Posts Tagged ‘Miami Marlins’

Let’s Call it Wednesday

Posted: September 7, 2016 by Sports Time Radio in sports
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I hope you’re ready for it; because it starts tomorrow. That’s right the Carolina Panthers are at the Denver Broncos in a rematch from last seasons Super Bowl to kick off the NFL season.

Now both teams should bring top defenses to the game, but the offenses from each team will look a little bit different. The biggest change for the Broncos is under Center. Peyton Manning did retire after the Super Bowl win and it looked like Mark Sanchez was going to take over at quarterback. The Broncos signed Sanchez as a free agent, but he didn’t play all that well in the pre-season and ended up being released. Now the Broncos did draft Paxton Lynch in the 1st round of the draft, but he’s not the starter either. Denver is going with Trevor Siemian. Siemian is in his 2nd season with the Broncos; he took 1 snap last season, but it was a kneel down. Siemian is making his 1st career NFL start against one of the toughest defensive in the leagues. Siemian still has a pair of top wide receivers to work with in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Virgil Green is the starting tight end, but he hasn’t really broken though in the passing game. C.J. Anderson was resigned in the off season and should get the majority of the carries when the Broncos run the football. Now there has been a lot of talk that the Broncos like rookie Devontae Booker; so expect him to get some carries as head coach Gary Kubiak is known to use more than one running back. As a new quarterback Siemian will have some weapons to work with; so as he goes so should the Broncos offense.

Now the biggest change for the Carolina offense is health. They’ll get wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin back after missing all of last season with a knee injury. Tight end Greg Olsen was dinged up pretty much all of pre-season and may start the regular season injured. Olsen produced as the feature receiver in Carolina’s offense last season and they need him to be healthy to start the season. Ted Ginn Jr. looks like the receiver teams thought he would be years ago and Devin Funchess will also catch some passes for quarterback Cam Newton. Newton should be an MVP contender this season. Jonathan Stewart is the #1 running back for the Panthers, but Mike Tolbert is still on the roster to get those tough yards and short touchdowns. If Newton continues to mature as a quarterback and if his legs are good to go the Panthers look to have one of the top offenses in the NFL and should be the NFC front runner to got to the Super Bowl.

On the defensive side of the football Denver did lose defensive tackle Malik Jackson in free agency this off season, but they where able to work out a long term deal with Super Bowl MVP Von Miller. Miller will man the strong side linebacker spot and cause havoc for quarterbacks league wide. DeMarcus Ware is going to start the season on a play count, but you can bet he’ll be on the field in all passing situations. The other key for the Broncos last season was the defensive backfield. Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and T.J. Ward all return in the secondary where they’ll be joined by Darian Stewart. Denver’s defense should be one of the better ones in the NFL and with a young quarterback it may be counted on to keep them in games early in the season.

Josh Norman was the top cornerback in the NFL last season as part of this Panthers defense. He signed a big money deal with the Washington Redskins; so the Panthers will have to replace him. James Bradberry, Daryl Worley, Robert McClain, Teddy Williams and Bene Benwikre will be the guys looking to fill that role. Luckily the secondary may be working with the best group of linebackers in the NFL. Luke Kuechely is the top linebacker in the NFL and Thomas Davis is very good as well. Shaq Thompson fills out this trio of linebackers and his play will dictate how this group is ranked. Kony Early played well in the Super Bowl, but will that carry over into this season. It’s a good group and should be one of the top defenses in the NFL.

The Miami Marlins entered play last night 5 games out of the 2nd wild card spot in the National League. Before last nights 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies the Marlins activated 1st baseman Justin Bour and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton from the disabled list. Both player pinch hit in last nights game. Bour drew a walk on 4 pitches while Stanton single in his at bat. The loss last night did drop the Marlins to 6 games back in the wild card race and with just 23 games left in the regular season and three teams to get past; is there enough time for the Marlins to get into a wild card spot? I don’t think the Marlins can get there. Here’s the rest of their schedule and you can tell me what you think. They wrap up their series with the Phillies today then the Los Angeles Dodgers are in Miami for 3 games. Then it’s on the road for 3 against the Atlanta Braves and then 3 in Philadelphia. The Marlins return home for 3 against the Washington Nationals,3 against the Braves and 3 against the New York Mets. The finish the season with 3 games in Washington against the Nationals. I don’t think they have a very favorable schedule and they are still dealing with some pitching injuries. Don’t forget that Wei-Yon Chen, Adam Conley and David Phelps are all still on the disabled list. They do still have Jose Fernandez in the rotation, but he can’t pitch everyday. Can Andrew Cashner, Tom Koehler and Jose Urena support Fernandez enough to get the Marlins in the playoffs; sorry I just don’t see it.

