Philly sports misery | Sports Daily Newsletter

For a moment, it seemed as if the Phillies were going to drag the Dodgers back to Citizens Bank Park and force a Game 5 in the NL Division Series.

Instead, they ended their season on a throwing error.

The Phillies battled in 11 innings in Game 4 on Thursday night. Manager Rob Thomson pulled out all the stops. He brought in Jhoan Duran in the seventh, when he allowed his first career bases-loaded walk, coughing up a 1-0 lead.

Then a scoreless ninth from Matt Strahm forced extras. Thomson decided to bring in Jesús Luzardo to face the top of the Dodgers order. Both pitching staffs were locked in a fervent duel. But it was the Phillies who ultimately blinked first.

In the 11th, Luzardo gave up two singles, and that led Thomson to replace him with Orion Kerkering, seeking one more out. The righty walked the Dodgers’ Kiké Hernández and loaded the bases. Next up was Andy Pages, who topped a 96-mph fastball.

Kerkering lost the grip on the soft grounder back to the mound. He looked panicked. Instead of throwing to first, he threw it over J.T. Realmuto’s head at home to score the winning run and end the Phillies’ season with a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers, who advance to the National League Championship Series.

You can find more coverage of the Phillies’ final loss here.

What an ending. And to add to the night, the Eagles fell to the Giants and the Flyers lost their season opener against the Panthers. Let’s get into it.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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Without Jalen Carter, the Eagles defense was bullied on the ground by the Giants and QB Jaxson Dart, who was making his third NFL start on Thursday night. It ultimately led to a 34-17 loss at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles defense conceded 366 yards, was the Giants’ second-highest output of the season. The offense again played fairly well in the first half, with Jalen Hurts going 14 of 18 for 164 yards. But the Birds were shut out in the second half.

The Eagles have lost two straight for the first time since their epic collapse in 2023. Jeff McLane grades the Birds for their latest performance and chalks up this loss to a lack of preparation in all phases.

Don’t miss the rest of our coverage from Thursday night’s game here.

With a new coach in former Flyer Rick Tocchet behind the bench, the Flyers opened their season going toe-to-toe with two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Thursday but fell, 2-1. Noah Cates scored the Flyers’ lone goal while new goalie Dan Vladař stopped 32 of 34 shots to keep the Orange and Black in it. In the first period he looked steady. He allowed a goal on 12 shots in the second frame. But it was Panthers winger Brad Marchand who broke the tie early in the third period with a goal from the half-wall.

The Flyers head to North Carolina to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

With the regular season only weeks away, the 76ers still don’t have a clear picture on the availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George. Asked about their status, coach Nick Nurse explained that both players are progressing but still have “boxes to check” before they can be cleared. Embiid has played some five-on-five and practiced Thursday, while George is in an individual workout phase and participated in one-on-one drills after practice. Both players had offseason surgeries to correct knee injuries.

“I think everybody in any situation would want their guys out there every day,” Nurse said. “That’s how you’re going to, all the time, continue to be able to add and build and things like that. I think that we’ve spent a lot of time and made a lot of progress offensively, with and without them, and that’s what we’re trying to do."

The Phillies season came to die at Dodger Stadium, and it was an ugly one. An error. A bases-loaded error. An 11th-inning, bases-loaded error in a 1-1 game. Ninety minutes earlier, things were much different. But you’ve heard this song before. A lineup that features $927 million of veteran offense should be able to produce more than one run. The Phillies’ top three hitters, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper, went 1-for-14 with a walk. Rob Thomson’s decisions over the last three postseasons might forever haunt him. But in the end, the Dodgers won the series, three games to one, and that’s how the season died Thursday night, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Lochlahn March, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Marcus Hayes, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Ryan Mack, Greg Finberg, and Tyler DelPercio.

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.

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend, and we’ll will be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella