers extended the lead to 2-0 with the man advantage at 1:58 of the second period. Connor McDavid fed the puck from the left wing. Evan Bouchard blasted a slap shot from the top of the zone that went off the right leg of Zach Hyman at the top of the crease. It was Hyman's first goal of the series and league-leading 15th goal in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     It became 3-0 for Edmonton at the 5:00 mark of the second. Bouchard flipped a long lead pass out of his own zone. Warren Foegele handed the puck off with a backhand pass from the left circle. 

McDavid skated with it to the low left circle and released a wrist shot from the left goal line for his seventh playoff goal. 

     Florida cut the deficit to 3-1 at 6:53 of the second period. The Oilers turned the puck over and Evan Rodrigues sent the puck ahead from the left point. Matthew Tkachuk then lifted a snap shot from the slot area by Stuart Skinner for his sixth postseason goal. 

     The Oilers added another power-play goal with 8:06 to go in the second. McDavid skated into the neutral zone, through the left circle and made a square pass. Corey Perry steered the puck in from the right of the crease for his first playoff tally. Bouchard collected his 26th assist of the playoffs on the play, which set an NHL record in one postseason for most assists by a defenseman. 

     The Cats closed it to 4-2 just 14 seconds later. Sam Bennett pushed the puck from the left goal line and Montour had his shot from the high slot blocked. Rodrigues tapped the puck in from the blue paint for his seven goal of the postseason.

     In the third period, the Panthers made it 4-3 at 4:04. Tkachuk backhanded a pass from the end wall and Oliver Ekman-Larsson snapped a shot from the top left circle for his second playoff goal. 

     Florida pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 2:35 left. Edmonton expanded it to 5-3 with 18.7 seconds remaining. McDavid put in a forehand shot into an empty net from the left circle for his second goal of the contest and eighth goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Marlins Outduel Cardinals

     The St. Louis Cardinals were outscored by the Miami Marlins 9-8 in 10 innings on Tuesday night at loanDepot park. The start time of the game was moved 30 minutes earlier because the Florida Panthers have a chance to win their first Stanley Cup title later on in the evening 42 miles north in Sunrise. 

     St. Louis(36-36) bolted out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Paul Goldschmidt powered a two-run homer on the first pitch to right field with Alec Burleson aboard. It ended up being the ninth home run of the 2024 campaign for Goldschmidt. 

     Miami(24-49) leaped over the Cards in the bottom of the first by a score of 3-2. Jesus Sanchez blasted a three-run homer to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch for his fifth home run of the year. Bryan De La Cruz and Josh Bell scored in front of him on the play. 

     The Cardinals regained the lead in the top of the second. Brendan Donovan smacked a two-run home run to right field on a 1-0 count and chalked up his sixth homer this season. He was able to drive in Michael Siani. 

     It became a tied game 4-4 in the bottom of the frame. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a sacrifice fly for the Marlins into left field and Otto Lopez reached home. 

     The Redbirds continued to roll with two runs during the third inning and they led 6-4. Brandon Crawford helped his new team when he grounded out to first and Ivan Herrera scored. Two batters later, Siani singled into center field and Matt Carpenter crossed the plate.

     In the top of the fourth, St. Louis increased their lead to 7-4. Burleson cracked a solo home run on a 3-1 pitch to left-center field for his 10th homer of the season.

     The Fish closed it to 7-5 in the bottom of the fourth. Tim Anderson was able to score on a ground out by Christian Bethancourt to second. 

     Miami evened it up 7-7 in the sixth inning. Bethancourt walloped a solo home run to left field for his second homer with his new club. Bell later knocked in Chisholm with a sacrifice fly to center field. 

     The Cardinals moved ahead 8-7 in the top of the 10th. Dylan Carlson drove in Jose Fermin on a sacrifice fly to right field. 

     The Marlins got the walk-off victory in the bottom of the 10th. Anderson got an infield hit to the left side and Sanchez scored. Two batters later, pinch-hitter Vidal Brujan singled into right field and Nick Gordon scored the game-winning run.

Ken LaVicka Starts Another Podcast

     Florida Atlantic University Owls radio play-by-play announcer Ken LaVicka will launch and host a new podcast. It is called The Florida Atlantic Voice podcast. 

     LaVicka finished off a long 17-year reign with Good Karma Brands in West Palm Beach several months ago. He co-hosted his final show on ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM on April 3 with Theo Dorsey and Stone Labanowitz. LaVicka started a podcast named By All Accounts with Zach Krantz on May 20. 

Mike Brumley Dead

     One-time Florida Marlins infielder Mike Brumley passed away at the age of 61 on Saturday in an auto accident. He played in Major League Baseball from 1987 until 1995. 

     Brumley was in the Marlins organization in 1994. He signed as a free agent that June, however he never played in the majors with the club. Brumley remained in the minors even during the 1994 strike that stopped the MLB regular season. 

Paul Mason Elevated In Nashville

     Former West Palm Beach radio programmer Paul Mason has been promoted to Cumulus Media Nashville spoken word programming operations manager. He has been the program director at WGFX-FM since May 2020. 

     Mason was the program director at 640 WMEN-AM and 850 WFTL-AM in West Palm Beach from March 2017 to April 2020. He did have a long stint at WLW-AM in Cincinnati prior to that. Mason was the evening executive producer from January 2007 to April 2011 and assistant program director from April 2011 until March 2017. 

Phil Hendrie Elected To Radio Hall Of Fame

     Former Miami radio talk host Phil Hendrie has been elected to the Radio Hall of Fame The induction ceremony will be held in Nashville on September 19. His former WIOD co-worker Neil Rogers was elected back in 2016. 