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Marlins game 2

Posted: August 2, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, Minor League Baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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Jason Hammel is hopefully eating a ton of potato chips for this game as it should be a hot one and he needs to retain as much as H2O as possible.  He went 3-2 in the month of July and looks to take his win streak to 4 games with the possibility of a career high 11th win.  He is taking on Jose Fernandez looking for lucky number 13 in his second career start against the Cubs.  He went seven innings giving up only one run on four hits, but strikes out 13 giving Hammel his fourth loss of the year.

Hammel doesn’t start off too smoothly as he walks the bases loaded with two outs to start the game but on the sixth batter he gets out of the inning.  Fernandez tosses one up for Fowler allowing him to bag a triple his fourth of the year.  Wilson Contreras derives him in with a single to shortstop.  After Rizzo strikes out and Ben Zobrist ends the inning grounding into a double play. 

Addison Russell singles in the second but no one scores in the second.  In the bottom of the third, Dexter Fowler leads off with a single and steals second with Contreras at the plate and makes it to third on Wilson’s line drive to left.  Fowler scores again as Anthony Rizzo flies out to left.  Wilson would try to take second base but is thrown out ending the inning.  Cubs up by two.  

Chris Coghlan leads off the fifth with a ground ball single to center.  Fernandez gives him second base as he balks.  He gets the next two outs but it would Fowler who steps in the box and drives in his first run of the game with a single to right.  Contreras and Rizzo both walk but Zo strikes out to end the inning.  

After Hammels rocky start to the game, he would only allow three more base runners through the top of the sixth.  He would strike out three walking two with four hits as Maddon brings in Pedro Strop in the top of the seventh.  He gives up a single to Derek Dietrich who ends up at third as Chris Johnson sends a ground ball back to Strop who throws it away as he try’s to get Derek out at second.  Adeiny Hechavarria sends a ground ball to left scoring Derek.  J.T. Realmuto sends a grounder to right scoring Johnson putting the Marlins within one run.  Strop strikes out Martin Prado but that would be enough for  Maddon to take the trip to the mound bringing in Travis Wood to end the inning.  

Kyle Barraclough replaces Fernandez in the seventh only allowing one base runner.  Hector Rondon joins the game in the bottom of the eighth striking out Giancarlo Stanton.  Marcell Ozuna sends a line drive to right but gets picked off for the second out of the inning.  Rondon gives up a single to Dietrich but ends the inning when Johnson lines out to left.  

Mike Dunn enters the game in the bottom of the eighth getting the first two outs but Matt Szczur breaks it up by singling but Javier Baez goes down swinging.  

Maddon of course brings in Aroldis Chapman to close out the game.  He gets Hechavarria to ground out for the first out.  Then he strikes out Jeff Mathis.  J.T. Realmuto ends the game by grounding to third giving him second save for the Cubs.  

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Cubs Hook The Marlins

Posted: August 2, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, Minor League Baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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The second series of the season for the Marlins and the Cubs and Adam Conley in his first start this season in Wrigley Field.  Kyle Hendricks searching for his 10th win of the season puts together his best start since May 28th against the Phillies.

Kyle pitches a complete game, his second of the year since the start against the Phils.  Kyle gives up seven hits but only walks three.  He strikes out five batters and it’s a start that the Cubs definitely needed to give the bullpen a much needed rest.

Adam Conley would not be on like Kyle.  He starts the game by walking Dexter Fowler but gets Kris Bryant to flyout.  Anthony Rizzo launches his 30th double of the year pushing Fowler to third.  With two outs, Addison Russell sends a line drive to right scoring both runners.  Jason Heyward singles and Conley loads the bases by walking Contreras but gets out the inning by striking out Matt Szczur.  The Cubs are up by two.

