Built for a short series | Sports Daily Newsletter

October is the Phillies’ time of the year, manager Rob Thomson believes. He told his players as much Tuesday when they clinched a spot in the playoffs.

“We have good starting pitching, we have a good bullpen, and we have a good offense,” Thomson said. “We have a couple of really high-end starters at the front end. I think we’re built for it. It was just a matter of getting in. And now we’ll see what we’ve got. But I think this is like we were last year — a club that is built for a short series.”

And here comes that short series, starting Tuesday in the best-of-three wild-card round against a team to be determined at Citizens Bank Park.

Last season, the Phillies won 87 games, made the playoffs in the third-to-last game, and marched all the way to Game 6 of the World Series. A year later, the roster is better, by every possible measure. Thomson is confident in this club’s makeup, but that doesn’t mean the Phillies don’t have questions. Scott Lauber breaks them down, including the bullpen lineup and how to use Orion Kerkering.

— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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What’s up with the Eagles’ struggling red-zone offense? Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson described the showing against the Buccaneers as “unacceptable.” Nick Sirianni is spending more time this week working on fixes. EJ Smith goes through a diagnosis of the issues plaguing the Eagles inside the 20.

Of course, there’s plenty that the offense is doing well. It’s controlling the ball, with the line taking care of business and enabling the running game to thrive. The Eagles were able to chew 9 minutes, 22 seconds off the clock to finish the Monday night game in dominating fashion.

And with the standout pass rush, there was more good news for the Eagles as Haason Reddick has now shed the thumb cast he had been playing with following surgery before the season. Doing so allows Reddick to play freer. Quarterbacks, beware.

Next: The Eagles host the Washington Commanders at 1 p.m. Sunday (Fox29).

Young players who grew up in the Phillies farm system have helped the team surge into the playoffs once again. Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Johan Rojas, among others, have played a key role this season.

During the Phillies’ clinching celebration on Tuesday, managing partner John Middleton praised team president Dave Dombrowski and director of player development Preston Mattingly for their roles in bringing along the young talent. Middleton also gave a shout-out to former general manager Matt Klentak, who got the ball rolling in the farm system.

The Phillies fell, 3-2, to the Pirates as Bryce Harper was ejected for arguing with the third base umpire. Harper tossed his batting helmet into the stands and a 10-year-old fan ended up with quite a souvenir.

Showing a rapid recovery from a torn ACL he suffered in March, Rhys Hoskins took batting practice on Thursday. If Hoskins rejoin the Phillies, it likely will be as a pinch hitter during the World Series, if they make it that far.

Cristopher Sánchez will pitch one or two innings out of the bullpen on Friday as the Phillies hope to get him reacquainted with relieving for the postseason.

As the Phillies start their playoff run, we run down 10 unforgettable moments in the preliminary rounds of the postseason.

The Phillies played their last game at Veterans 20 years ago on Sept. 28. Take a trip back to that day at the Vet.

Next: The Phillies travel to New York for their final series of the regular season at 7:10 p.m. Friday (NBCSP). Taijuan Walker (15-5, 4.35 ERA) will start against Mets right-hander Tylor Megill (8-8, 4.92).

The race for the backup goalie spot might not be the most exciting topic in Flyers training camp, but it’s arguably the most intriguing roster battle they have going right now. Cal Petersen, Felix Sandström, and Sam Ersson are in the mix, with the latter two appearing to have the upper hand.

Next: The Flyers visit the Boston Bruins in a preseason game Friday at 7 p.m.

Alejandro Bedoya took six shots Wednesday, but the Union came away with a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas at Subaru Park. With the Union fighting for playoff position in the Eastern Conference, their captain expects more.

“Objectively, we’re not in a bad spot, but at the same time, I think we expect more from ourselves, especially at home,” Bedoya said. “I think it’s a good thing to have this type of mentality, too. We know we can do a little bit better, we know we can do better at finishing. And to be honest, I haven’t been pleased with the way we’ve been letting in goals.”

FIFA’s caravan tour of the 2026 men’s World Cup’s host cities stopped in Philadelphia on Thursday. The match schedule is expected to be announced by the end of the year.

Next: The Union visit the Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Apple TV, paywalled).

We asked you: Would you like to see Jrue Holiday back with the Sixers? Among your responses:

Yes, I would love to have Holiday back with the Sixers. He is a true point guard. Smart‚ who knows defenses. When to shoot & when to pass. He would be an ideal mentor to Maxey and the other guards. He is veteran enough to command respect from our center and smart enough to keep him involved in the offense. Currently the Sixers are low on the city’s sports teams because of all of the negativity generated. His signing would be a major upgrade in positives. Why not try for the trade? — Robert W.

His ability to handle in traffic, plus his “scoring the ball” from various parts of the court. His defensive presence brings a lot to the table. Plus, it’s never any “noise around his name.” Straight-up good citizen. He can do it all. To say nothing of his presence in the locker room. Baller for sure. — Thomas D.

How bout a Harden for Holliday trade even up? — Bill M.

I’d absolutely love to see him back. He was an All-Star first time here and had to be dumped for the Process to work. He’s still an All-Star, and he’s a shut-down defender, which Harden notoriously is not. — Joel G.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, David Murphy Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Jeff Neiburg, Jonathan Tannenwald, Gina Mizell, Mike Jensen, Isabella DiAmore, and Matt Mullin.