     Hendrie was working at WCCO-AM in Minneapolis before his arrival in South Florida. He is best known locally for being an afternoon host at News Radio 610 WIOD-AM during the mid-1990s.

     He left Miami for Los Angeles to become the afternoon host at KFI-AM. Hendrie was later syndicated nationally hosting an evening program on Premiere Radio Network and then Talk Radio Network. 

Cardinals Scoot By Marlins

     The St. Louis Cardinals got by the Miami Marlins 7-6 in 12 innings at loanDepot park on Monday night. The Marlins, who have lost six straight contests and 12 of their last 14 games, began a six-game homestand. 

     St. Louis(36-35) had a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. Michael Siani jumped on the first pitch and belted a solo home run to right field for his second homer of the 2024 campaign. 

     Miami(23-49) tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Jazz Chisholm Jr. tripled down the right-field line for Tim Anderson to score. 

     The Redbirds added three more runs in the top of the eighth for a 4-1 advantage. Ivan Herrera knocked in Masyn Winn and Paul Goldschmidt with a triple into right field. Brendan Donovan followed with a base hit into right field and Herrera scored. 

     The Marlins evened it 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth. Bryan De La Cruz cracked a two-run homer to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch with Otto Lopez aboard. It turned out to be the 12th home run of the season for De La Cruz. 

     In the top of the 11th, the Cardinals pulled ahead 5-4. Dylan Carlson drove in Alec Burleson on a sacrifice fly to center field. 

     The Fish matched it to make it 5-5 in the bottom of the 11th. Jesus Sanchez grounded out to short and Dane Myers crossed the plate. 

     St. Louis reclaimed the lead 7-5 in the top of the 12th. Winn picked up his fourth home run of the year in which Pedro Pages scored in front of him. 

     Miami closed it to 7-6 in the bottom of the frame. Nick Gordon connected with a triple to right field and Jake Burger reached home. 

Nationals Sweep Marlins

     The Washington Nationals downed the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Sunday at Nationals Park. The Nationals were able to sweep the three-game series. The Marlins return home and face the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

     Washington(35-36) jumped out to a 1-0 advantage in the first inning. Lane Thomas smashed a 2-1 pitch over the left-center field wall for his seventh home run of the season.     

     Miami(23-48) made it 1-1 in the top of the fifth. Jazz Chisholm Jr. got an infield hit for Emmanuel Rivera to score.    

     The Nationals regained a two-run gap in the bottom of the fifth. Jacob Young collected his first career homer with a solo home run to left field on a 2-2 count. 

     It became 3-1 for the Nats in the sixth inning. Ildemaro Vargas doubled into the right-field corner and Nick Senzel crossed the plate. 

Nationals Add Harold Ramirez

     The Washington Nationals have signed outfielder Harold Ramirez to a minor league contract. He will report to their Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. Ramirez was released several days ago by the Tampa Bay Rays. 

     He once played for two seasons with the Miami Marlins from 2019 to 2020. Ramirez had 11 home runs, 51 runs batted in and a .274 batting average in 122 games with the Fish. 

Oilers Smoke Panthers In Game 4

     The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination as they dominated the Florida Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on Saturday night. The Panthers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. Florida looks to capture their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history on Tuesday night in Sunrise. 

     Connor McDavid had three assists in the game and set a Stanley Cup Playoffs record with his 32nd assist in one postseason. It broke a record set by Wayne Gretzky in 1987-88. The Oilers tied an NHL record with a seven-goal margin of victory when facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final. 

     Edmonton busted out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:11 mark of the first period on a shorthanded goal. Mattias Janmark backhanded a shot from the crease area past Sergei Bobrovsky off a feed from Connor Brown from behind the cage. It was the third goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for him. 

     The Oilers increased it to 2-0 at 7:48. Janmark centered the puck from the low left circle and Adam Henrique steered it in from the blue paint for his third playoff goal.

     Florida scored their only goal of the contest with 8:34 left in the first and closed it to 2-1. Gustav Forsling fired a shot from the left point and Vladimir Tarasenko redirected it from the low slot by Stuart Skinner for his fifth goal in the postseason. Anton Lundell was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     It became 3-1 for Edmonton with 5:12 remaining in the frame. Dylan Hollaway was able to score his fourth playoff goal with a backhand shot from the crease. 

     In the second period, the Oilers increased their lead to 6-1. McDavid scored his eighth postseason goal at 1:13 and Darnell Nurse got his first tally of the playoffs at 4:59. The Panthers then replaced Bobrovsky in net with Anthony Stolarz. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins later put in a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 6:57 to go when he poked it in from the top of the crease. 

     The Panthers gave up two more goals in the third period and trailed 8-1. Holloway collected his second goal of the game with 5:49 left and Ryan McLeod followed with his third goal of the playoffs on a slap shot with 3:19 remaining. 

Inter Miami CF Fight Off Philadelphia Union

     Inter Miami CF overcame the Philadelphia Union 2-1 at Subaru Park on Saturday night. The Herons, who did not have Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez available tonight, are now 8-1-2 in their past 11 games. The two teams last met in the Leagues Cup Semifinals last year. 

     Philadelphia(4-5-8) quickly got out in front 1-0 in the third minute. Mikael Uhre was able to find the net on a left-footed shot from 14 yards. 

     In the second half, Inter Miami CF(11-3-5) evened it up 1-1 at the 47th minute. Julian Gressel volleyed the ball in from 11 yards away with his right foot. 

     The Herons broke the tie during stoppage time for a 2-1 lead. Leonardo Frugis Afonso went on a breakaway up the middle of the field and blasted a left-footed shot from 12 yards out. 

