Phillies finding their way | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Phillies have lost their best player, Bryce Harper, to a broken thumb injury this season. They are also currently down a couple of starting pitchers.

Yet the team has managed to avoid a collapse and with interim manager Rob Thomson’s calm guidance, are still in the mix for a playoff spot, even though there’s still a long way to go to the postseason. The margin for errors, though, is now incredibly slim. The team has to be savvy when the trade market opens.

The Inquirer’s Scott Lauber weighs the pros and cons of various options the Phillies may be considering.

Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓What will the Phillies have to accomplish for Rob Thomson to earn the managing post permanently? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

For all the additions the Eagles have made this offseason, it’s the offensive line that promises to be their greatest strength this season. The sight of Jason Kelce and Jordan Mailata raising money at a Jersey Shore bar last week was a reminder that these guys have fun, and they’re huge presences on the team both in size, talent, and personality. The Eagles added to the unit with draft pick Cam Jurgens and have long proven to be able to develop players under coach Jeff Stoutland, so there’s depth there as well. If the Eagles have a fantastic season this year, the O-line will be a big reason why.

The first domino to fall in the 76ers’ busy offseason came on the night of the NBA draft, when Danny Green and the No. 23 pick were shipped to the Memphis Grizzlies for De’Anthony Melton. The flurry of moves since have gained a lot of traction but the Melton acquisition will be just as important for a team that needs toughness and steady play in the backcourt.

Melton, who spoke with The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell, said he is prepared to provide just that for the Sixers, a team he called a “perfect fit” for him. The Sixers will be his third team in five years, but Melton remains undeterred. He said he’s ready to “embrace” the city off the court and “be a dog” on the court.

Next: The Sixers play against the Utah Jazz at 9 p.m. Wednesday as part of the Salt Lake City Summer League at the Vivant Center.

John Tortorella made waves last year when he criticized Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras’ lacrosse-style assist against the Buffalo Sabres. In part two of our sitdown with Tortorella, he sets the record straight on Zegras and also dives into his impressions of the Flyers’ locker room and leadership group.

In the past, it often seemed like good times for certain elements of American soccer came in cycles, as if they were taking turns. The men’s team finished dead last in the 1998 World Cup, then the women’s team won it all in the breathtaking 1999 final. The men’s team reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002, while Major League Soccer contracted teams and nearly folded. Even as MLS eventually bounced back and expanded with new teams and signing marquee players like David Beckham, two women’s leagues, WUSA and WPS, folded in less than a decade. The women’s team failed to reach the World Cup final in 2003 and 2007, then lost in the 2011 final, but had Olympic gold medals to claim in that time span, while the men failed to qualify for the Olympic tournament after 2008. When the USWNT claimed the 2015 World Cup title and became the back-to-back champions in 2019, the men missed out on the 2018 World Cup entirely.

Now, however, the USMNT have returned to the World Cup stage and also that of the Olympics. The USWNT, meanwhile, have a historic CBA with the federation and a new generation of players on the rise. The National Women’s Soccer League has expanded, bringing top players like Alex Morgan to teams in their home states.

The USWNT look to lock up future tournament opportunities in the new Concacaf qualifying competition.

Hot dogging it: Joey Chestnut would not be denied by injury, competitors or protest.

Winning bid: What happens to FDR Park now that the World Cup is coming to Philadelphia?

Lax loss: For Archbishop Carroll, that close overtime defeat will sting for a while.

In 1932 the Phillies left aging Baker Bowl and decided to share the newer Shibe Park with the Philadelphia Athletics.

In what year did the Athletics leave Philadelphia? Without referring to online sources, send us your answer at sports.daily@inquirer.com.

A) 1940

B) 1945

C) 1950

D) 1955

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Gina Mizell, Ed Barkowitz, Melanie Heller, Giana Han, Olivia Reiner, Keith Pompey, Oona Goodin-Smith, Mike Sielski and Scott Lauber.