Showdown set | Sports Daily Newsletter

It was a familiar formula. Wheeler, Nola, and o-vah.

And into the National League Division Series against the mighty Atlanta Braves.

Much like last season, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola sparkled in their starts — all that really changed was the venue. They combined for 13 scoreless innings in St. Louis last season. This time around, in the comforts of home, they gave up a total of one run in 13⅔ innings.

You could tell Nola was locked in from the first inning Wednesday. And, when the Marlins threatened, he shut them down in decisive fashion. Bryson Stott did his Shane Victorino impression with a postseason grand slam, and the rest is history.

And, with “Dancing On My Own” blaring, one thing was clear: The Phillies were primed for another deep run. Now, let’s see if history will continue to repeat itself.

⚾ Where the Phillies stand: With the 7-1 win, the Phillies have swept the Marlins in the wild-card round and move on to a best-of-five National League Division Series against the Braves beginning Saturday in Atlanta. Time is TBD, but the game will be televised by TBS.

— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓ Give us your NLDS prediction. Will it be the end of the line, or will the Phillies top the Braves again? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

For a second straight year, the Phillies are headed for a National League Division Series showdown with the Braves. And, for a second straight year, they find themselves in as good of a position as any of them could have hoped. Bryson Stott’s grand slam may not go down as the blow that punched the Phillies’ ticket to Atlanta. But David Murphy writes that it sure could go down as the thing that gave them their best chance at surviving.

They were “built for this.” The Marlins were not. Braves, take note: The Phillies haven’t looked this good all season. And they’re getting better, writes Marcus Hayes.

For the second straight year, José Alvarado wishes his family could join him in-person for a playoff run. But visa problems persist. “It’s, like, so hard for me.”

Next: The Phillies will open the NLDS on Saturday in Atlanta (TBS). Game time has not been announced yet. Ranger Suárez is expected to start for the Phillies.

On Tuesday, reports circulated about James Harden’s arrival to 76ers training camp. He reportedly was en route to Fort Collins, Colo., with the intention of being difficult. On Day 1, that didn’t turn out to be the case. Harden was engaged and participated in the majority of practice, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. It appears he largely held up his end of the bargain, showing up in shape and saying the right things. The Sixers are being cautiously optimistic while still making sure Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, and Patrick Beverley get their fair share of reps running the offense.

Next: The Sixers return to the court at Colorado State University for their third day of training camp practice on Thursday.

Across the NFL and in the media, there have been complaints about the Eagles’ quarterback sneak play. Other teams have tried their own versions of the play to varying degree of success. And, according to Jason Kelce, the league has even warned the team about how to run the play legally. To him, it’s all a compliment to the Eagles and their success in short-yardage situations thanks to the so-called Brotherly Shove.

At practice, the Eagles saw newly signed practice squad cornerback Bradley Roby in action. And Fletcher Cox missed the practice with a back injury that leaves the veteran defensive tackle’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams in question.

Sunday’s game in Los Angeles gives us a look at two teams with different philosophies: The Rams won a Super Bowl while sacrificing draft picks to acquire big-name veterans. The Eagles’ approach with hoarding draft capital has led to one of the deepest rosters in the league.

The Eagles’ defensive tackle rotation is stacked — anchored by blue-chip talent. So how did Milton Williams, a former third-round pick, get in the mix? Williams has always believed in himself. His father has, too, maybe even more than Williams himself. But in order to fulfill his NFL dream, Williams had to put in the work, and lots of that work was done on a hill back in Williams’ hometown. Join Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane as he gets to know Williams and his roots, and talks to players and coaches about why Williams could be an important piece to the team’s success. Listen here.

Wednesday was moving day for the Flyers roster, as the team optioned five players to Lehigh Valley, including defenseman Ronnie Attard.

With just one week until the season opener in Columbus, and five days until the NHL roster deadline, the Flyers roster now stands at 26 players. Look more closely, and the roster is really down to 24, as John Tortorella revealed Wednesday that Sam Ersson has won the backup goalie job over Felix Sandström, while J.R. Avon only remains on the roster for rehab purposes. Translation? The Flyers only need to make one more cut — assuming they don’t make any trades or waiver transactions — to get down to the mandated 23 players by Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline.

Here’s a look at where things stand.

Next: The Flyers wrap up their preseason schedule Thursday at home against the New York Islanders (7 p.m.).

For the first time since early September, and five games later, the Union picked up three points. And it happened in dramatic fashion.

The Union took a 3-0 first-half lead, the spree started by a highlight-reel goal by Dániel Gazdag. There were a couple of tense VAR reviews. Atlanta cut the deficit to one in the 77th minute, but the Union held on. The frustrating streak of ties is over.

Looking ahead (way ahead), Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will host the 2030 men’s World Cup.

Next: The Union will look to keep the ball rolling on Saturday as they welcome Nashville SC to Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV+, paywalled).

More than meets the eye: He may seem like a typical Villanova recruit, but Matthew Hodge brings European flair to the court.

Wild cat: Meet Peter Weaver, the most accomplished Villanova athlete you’ve probably never heard of.

Map quest: Conestoga’s girls’ basketball squad put itself on the map last season, and now, it’s ready for more.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, David Murphy, Marcus Hayes, Olivia Reiner, Mike Sielski, Josh Tolentino, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Jeff Neiburg, Jonathan Tannenwald, Gustav Elvin, Colin Beazley, and Andrew Robinson.