Nationals Shut Out Marlins

     The Washington Nationals took down the Miami Marlins 4-0 in the second game of a three-game set on Saturday at Nationals Park. The Marlins have lost 10 of their last 12 contests. The Nats will go for the three-game sweep tomorrow. 

     In the first inning, the Nationals had a 1-0 lead. Joey Meneses hit a sacrifice fly into center field and Lane Thomas crossed the plate. 

     Washington(34-36) expanded it to 2-0 in the bottom of the third. Thomas blasted a solo home run to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch for his sixth homer of the season. 

     Miami(23-47) surrendered two more runs in the eighth inning and were down 4-0. Meneses cracked a two-run homer on a 1-2 count to left field with C.J. Abrams aboard. It turned out to be his third home run of the year. 

Red Sox Drop Garrett Cooper

     The Boston Red Sox have released first baseman Garrett Cooper. He was with Boston for just 24 contests and had a .171 batting average. 

     Cooper had a stint with the Miami Marlins from 2018 until 2023. He participated in 427 games with the Fish and composed 52 home runs, 201 runs batted in and a .269 batting average. 

Rays Release Harold Ramirez

     The Tampa Bay Rays have let go outfielder Harold Ramirez. He was with the club for the last three seasons. 

     Ramirez spent two seasons with the Miami Marlins in 2019 and 2020. He helped the team reach the postseason for the first time in 17 years. Ramirez compiled 11 home runs along with 51 runs batted in and a .274 batting average in 122 games with Miami. 

Calais Campbell To Join Dolphins

     Defensive lineman Calais Campbell is expected to sign a $1.21 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in the near future. He was with the Atlanta Falcons last season. 

     Campbell has been in the National Football League since 2008. He had stints with the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons. Campbell has compiled 105 1/2 sacks in 244 NFL games. 

Nationals Speed By Marlins

     The Washington Nationals raced by the Miami Marlins 8-1 at Nationals Park on Friday night. The Marlins have fallen in nine of their last 11 games. The Nationals surprisingly hold third place in the National League East Division. 

     Miami(23-45) walked out to a 1-0 lead during the top of the second. Washington(32-36) overtook the Fish with seven runs in the bottom of the third. 

Miami Heat Playing In Mexico

     The National Basketball Association announced that the Miami Heat will play a regular season game in Mexico City next season. They will face the Washington Wizards on November 2. 

     The NBA has played regular season contest outside of the United States and Canada in recent years. The San Antonio Spurs had previously played a game in Mexico. 

Panthers Roll By Oilers In Game 3

     The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on Thursday night. The Panthers lead 3-0 in the best-of-seven series and can capture their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history on Saturday night in Edmonton. 

     In the first period, the Panthers took a 1-0 lead on a 4-on-4 goal with 1:02 to go. Aleksander Barkov stole the puck at the top of the Florida zone and skated with it to the right point. He connected a cross-ice pass to Gustav Forsling at the top of the Oilers zone. Forsling sent a diagonal pass from above the left circle and it was redirected by Sam Reinhart in the crease area past Stuart Skinner for his ninth playoff goal. 

     Edmonton evened it up 1-1 at the 1:49 mark of the second period. Adam Hentique angled a pass from his own blue line to the center circle Warren Foegele went on a breakaway and snapped a shot from the high slot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his second tally of the postseason.  

     Florida moved ahead 2-1 at 9:12. Eetu Luostarinen fed the puck from the end wall and Vladimir Tarasenko placed in a forehand shot from the top of the crease for his fourth goal of he playoffs. 

     It became 3-1 for the Cats with 6:03 remaining in the second by two former Calgary Flames. Matthew Tkachuk got to the loose puck in the right circle and centered it. Sam Bennett scored his seventh postseason goal on a snap shot from the top of the crease. Tkachuk picked up his first point in the series while Bennett now has a six-game point streak. 

     Florida increased it to 4-1 with 4:29 left in the second. Evan Rodrigues made a square pass at the top of the Edmonton zone. Barkov went up the middle and snapped a shot from the slot area for his seventh goal of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Reinhart was credited with a secondary assist on the play. Barkov set a Panthers franchise history with his eighth multi-point game in one postseason. 

     The Oilers pulled the contest to 4-2 at the 6:02 mark of the third period. Darnell Nurse took a shot from the left wing which was saved. Connor McDavid carried the puck around the Panthers cage and passed it out. Philip Broberg fired a snap shot from the right-circle dot that went into the net for his second tally of the postseason. 

     Edmonton closed it to 4-3 with 5:17 left in the third. McDavid sent a pass and Brett Kulak released a shot from the left circle. It was deflected in by Ryan McLeod from the crease area for his second goal of the playoffs. 

Few Local Media In Edmonton For Game 3

     Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final is being played tonight at Rogers Place in Edmonton between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. 

     There is a limited number of South Florida media people that are in attendance inside the press box. There are several media members from Miami television stations. They include Will Manso of WPLG-TV Channel 10, Mike Cugno along with Steve Goldstein of WFOR-TV Channel 4, Josh Moser of WSVN-TV Channel 7 and Giselle Espinales of Channel 6 WTVJ-TV. 

     Only two media members that cover the Florida Panthers on a daily basis are in Edmonton. They are Bally Sports Florida rinkside reporter Katie Engleson and Five Reasons Sports beat writer Alex Baumgartner.  

Jorge Lopez Ends With Cubs

     The Chicago Cubs have inked pitcher Jorge Lopez to a minor league contract. He was recently released by the New York Mets. 

     Lopez spent some time with the Miami Marlins during the middle of the 2023 season. He had a 2-0 record with a 9.26 earned run average in 12 games with the Fish. 

