Dolphins eye playoffs after historic regular season

[Havana_Jake]

Dolphins eye playoffs after historic regular season

BUENOS AIRES -- Jon Taylor's Dolphins journeyed to Rio this weekend needing just one win to secure the ABL single season wins record. Their work was cut out for them in Friday night's matchup against the Jaguars. After eight innings the score was tied 5-5, but the Dolphins' potent top of the order was coming up to bat. A one out walk was issued to Owen Stanton, thus beginning a two-run ninth that would, after John Solomon's 57th save, lead to a 7-5 Buenos Aires victory.

The Dolphins would go on to win two of their three games in Rio, finishing with a record setting 106 regular season wins. Though champagne was popped and sprayed in a jubilant clubhouse, no one was willing to settle for regular season success alone.

"It's a testament to all our hard work to set the wins record. We're gonna celebrate and feel good about ourselves tonight," said Dolphins manager Jon Taylor. "But nobody remembers the '06 Palmchats because they won 104. They remember what happened in October. We want to end up in the WBA history books, and we know that quest begins in the playoffs next week."

Dolphins shortstop Vinicius Caruma echoed Taylor's sentiment, saying "We think we're a great team. We need to prove that every inning of the playoffs."



While there are certainly lofty goals afloat in Buenos Aires, veteran hurler Clifford Mitchell was careful to remind his younger teammates of what lies ahead. "Right now, all I'm thinking about is game one against Rio in front of our fans. The playoffs demand the best of all of us, and I intend to stay loose and throw every pitch with conviction and focus."

Whatever happens in October, the Dolphins will have left their mark on the ABL history index. But its clear that that accomplishment will not be enough to satisfy the Dolphins players, or their fans.

Dan Farnell

Dan Farnell covers the Dolphins for the Buenos Aires Herald. He previously was the beat writer for the Montreal Voltigeurs of the World Baseball Federation, and his memoir "Finding Myself: How Elective Eye Surgery Ended My Career as a Pitcher, and Began my Life as a Writer" has sold millions of copies and has printed in 22 languages.