Deportes 🥇

 

Quite the sports weekend we just witnessed. Between the closing of the Olympic Games, the 'dawg' days of summer in Major League Baseball, even the newfound League's Cup. If you're fan of athletics, there was a bit of everything.

We'll start with Gold Medals (plural). 2 different Team USA's picked up gold on Saturday. First, the Women's National Soccer Team defeated Brazil, behind quite the performance by Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher who put on a clinic.

Then, a fellow by the name of Steph Curry electrified Paris/all of France, and the world with a 3 Point Shooting display never before seen in the Olympics. While Anthony Davis was a straight up 'dawg' on the defensive end. The USA Men's Basketball Team took down a very game France to win their 5th straight Gold medal, in a Tournament that dawned how much the gap in competition is closing on Hoops, especially amongst European Countries (Just ask the U.S about Serbia & Nikola Jokic).

Parallel, the U.S Women's Basketball Team won Gold for the 8th consecutive time on Sunday, but not without a scare by host France. 68-67 was the Final score of the Gold Medal Game in Paris.

Fast Food Coliseum

Changing gears from the Olympics to the Fry Cook Games? Yes, you heard that right. It was Sponge Bob day at Marlins Park yesterday and the Fish perhaps benefitted from some Square Pants fortunes in the 9th Inning. 

After dropping 3 consecutive 10 Inning Ballgames, thanks to some truly mishandlings of the Bullpen by Manager Skip Schumaker, the Marlins found themselves leading yet again by a Run in the 9th on Sunday. Andrew Nardi, at 35 Pitches and already having served up a 2 Run Tater to ex-Marlin Donovan Solano an Inning prior, retired San Diego's 2 Lefty Bats to begin the 9th Inning, then stayed in to face the Righty Ha-Seong Kim.

Kim smoked a Fastball to the wall in Left Field, a ball the Marlins' Kyle Stowers (more on him in a moment) made a leap for. After the Liner by Kim clanged off the wall, it ricocheted off Stowers and then over the fence for what seemed like a game-tying Home Run at the time. That is until review.

Had the deep flyball hit off Stowers first then the top of the wall before going over it, the call would have remained a Home Run, but because it hit the wall followed by the Marlins Left Fielder before bouncing out, it was ruled a Ground-Rule Double despite the baseball never hitting the ground. 

George Soriano (who blew an attempt at a 2 Inning Save on Friday, because Schumaker refused to go to any of his high leverage Relivers a 3rd straight Game) relieved Nardi with 2 Outs and Kim on Second yesterday. Marlins Closer Calvin Faucher, Anthony Bender, Jesus Tinoco and Declan Cronin had all been used 3 of the last 4 days going into Sunday. Cronin however, was summoned for his 4th appearance in 5 days in the 7th Inning. While Soriano was able to come in and K Luis Campusano to avoid a 4th straight 10th Inning Loss by the Marlins.

Don't pin everything on Skip for the Bullpen troubles either. You're telling me Anthony Maldonado couldn't get a Call-Up to the Big Leagues this weekend to support a battered Marlins Bullpen?

Bonehead decisions & Marlins President Peter Bendix have come hand in hand since he took over this Organization in my opinion. From Christian Bethancourt, to Tim Anderson, the Luis Arraez (who along with Tanner Scott defeated the Fish on Saturday) Trade, the protracted lack of opportunity for Jonah Bride, who was tearing Triple-A apart all Season (while playing Positions of need for the Marlins) and now continues to swing it well in the Big Leagues after FINALLY receiving a chance.

So it comes as no surprise that 1 of the 2 Players the Marlins received back from Baltimore for Trevor Rogers was Kyle Stowers. Not after watching him for less than 2 weeks as a Marlin. The poor kid is 3 for 36 with 18 Strike Outs to begin his National League Career. His 3 Base Hits have been seeing eye Singles, but above the blunt numbers and despite a nice Lefty swing, the mechanics for the 26 yr old prior to launch are completely off.

To make matters worse for Stowers, was the play in Left Field yesterday. So the question is, what are Bendix & the Marlins doing? First Base Prospect Troy Johnston has been bumped off 1B with the arrival of Prospect Deyvison De Los Santos. Johnston is now playing Left Field in Triple-A. Why can't he play Left Filed in the Big Leagues?? Is Bendix afraid Johnston can truly preform in the Show ala Bride & Xavier Edwards???

Did somebody say performing? For all the struggles for someone like Stowers, it's going the complete opposite direction for Jake Burger. We mentioned in our previous Son Los Marlins post that 25 Homers could be a legit possibility for Burger this year, despite missing a month earlier in the Season. But now with an incredible 9 Home Runs in only 13 Games since the Trade Deadline, is 30 now realistic?

Burger's Homered in 3 straight Games and 4 of the last 5 (In which he has 5 Longballs). After Homering yesterday on Sponge Bob day, do we call that 1 a Crabby Patty? One thing is for certain, Jake Rakes!

Last but not least, the League's Cup is down to it's last 16. Clubs from Liga MX and Major League Soccer have been battling it out these last few weeks, putting their Regular Seasons on hold in the process. A Tournament, truly originally designed for fans in the United States to have an opportunity to watch their favorite Mexican Futbol Clubs.  

I had an opportunity to take in an Orlando City Match vs my childhood Team Cruz Azul on Friday. Obvio microbio que gano La Maquina. #Azul 🐰