Miami Dolphins Sign Chop Robinson

     The Miami Dolphins have signed defensive end Chop Robinson to a rookie contract. The Fins completed signing all their 2024 NFL Draft picks. 

     Robinson played college football with Maryland in 2021 followed by Penn Statei in 2022 and 2023. He was selected 21st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Dolphins. 

Tua Tagovailoa On Lindy's Sports Magazine Cover

     Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is on the front cover of Lindy's Sports magazine. Each National Football League had a team cover with the publication. 

     Tagovailoa is no stranger to the magazine cover of Lindy's Sports. He appeared on the front cover in 2021 and 2022. 

Marlins Fall To Mets

     The Miami Marlins completed a three-game set with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday night. The Fish will challenge the Nationals in Washington D.C. tomorrow. The Mets host the San Diego Padres on Friday. 

     Miami(23-45) got out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Jake Burger powered a solo home run to right field for his sixth homer of the year. 

     It became 2-0 for the Marlins in the top of the seventh. Jazz Chisholm Jr. connected with a solo homer over the center-field fence for his 10th home run of the season. 

     New York(30-37) cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the frame. Starling Marte grounded into a double play for Brandon Nimmo to score. 

     The Mets pulled off the comeback victory in the bottom of the ninth with two runs. J.D. Martinez hammered a two-run homer to right-center field with Francisco Lindor aboard. It was the sixth home run for Martinez during the 2024 campaign. 

Florida Panthers Changing ECHL Affiliate

     The Florida Panthers will be changing their ECHL affiliation for the 2024-25 season. The Panthers ECHL affiliate over the past two seasons was the Florida Everblades. The team based in Estero captured the Kelly Cup several days ago for the third consecutive season. 

     The Savannah Ghost Riders will be the Panthers new ECHL affiliate next season. It is uncertain what people in hockey operations, coaching staff and players will transfer over. Luke Maurice, son of Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, worked his first season as the radio play-by-play announcer with the Florida Everblades in 2023-24. 

West Palm Beach Ratings May 2024

     The ratings were issued for sports talk radio stations in the West Palm Beach area. The time span went from the final week in April to the third week in Mry. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM stayed at a 0.5 for period for the second straight time and they had a 0.5 for the fifth time in the last seven months. WMEN depended on the Andy Slater mid-afternoon program along with nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM remained at a 0.3 for the second straight month. The Florida Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Miami Marlins had the worst record in the National League. 

Bernie Kosar Sues Podcast Company

     Former Univresity of Miami Hurricanes and Miami Dolphins quarterback Bernie Kosar is suing a podcast company Bigplay Media for losing his job with a radio station. Kosar stated that was forced to make a sports bet by that organization. 

     Kosar made the first sports bet in the state of Ohio on the first day that sports gambling became legal. He made a wager on a contest between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers in early January 2013. 

     He worked at ESPN Cleveland WKNR-AM and was part of the Cleveland Browns pregame show as a studio analyst. Kosar was dismissed by the Browns for violating a National Football League policy by an NFL employee for betting on a NFL contest. 

     Kosar led the Miami Hurricanes to their first football national championship in 1983. He later played for the Dolphins from 1994 to 1996. Kosar is best known being with the Cleveland Browns from 1985 until 1993. He landed with the Dallas Cowboys later in the 1993 season and won a Super Bowl with them. 

Mets Outscore Marlins

     The New York Mets outpaced the Miami Marlins 10-4 on Wednesday night at Citi Field. The Marlins have lost seven of their last nine games. 

     New York(29-37) roared out with two runs in the opening frame for a 2-0 advantage. Harrison Bader cracked a two-run homer to left-center field with Francisco Lindor aboard for his fourth home run of the campaign. 

     Miami(23-44) evened it up 2-2 in the top of the second. Dane Myers doubled down the right-field line for Jake Burger to score. Emmanuel Rivera followed with a base hit to up the middle and Myers crossed the plate. 

     The Mets regained the lead in the bottom of the second with three runs. Francisco Alvarez drove in Tyrone Taylor on a single through the right side. Jeff McNeil then reached first on a fielding error and Mark Vientos scored. Three batters later, J.D. Martinez knocked in McNeil with a single into center field. 

     In the top of the fifth, the Fish picked up two runs and trailed 5-4. Bryan De La Cruz doubled down the left-field line and Otto Lopez reached home. Three batters later, Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled to left field and De La Cruz scored. 

     It became 6-4 for New York in the bottom of the fifth. Starling Marte blasted a solo home run to left-center field for his seventh homer of the season. The Mets added two runs each during the seventh and eighth innings. 

Lionel Messi Last Stop Inter Miami CF

     Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi held a press conference on Wednesday. He mentioned that Inter Miami CF may be his final stop in his professional soccer career. 

     Messi signed with the team back in July 2023. The contract with Inter Miami Cf runs until the end of December 2025. 

     He will participate with his country Argentina in the 2024 Copa America beginning next week. Messi is uncertain if he will play in the 2026 World Cup to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

Joe Bell Out In Philadelphia

     Former Miami radio executive Joe Bell is no longer the vice president and market manager at Beasley Media Group Philadelphia. He had held that position since December 2016. 

     Bell once had a long reign with Beasley Broadcasting in Miami. He joined as the general manager of Kiss Country 99.9 WKIS-FM in 1999 and added the same title at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in January 2006. Bell was later elevated to market manager of the Beasley Miami cluster in August 2006. 

     He was promoted to senior vice president and market manager in December 2014 when Beasley sold their three radio stations in the market to CBS Radio. Bell was released by that organization in July 2015. 