Conley wouldn’t allow another run through four innings but Donny Baseball decides to pull him after four and brings in Dustin McGowan for the fifth.  He gets the first out but walks Contreras and gives up a single to Matt Szczur.  Kyle Hendricks helps himself out by driving in Contreras for the third run with Szczur landing at third.  Dexter Fowler adds another run by sending a fly ball to center scored as a sacrifice.

Anthony Rizzo leads off the bottom of the sixth with a monstrous triple to right and scores on Javier Baez’s sac fly to left credited to Marlins reliever Dustin McGowan.  The Cubs would add a few more hits over the next couple of innings but they wouldn’t need to come out in the bottom of the ninth after Kyle Hendricks finishes them off.

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast now on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

Marlins Hook the Series

Posted: June 26, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio, Uncategorized
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Cubs sought to split the series in Miami to start this 11 game road trip in a wining fashion.  Jason Hammel and the Cubs would hope to split the series with the Marlins, who had their Ace scheduled for the Sunday ballgame.  Hammel is also serving for his first win since June 4th against the Diamondbacks.   That would not be the case today as the Marlins would win and take the series 3-1.

Let’s just get the offensive side out of the way.  Fernandez would get his 10th win of the season on 7 innings giving up only 1 run on 4 hits.  He would walk 3 but strike out 13 batters.  Rizzo would get the first hit in the second inning.  He’d give up the second hit of the game to his counterpart, Hammel, walks Ben Zobrist and gives up a single to Jason Heyward to load the bases.  Kris Bryant would score the second out of the inning but the first and only run of the game.  Contreras would score the second walk on Fernandez in the 4th but gets caught stealing second base.  Heyward would snag a single in the 6th and Rizzo would try to get things going in the top of the 9th with a single but that would be all the action the Cubs would see for the day.

Jason Hammel and the bullpen would not have their best outing with everyone contributing to earned run category.  The Marlins would strike first as Hammel walks Justin Bour and then scores on Derek Dietrich’s double center field.  He would put 4 batters on in the 3, 4, and 5th innings but would start the 6th off with a double to Giancarlo Stanton and moves to third as Bour flys out.  Dietrich would get beaned to get on first.  With a man on 1st and 3rd, Andy Hechavarria would ground into an RBI double play that is challenged and overturned to be scored as just a force out.  After 6 complete innings, Hammel giving up only 2 runs on 4 hits striking out 3.  In the beginning of the year that would have been enough with the Cubs offense securing the win but not today.

Travis Wood enters the 7th inning striking out a batter but gives up 2 hits and a run to have Maddon bring in Justin Grimm also strikes out a batter  and gets Bour to groundout to end the inning.

After Grimm gives up a single to start the bottom of the 8th, he would be replaced by Spencer Patton who gets the first two outs of the inning but gives up a single to Miguel Rojas.  That would be enough for Maddon as he brings in Gerardo Concepcion who walks Ichiro Suzuki.  Martin Prado would smack a double to center scoring both Dietrich and Rojas but would get Christin Yelich to ground out to end the inning.

After 8 innings, 6 runs would be all the Marlins need to knock off the Cubs and take the series.  Let’s hope the series goes much better in Cincinnati.

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast no w on Tunein.com, Download the app today and follow us or Apple users can download us in the Podcast app today!

 

Marlins net the Cubs

Posted: June 25, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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Joel Maddon would go back to his pitcher batting in the 8 hole  with Albert Almora, Jr batting 9th and keeping Wilson Contreras in the game in left field.  Kris Bryant would be batting 2cd and would start the game with a double but wouldn’t reach again until he walks in the 9th. Aside from Contreras’s walk that would be all in the 1st.  Lackey would lead off the bottom of the first walking Ichiro Suziki who would score on Chrstian Yelich’s sac fly to center.  The Cubs would strike back in the second with Miguel Montero’s solo shot to right tieing the game at 1 at run a piece.

The top of the third would see the patient rookie Wilson walk on two outs, Javier Baez would get hit by a pitch setting up Addison Russell for a three run blast to left center.  Cubs up 4-3.

