🦅 In the driver’s seat | Sports Daily Newsletter

This just in from Eagles training camp:

It’s hot as heck. It’s still only training camp. There is plenty of time to wring your hands over the Eagles this season, so let’s chill out (good luck with that) and lighten up.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts got off the practice field in good order Monday, driving off in security chief Dom DiSandro’s personalized golf cart with Nick Sirianni and Big Dom on board. The fans who remained after the workout loved it.

On the sweltering NovaCare Complex field before that, Hurts kept up his streak of stacking good days in training camp. He has yet to toss an interception, Jeff McLane notes in his practice observations.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓ Do you expect Jalen Hurts to bounce back this season? Why or why not? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The Phillies arrived in L.A. with the league’s best record, a prerequisite to securing home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs. After a 5-3 loss Monday to start the series, the Phillies saw the Dodgers move to a half-game back.

While Shohei Ohtani homered, Bryce Harper struck out three times. It doesn’t take much to get Harper fired up for a series in Los Angeles, where he made his major-league debut.

“Every time we play the Dodgers, they’re a really good team no matter who’s on the field or who’s pitching,” Harper says. “They have so much depth in that organization. Obviously they made some acquisitions at the deadline. They’re going to be the Dodgers.”

The Phillies couldn’t get timely hitting, but do hope that Nick Castellanos’ progress at the plate can help them reverse this slide.

Next: The Phillies play Game 2 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles tonight at 10:10 (NBCSP).

A free-agent addition in the offseason, linebacker Zack Baun is making an impact at Eagles camp. Baun is sharing most first-team reps with another newcomer, Devin White. “Being here is a big blessing,” says Baun in a fitting comment from a former Saint.

The Birds added depth at linebacker by signing former Jaguar Shaquille Quarterman.

Wide receiver Parris Campbell has been sidelined with a groin injury and rookie Johnny Wilson has made the most of his absence. Wilson is earning time with the starters.

Next: The Eagles begin the preseason on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Ravens in Baltimore (COZI TV, NBCSP+).

Joel Embiid picked USA Basketball over his native Cameroon and France, where he holds a passport. And while he’s had a tough go of it with Team USA, Cameroon and France represented hurdles, too. If he picked Cameroon, Embiid would have been counted on to carry the country to — and through — the Olympics, which would be complicated for a player known to endure health issues. And with France, Embiid would have played in a three-center lineup. So Team USA made sense for a number of reasons, including Embiid’s familiarity with the players. So Embiid might have made the right decision. And he still has a chance to prove it, Mike Sielski writes.

Union fans voted with their wallets to stay home from the Leagues Cup tournament, letting thousands of Cruz Azul fans dominate the stands Sunday at Subaru Park. The Leagues Cup isn’t particularly popular among what business people would call Major League Soccer’s core fan base.

Next: The Union host Montreal in the Leagues Cup on Friday at a time to be determined.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

Who was the losing pitcher when the Phillies dropped the infamous “Black Friday” playoff game to the Dodgers on Oct. 7, 1977? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Warren Brusstar

B) Ron Reed

C) Gene Garber

D) Tug McGraw

In his latest edition of unCovering the Birds, Inquirer Eagles writer Jeff McLane delivers his observations from training camp, a look at who’s been hot and who’s flamed out in the early going. Listen here.

We asked you: What should Rob Thomson do to get the Phillies back on a winning streak? Among your responses:

The Braves and the Mets smell blood. The Phillies were almost unbeatable prior to that London trip. They were winning games with talent and “smoke & mirrors.” In my opinion, as a full season ticket holder, our manager has a glaring lack of baseball strategy. How many more extra-inning games is it going to take to move the runner on 2nd to 3rd base by just bunting the ball? Not this team! They all swing for the fences. ... Rob is a players’ manager. Leaves them alone and always praising them. Just listening to his postgame show can put you asleep. Should the Braves and/or the Mets both over take us and we miss the playoffs entirely, heads will roll starting with the field manager. — Ronald R.

Be more creative. Move players around in the lineup. Try different combinations. Especially when the team is in a funk. — John K.

Rob should do nothing more than what he has done all year. He is the Captain and Helmsman of this ship and any change of behavior would send questions to twenty six crewmen and coaches. What makes Rob the Topper is his calm demeanor and wordlessly speaks volumes to the team. This is not an Eagles schedule with a sprint to the playoffs, it’s a marathon with ten more miles to go. — Barb

Rob Thomson needs to stay the course for the most part. It’s the players who need to perform better. They have had some injuries, but so has every other team. Get everyone as healthy as possible for the stretch run, and see what happens. Ultimately, it’s up to the players to perform. If they do, we’ll be okay. If not the first half of the season means nothing. — Tom G.

Topper has been in baseball for most of his life. ... This is his 4th very successful year with the Phillies. I have confidence that he knows what to do with his Phillies to help get them out of this funk, but if I was able to chat with him, I would tell him to get the guys to loosen up and relax and get out there and have fun. Remind them that it is just a game that they played since they were kids. I think they are too tight and pressing too hard. Facing the Dodgers in beautiful Dodger Stadium is a good time to just let it out and play baseball. — Everett S.

I think it is time for Thompson to move some people around so they can better provide a spark to the lineup and more bang for the buck or all those many bucks! Turner leading off, followed by: Stott, Harper, Schwarber (if he hits a homer with guys on many runs are better than one), Bohm, Marsh, Castellanos, Realmuto and finally Hays (hasn’t shown much improvement over Rojas) or Rojas. If the team doesn’t come around this series with the Dodgers, who they swept at home, then Thompson needs to start being tougher than mild mannered. Kick some butt or else it is all over. I am being somewhat radical today! — Vince

Stay steady on course and be happy the streak happened now, not at the end of the season. In 1964 the 10-game losing streak hit in the last 12 games of the season. It was an epic collapse relinquishing a 6 1/2 game lead to blow the pennant. In a word, they panicked. Rob needs to stay the course (as he has) and trust the talent on the team to pull out of it. With the incredible slump behind them, I am confident they will finish well. Wheeler, Marsh, and the bats provided a needed boost to build on last night. Let’s go from there! — Bob C.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, Mike Sielski, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Isabella DiAmore, Gabriela Carroll, and Gina Mizell.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

That’s all for today, Sports Daily fans. Thanks for reading. Bella will be at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. — Jim