Dolphins Ink Patrick Paul

     The Miami Dolphins have signed offensive tackle Patrick Paul to a rookie contract. He was selected by the team during the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

     Paul played college football with the University of Houston Cougars. He ended up starting 27 games in his last two seasons. 

Marlins Erase Mets

     The Miami Marlins pushed by the New York Mets 4-2 at Citi Field on Tuesday night. The Fish began a six-game road swing. The Mets made a long trip after playing Sunday in London, England against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

     Miami(23-43) scored first in the top of the second. Tim Anderson knocked in Jesus Sanchez on a base hit into left field. 

     New York(28-37) answered back with two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Mark Vientos doubled down the left-field line to score J.D. Martinez and former Marlin Starling Marte. 

     The Marlins reclaimed the lead 3-2 during the fifth inning. Bryan De La Cruz hit a double to left-center field and Anderson scored. Two batters later, Jake Burger reached first on a throwing error and Jazz Chisholm Jr. crossed the plate. 

     The Fish added an insurance run in the top of the ninth for a 4-2 advantage. Nick Gordon drove in Otto Lopez with a sacrifice fly to left field. 

Miami Ratings May 2024

     The Miami/Fort Lauderdale region received the sports talk radio station ratings. The time frame went from the fourth week in April to the third week in May. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM dropped from a 1.0 to a 0.9 in the month. The Florida Panthers picked up playoff series wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins. They began the Eastern Conference Finals with the Presidents" Trophy winner the New York Rangers. Inter Miami CF had a five-game winning streak on their way to a seven-game unbeaten streak. The Miami Heat were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM rose from a 0.3 to a 0.5 in the period and they almost doubled their audience. The Miami Marlins were jockeying with Colorado Rockies for the worst record in the National League. WINZ did broadcast the annual NFL Draft on the Dolphins flagship station. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM was at a 0.1 following two months at a 0.3. They relied more nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio programming with no game broadcasts being piped in. 

     The WQAM stream remained at a 0.2 for the third consecutive month. There were fewer game conflicts with the organization because the Miami Heat were eliminated early in the NBA Playoffs. 

Marcus Maye Signing With Dolphins

     Defensive back Marcus Maye will be signing a contract with the Miami Dolphins. It is unknown of the amount of the deal. 

     Maye was with the New York Jets from 2017 until 2021 and the New Orleans Saints from 2022 to 2023. He has compiled eight career interceptions while in the National Football League. Maye had a season-tying two interceptions during 2023. 

Bill Zito Not General Manager Of The Year

     Florida Panthers general manager did not win the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award for the 2023-24 campaign. It was the second straight season that Zito was a finalist. 

     Jim Nill, general manager of the Dallas Stars, received the honor for the second time. He joins Lou Lamoriello as the only two people to win it on more than one occasion.  

Panthers Top Oilers In Game 2

     The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena. The Panthers now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. 

     The Oilers became the first club to be held to one goal or less in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008. The Panthers have outscored the Oilers 7-1 so far in the series. 

     Game 3 will be held in Edmonton on Thursday night. Teams that are victorious in the first two games in the championship round have won the Stanley Cup 90.7% of the time. 

     Edmonton rolled out to 1-0 lead with 8:43 remaining in the first period with a 4-on-4 goal. Connor McDavid backhanded the puck from his own goal line. Mattias Ekholm carried it all the way down the ice and then placed in a wrist shot from the inner left circle by Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth playoff goal. It was their first shot on goal by the Oilers in the contest and their first lead in the series. 

     In the second period, Florida tied it up 1-1 at 9:34. Vladimir Tarasenko backhanded it in the neutral zone. Anton Lundell charged into the Oilers zone and made a drop pass. Niko Mikkola snapped a shot from the high slot past Stuart Skinner for his second tally of the postseason. 

     The Panthers moved ahead 2-1 at 3:11 of the third period. Evan Rodrigues was able to stop a clearing attempt by Evan Bouchard. He took a snap shot from the top left circle and fount the net for his fifth goal in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Rodrigues scored for the second time in the series. 

     It became 3-1 for the Cats on the power play with 7:34 left in the third period. Lundell centered it from the left wing and Rodrigues redirected it in from the low slot for his second goal of the game. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     The Oilers pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 5:53 left. Florida made it 4-1 with 2:28 to go in the third. Sam Bennett poked the puck ahead and Aaron Ekblad fired a forehand shot from the neutral zone into an empty goal for his first playoff goal. 

Avisail Garcia Released By Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have released outfielder Avisail Garcia. It ends a tough three-year stint with the organization. 

     Garcia signed as a free agent with the Fish in December 2021. He compiled 13 home runs, 49 runs batted in and a .217 batting average in 153 contests with the Marlins. 

CapFriendly Sold

     The CapFriendly website has been acquired by the Washington Capitals. It is expected that the website will shut down after National Hockey League begins in July.

     All 32 NHL clubs have used CapFriendly for various reasons. The website has present and future detailed information of player salaries, team payroll amounts, team salary cap amounts, unrestricted free agents and restricted free agents. It also has signings, free agent transactions, trades, recalls, reassignments 

     The website has been a beneficial tool throughout hockey. It has been looked into by hockey operations departments, the media and the general public. 

Miami Marlins On All Cable Systems

     The Miami Marlins had their game broadcast on all South Florida cable television systems on Saturday. Their contest against the Cleveland Guardians was nationally televised on Fox Sports. 

     South Florida Comcast cable television customers were able to see the Marlins play for the first time in over a month. The last time this happened was on April 30. Comcast and Diamond Sports Group could not come up with an agreement by the start of May to continue to transmit Bally Sports Florida and Bally Sports Sun. 