Lackey would retire 7 straight batters until he walks Giancarlo Stanton in the bottom of the 4th, then Justin Bour launches his 14th homer run of the season bringing the Cubs lead to 1.  John gets the first out in the 5th but gives up a single to Ichiro who scores again on Martin Prado’s double to left.  With the game tied, Lackey walks Yelich prompting Maddon to visit the mound but he after gives up an RBI single to Stanton, Maddon would pull him for Gerardo Concepcion, who on his 4th pitch gives up an RBI double to Bour.  Derek Dietrch would join in the RBI fun with a sac fly to left scoring Stanton.  Marlins up 7-4.

Spencer Patton enters the 6th making it quick but gives up a 2 RBI double to Stanton scoring Prado and Yelich to put the Marlins up by 4 in the 7th bringing Justin Grimm in to finish the inning.

Russel would lead off the 8th with walk and moves to third on Montero’s single to left and then scores on Chris Coghlan’s 3-6-3 double play.  Carl Edwards enters the bottom of the 8th for the Cubs making it a quick 1-2-3 inning.

Dustin McGowen who gave the Cubs a run in the 8th comes back out for the 9th and is the pitcher who gave up the lead off walk to Bryant.  After Anthony Rizzo’s ground out, Wilson Contreras gets his first double of the year scoring Bryant.  This would have the Marlins bring in A. J. Ramos who hits Russell but gets his 24th Save of the season.

John Lackey would only go 4 and 1/3 innings striking out 5 and only walking 3 but gives up 7 runs on 7 hits which 1 was a home run.  The Cubs have the opportunity to split the series on Sunday.

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast Now on Tune In Radio!  Apple users can download us straight to the Podcast App!

Cubs squeak by 1

Posted: June 24, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, fantasy, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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The Cubs seek to break thier four game skid against the Marlins with Kyle Hendricks taking to the mound against Tom Koehler.  Niether men would have an easy start both giving up 4 runs in the first inning.   

Kris Bryant starts it off with his 18th home run of the season then Wilson Conteras would do the same but it would be his 3rd of the year bringing Ben Zobrist in.  Chris Coghlan would send a line drive to right for his 1st triple of the year and would score on Javier Baez’s ground ball to center.  

Addison Russell would put Derek Dietrich with a fielding error.  Kyle would walk the Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton to load the bases.  On an 0-1 count Kyle would toss one up for Justin Bour for his 13th home run for a grand slam to tie the game.  

Hendricks would last four more innings before Trevor Cahill would enter the game.  Trevor Wood comes into the 7th makes it into the 8th to hold it for Hector Rondon.  

Koehler would make it through 6 to be replaced by Mike Dunn who would only last a third of an inning walking Bryant, then hits Zo.  Contreras would send a line drive to center field putting the Cubs ahead by 1.  Nick Wittgten gets the Marlins out of the inning. 

Aside from the one run, both bullpens would stop the other from adding more to the board but The Cubs break their losing streak.  

Go Cubs Go!

Dan the Man

The Podcast Now on Tune In Radio!  Apple users can download us straight to the Podcast App!

Cubs Can’t Take the Heat

Posted: June 24, 2016 by Daniel Kupres in baseball, post season, sports, Sports Time Radio
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Cubs head south to start the summer.  Jon Lester is on the mound taking on Wei-Yin Chen.  Lester is looking for win number 10 in his first meeting in Miami.

Lester would make it through three innings without any damage.  The fourth inning he would give up the first hit as a single but it would be Giancarlo Stanton’s solo home run for the first run.  He’d give up another solo shot in the sixth to Marcell Ozuna for the second run.  He’d only give up those 2 runs through 7 innings averaging 7 K’s per inning.

The Cubs would strike first in the 4th with a single by Jason Heyward that brought him to third on a fielding error.  Kris Bryant would drive him in a sac fly to left.  The Northsiders wouldn’t grab another run until the top of the 8th when David Ross would launch his 8th home run of the season tieing the game st 2 which should lead us to extra innings.

Pedro Strop enters the game in the 8th getting the first out but gives up a walk to Christian Yelich who scores on Stanton’s ground ball to right.  J.T. Realmuto would drive in Stanton to put the Marlins up by 2. Strop gets out of the inning without any further damage but ends up with a loss as the Cubs couldn’t rebound in the top of the ninth.

Thats four in a row, the bats are on a break but we still have time.

Go Cubs Go!

 Dan the Man

The Podcast Now on Tune In Radio!  Apple users can download us straight to the Podcast App!