Guardians Topple Marlins

     The Miami Marlins fell to the Cleveland Guardians at loanDepot park 6-3 on Sunday The Guardians took the three-game series from the Marlins. 

     It was bobblehead day for former Marlins starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis, who made an appearance. Willis currently works as a Los Angeles Dodgers television studio game analyst and pitched for the Fish from 2003 to 2007. He was named the 2003 National League Rookie of the Year and helped the franchise capture their second World Series title in 2003. 

Panthers Handle Oilers In Game 1

     The Florida Panthers blanked the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. It was the first time that Florida has led a Stanley Cup championship series in franchise history. Edmonton was shut out in Game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1983. 

     The Stanley Cup was introduced in a ceremony at center ice prior to the beginning of Game 1. It was the first time that hockey's greatest prize appeared prior to the start of the championship series since the 1960s. The Stanley Cup usually shows up at a venue when a team has a chance to win it that day. 

     The Panthers made their third appearance in a Stanley Cup Final and are celebrating their 30th season in the National Hockey League. The Oilers made their eighth appearance in the Stanley Cup Final and have not won a championship since 1990. 

     A team from Florida represented the Eastern Conference for the fifth consecutive season. A Canandian-based club last captured a Stanley Cup back in 1993 by the Montreal Canadiens. 

     Florida raced out to a 1-0 lead just 3:59 into the first period. Aleksander Barkov skated the puck out of his zone to the red line and made an outlet pass to his right. Sam Reinhart angled a a pass from the right wing to Aleksander Barkov. He sent a cross-ice pass from the right circle and Carter Verhaeghe placed in a forehand shot from the crease area past Stuart Skinner. It was Verhaeghe's team-leading 10th goal of the playoffs. Verhaeghe now has 25 career postseason goals and 50 postseason points. 

     The Panthers extended their lead to 2-0 at the 2:16 mark of the second period on their fifth shot on goal in the contest. Brandon Montour passed it out from his own right corner. Sam Bennett dumped the puck from the Oilers blue line and got to it first on the end wall. He centered it and Evan Rodrigues snapped a shot from the low slot for his fourth goal in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

     Edmonton pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 2:25 to go in the third period. Eetu Luostarinen flicked in a shot from the red line for his second goal of the playoffs with 4.4 seconds remaining. Barkov chalked up his second assist of the series on the play. 

4 Nations Face-Off Venues Announced

     The 4 Nations Face-Off arenas have been named by the National Hockey League. The tournament will have the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden involved. 

     TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal will both host the event. The championship game will be held on February 20 in Boston. It was announced back in February that they will not be a 2025 NHL All-Star Game. 

NHL Salary Cap Increase

     The National Hockey League announced the salary cap team payrolls for next season. It will be beneficial for the players, hockey executives and owners of all 32 NHL clubs. 

     The NHL salary cap ceiling for the 2024-25 season will be at $88 million. It was at $83.5 million during 2023-24. The new salary cap floor was set at $65 million for next season. 

Elieser Hernandez Goes To Brewers

     Former Miami Marlins pitcher Elieser Hernandez has signed a major league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He had just five appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers this year and had a 8.38 earned run average. 

     Hernandez played five seasons with the Marlins from 2018 until 2022. He complied a 10-21 record and a 5.04 earned run average over 90 games. 

Guardians Can Marlins

     The Cleveland Guardians crushed the Miami Marlins 8-0 on Saturday night at loanDepot park. The Marlins will complete a rare five-game homestand tomorrow. 

     Cleveland(41-22) got out to a 1-0 lead during the top of the first. Jose Ramirez pounded a solo home run to right field on a 2-2 pitch for his 18th homer of the season.

     The Guardians increased their lead to 2-0 in the top of the third. Josh Naylor drove in Steven Kwan on a base hit into right field. 

     Miami(22-42) surrendered six more runs in the fifth inning and trailed 8-0. The big rally began with a two-run homer by Kwan to right field for his fourth home run of the campaign. 

Connor McDavid Returns To South Florida

     Edmonton Oilers center and captain Connor McDavid returns to Sunrise for the beginning of 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. He has some connection with South Florida. 

     McDavid was selected first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Oilers at the arena in Sunrise. He is represented by South Florida resident Bobby Orr and his organization is his agent. McDavid could possibility capture and raise the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career at Amerant Bank Arena. 

Marlins Edge Guardians

     The Miami Marlins got by the Cleveland Guardians 3-2 at loanDepot park on Friday night. The Marlins continued their homestand while the Guardians entered the contest first in the American League Central Division. 

     Cleveland(40-22) had a 2-0 advantage in the top of the third. Brayan Rocchio belted a two-run homer to left field with Austin Hedges aboard. 

     Miami(22-41) matched it with two runs in the bottom of the third to tie it up 2-2. Bryan De La Cruz smacked a solo home run to center field for his 11th homer of the year. Josh Bell followed with a solo homer to left field for his seventh home run of the season. 

     The Marlins pulled ahead 3-2 during the bottom of the eighth. Jazz Chisholm Jr. knocked in Jake Burger with a base hit up the middle.

Marlins Host Guardians

     The Miami Marlins challenge the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night at loanDepot park. Both clubs faced each other back in the 1997 World Series. 

Rays Tower Over Marlins

     The Tampa Bay Rays knocked off the Miami Marlins 5-3 at loanDepot park on Wednesday night. The Rays swept the Citrus Series two-game set in South Florida. Each club has 100 games left in the 2024 regular season. 

     Both teams came up strong in the first inning. Tampa Bay(31-31) put up three runs while Miami(21-41) had two runs. The Rays added two more runs in the top of the third for a 5-2 lead. 

Rays At Marlins

     The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Miami Marlins in a Citrus Series clash on Wednesday night at loanDepot park. It is the second game of the two-game series between both clubs. 

Jason McCourty Exiting NFL Network

     Former Miami Dolphins defensive back Jason McCourty may be leaving NFL Network. He was co-hosting the morning show Good Morning Football. The program is currently in a hiatus since March. The show is being shifted from New York City to Los Angeles. 

     McCourty had a short stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2021. He participated in seven games and had no interceptions that season with the Fins. 

Mets Releasing Jorge Lopez

     The New York Mets are releasing relief pitcher Jorge Lopez. He was designated for assignment by the club last week after making derogatory comments about the team. 

     Lopez was once with the Miami Marlins last year. He had a 2-0 record and a 9.26 earned run average in 12 relief appearances with the Fish. He finished the 2023 campaign with the Baltimore Orioles. 

Jorge Sedano Announcing NBA Finals

     Former Miami sportscaster Jorge Sedano will be announcing the NBA Finals for ESPN Radio. He will work as a sideline reporter during their broadcasts. 

     Sedano had Miami on-air radio duties at WAFN-AM. WRFX-AM. Fox Sports Radio, WIOD-AM, WAXY-AM and WQAM-AM. He was also a television sportscaster at WFOR-TV and Sun Sports. 

     He moved on to become a sports host on ESPN Radio in 2013. Sedano landed at ESPN Los Angeles KSPN-AM as an on-air talent in 2016. He is currently an afternoon co-host with former Miami on-air talent Scott Kaplan on that station. 

Brian Anderson Joins Braves

     Former Miami Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson has signed a major league contract with the Atlanta Braves for the remainder of the 2024 campaign. He opted out of his minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners several days ago. 

     Anderson played with Miami from 2017 until 2022. He participated with Miami for 531 games and compiled 57 home runs, 233 runs batted in and a .256 batting average. 

Marlins Rushed By Rays

     The Miami Marlins lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 9-5 at loanDepot park on Tuesday night. It was the first contest of a two-game series between both clubs. 

     Miami(21-40) currently has the worst record in the National League. Tampa Bay(30-31) is in fourth place in the American League East Division. 

     The Marlins exploded out with three runs during the bottom of the first. The Rays overcome the Fish with five runs in the fourth inning and four in the fifth inning for a 9-3 lead. 

Tigers To Retire Jim Leyland Number

     The Detroit Tigers announced today that they will retire the number 10 jersey of manager Jim Leyland. It will happen on August 3 at Comerica Park. He will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 13. 

     Leyland was the manager of the Tigers from 2006 to 2013 and guided them to two American League pennants in 2006 and 2012. It will be the 10th uniform number retired by the franchise. 

     He managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1996 and won three National League East Division titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992. They fell in the National League Playoffs each season. 

     Leyland joined the Florida Marlins as their manager in 1997. The club qualified for the postseason as the National League Wild Card. The Fish upset the San Francisco Giants in the first round and then knocked off their divisional foe the Atlanta Braves for the National League pennant. The Marlins won the 1997 World Series in seven games over the Cleveland Indians. 

Stanley Cup Final Local Radio Broadcasts

     The Florida Panthers will challenge the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Each team's region will have a local radio broadcast. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM in Miami and Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM in West Palm Beach will have the local broadcasts of the Stanley Cup Final in South Florida for the second straight season. Doug Plagens, a Syracuse University grad, will be the play-by-play announcer while former Panthers left wing Bill Lindsay will be the game analyst. The studio host duties will be done by Kevin Rogers. 

     Plagens is in his club-record ninth season at his post. Lindsay joined him in the radio booth at the start of the 2015-16 season. Rogers, a Florida State University grad, is in his second stint as the intermission host with the team. 

     The Edmonton Oilers radio broadcast with be heard on 630 CHED-AM. Jack Michaels, an Ithaca College grad, will work as the play-by-play announcer. Bob Stauffer is the game analyst and Reid Wilkins is the studio host. Michaels is one of a few American-born people to announce NHL hockey in Canada. 

     It is a reunion for Michaels and Plagens, who once announced minor league hockey games in the ECHL during the 2000's. Plagens was the radio voice of the Idaho Steelheads while Michaels was the radio play-by-play announcer of the Alaska Aces. 

2024 Stanley Cup Final Schedule Set

     The National Hockey League has listed the upcoming schedule for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. It will be the Eastern Conference champions the Florida Panthers against the Western Conference champions the Edmonton Oilers. 

     Florida will host Game 1 on June 8 and Game 2 on June 10. The series will move to Edmonton for Game 3 on June 13 and Game 4 on June 15. Game 5 will be played in Sunrise on June 18. The Oilers will host Game 6 on June 21 then Game 7 will be held in South Florida on June 24. 

Stanley Cup Final National Radio Broadcasts

     Sports USA will have the national terrestrial radio broadcasts for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. The series will begin on Saturday night in Sunrise when the Florida Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers. 

     Anaheim Ducks television play-by-play announcer John Ahlers will be the play-by-play announcer of the contests. Turner Sports rinkside reporter and Philadelphia Flyers television game analyst Brian Boucher is the game analyst. Boston Bruins television studio analyst and NHL Network reporter Billy Jaffe will be the rinkside reporter while Robert Brender is the studio host. 

Panthers And Oilers In Stanley Cup Final

     The Florida Panthers will face the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. Game 1 will be held at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Saturday night. 

     Florida has reached the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season and the third time in franchise history. They have never won a Stanley Cup title. It will be the fifth consecutive year that a team from the state of Florida won the Eastern Conference title.

     Edmonton will be in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. They last captured the Stanley Cup in 1990, their fifth title in franchise history. The Oilers will try to become the first Canadian-based club since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup. 

     It will be the longest distance between both cities to be play in a Stanley Cup series. Sunrise is 2,543 miles from Edmonton. 

Rangers Blank Marlins

     The Miami Marlins were shut out by the Texas Rangers 6-0 at loanDepot park on Sunday. Miami(21-39) will host the Tampa Bay Rays in a two-game series beginning on Tuesday. 

     Texas(29-30) bolted out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. The Rangers were able to add one run during the top of the sixth and two runs in the ninth. 

John Curtiss Exits Rockies

     John Curtiss has left the Colorado Rockies organization and opted out of his contract. He made one pitching appearance and had a 54.00 earned run average. 

     Curtiss spent a part of the 2021 season with the Miami Marlins. He played in 35 games with the Marlins and then was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Brian Anderson Leaves Mariners

     Former Miami Marlins infielder Brian Anderson has opted out of his contract with the Seattle Mariners. He had inked a minor league deal with the club earlier this year. Anderson was with the Milwaukee Brewers during 2023. 

     Anderson played for the Miami Marlins for six seasons from 2017 until 2022. He had 57 home runs, 233 runs batted in and a .256 batting average in 531 contests with the Fish.

Ian McCoshen In KHL

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Ian McCoshen will continue to play overseas next season. He has signed a deal with Kunlun Red Star in the Kontinental Hockey League. 

     McCoshen participated with the Florida Panthers for three seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19. It was the only seasons that the franchise has missed the postseason in the last nine years. He compiled seven points in 60 contests with the Cats. 

Panthers Eliminate Rangers In Game 6

     The Florida Panthers captured their second straight Eastern Conference title with a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers won the best-of-seven series 4-2.  

     The Panthers will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year and the third time in franchise history. The Cats have reached the Stanley Cup Final previously in 1996 and 2023.

     It was the Panthers ninth home handshake line after a postseason game in team history. Florida was victorious to complete a playoff series at home for the fifth time ever. 

     The Cats will play in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final next Saturday night. The Rangers entered the postseason after winning the Presidents' Trophy during the regular season. 

     Florida leaped out to a 1-0 lead with 49.3 seconds left in the first period. Evan Rodrigues knocked down a loose puck in the neutral zone. Sam Bennett carried the puck into the Rangers zone and angled a pass to Rodrigues on the left wing. He returned it with a backhand pass and Bennett fired a one-time slap shot from the inner left circle by Igor Shesterkin for his sixth postseason goal. Bennett has a tally in each of the last three contests and collected his fourth goal in the series. 

     Neither team scored in the second period. The Panthers increased their lead to 2-0 at the 9:08 mark of the third period. Eetu Luostarinen pushed the puck from the left corner. Anton Lundell connected a cross-ice pass from the low left circle and Vladimir Tarasenko swept in a wrist shot from the right of the crease for his third goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was Tarasenko's first point in the series against his former club.

     New York added an extra attacker and pulled their goalie with 2:23 to go. The Blueshirts closed it to 2-1 with 1:39 remaining. Artemi Panarin snapped a shot from the right circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal of the postseason. Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox were credited with assists on the play. Panarin stopped an eight-game goalless drought. 

Inter Miami CF Ties St. Louis City SC

     Inter Miami CF drew with St. Louis City SC 3-3 on Saturday night at Chase Stadium. The Herons are now 7-1-2 in their last 10 contests. 

     It was the first appearance by St. Louis City SC in South Florida and their second meeting between both teams. St. Louis City SC entered Major League Soccer as an expansion franchise last year. 

     St. Louis City SC(3-4-8) rose to a 1-0 lead early in the first half. Chris Durkin fired a 21-yard shot with his right foot during the 15th minute. 

     Inter Miami CF(10-3-5) tied the contest up 1-1 in the 25th minute of the play. Jordi Alba made a feed from the left side and Lionel Messi one-timed a left-footed shot from 17 yards away. It was Messi's 12th goal in the Major League Soccer campaign. 

     The lead was regained in the 41st minute by St. Louis City SC 2-1. Indiana Vassilev burned his former team and placed in a right-footed shot from 11 yards. 

     The Herons answered back quickly during stoppage time at the end of the first half to even it 2-2. Alba connected a cross-field pass and Luis Suarez tapped in a two-yard shot with his right foot. 

     Messi was credited with the secondary assist and set an MLS record with 25 goal contributions, 12 goals and 13 assists, in the first 12 games. Carlos Vela of LAFC had the record with 25 goal contributions in the first 16 contests back in 2019. 

     In the second half, St. Louis City SC moved ahead 3-2 during the 68th minute. They took a corner kick from the left sided and Suarez ended up with an own goal with a header into the Herons cage. 

     Inter Miami CF matched their opponent again and made it 3-3 in the 85th minute. Alba was able to get behind the defense and put in a left-footed, 13-yard shot. 

Rangers Roam Marlins

     The Texas Rangers toppled the Miami Marlins 7-0 on Saturday at loanDepot park. Both teams have split the three-game series with the rubber game tomorrow. 

     The Rangers got out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Robbie Grossman knocked in Andrew Knizner on a double to left field. Adolis Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly to right field which scored Corey Seager. 

     Texas(28-30) added two more runs in the top of the third for a 4-0 advantage. Josh Smith singled into right field and Wyatt Langford scored. Knizner later hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Smith crossed the plate. 

     Miami(21-38) fell behind 5-0 during the seventh inning. Grossman drove in Marcus Semien with a base hit up the middle.  

     It became 7-0 for the Rangers in the top of the ninth. Grossman and Garica reached home when Langford singled to left field.