Turnaround time? | Sports Daily Newsletter

Brandon Marsh was in a rotten stretch. So were the Phillies.

Marsh entered Thursday night’s game batting .175 in August. We all know how bad the Phillies had been since the All-Star break. Marsh had been a strikeout machine lately, but he feels as though he has turned the corner after some repairs to his stance by hitting coach Kevin Long. He had a couple of hits on Wednesday.

“I’d like to get to April Marsh,” the outfielder says. “I like April Marsh. I just feel like a bad dude in April; I’ve got to get back to feeling like a bad, bad dude.”

Bad dudes? The Phillies looked like the April iteration of themselves in a 13-3 clubbing of the Washington Nationals. Weston Wilson hit for the cycle.

Next: The Phillies will play the Nationals tonight at 6:40 (NBC10). Washington’s Patrick Corbin (2-12, 5.98 ERA) will face Aaron Nola (11-6, 3.60).

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

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

The Eagles’ offensive starters were out again Thursday night, but backup quarterback Tanner McKee punctuated a strong night by leading a game winning-drive late in the fourth quarter. Multiple offensive players, though, were injured, including offensive lineman Tyler Steen.

After the game, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane handed out his grades for each position groups. Though the offensive line struggled with Kenny Pickett at the helm in the first half, the defense had a strong day, led by the cornerback room’s high marks.

Next: The Eagles close the preseason with a home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. (NBC10).

The NBA released its 2024-25 schedule on Thursday and created an early test for the Sixers: 18 of their first 31 games will be on the road. Among the highlights are the opener against the Bucks, a Christmas game with the Celtics, and two matchups with Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets.

Here are some key games and dates on the NBA schedule for Sixers fans to know.

The 2023-24 season was a bit of a roller coaster for prospect Emil Andrae.

The young blueliner was the biggest surprise to make the Flyers’ opening-night roster and he even played a few early season games. But Andrae was sent down to the AHL in late October and did not return.

Andrae said the demotion was a great opportunity as it allowed him to get comfortable playing in North America and also came with an expanded role. This season, Andrae said he is aiming to be more explosive and to “relax” a bit more. But with seven entrenched veteran defensemen, will the Swede be able to break through?

We asked for your Philly sports-centric photos and you continue to deliver. Here are our Philly fan photos for this week as part of our Friday lineup.

To keep this feature going, we’ll need you to keep submitting photos with a Philly sports theme. Send your photos here for the opportunity to be featured.

Mauricio Pochettino, the former manager at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Tottenham Hotspur, reportedly has agreed to take charge of the U.S. men’s national team, and to lead it into the co-hosting of the 2026 World Cup. It would undoubtedly be a terrific hire, Jonathan Tannenwald writes.

Next: On the Union front, they host the Mexican club Mazatlán in the Leagues Cup on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (Apple TV).

In this week’s episode of unCovering the Birds, Jeff McLane shares insights from the Eagles’ joint practice with the Patriots, analyzing how players are adapting to the competitive roster. Plus, he chats with longtime Patriots beat reporter Greg Bedard about a rumor that just won’t go away: ex-New England head coach Bill Belichick’s interest in Nick Sirianni’s job. Listen now.

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

We asked you Who’s the bigger Philly athlete in your mind and why? Bryce Harper or Jalen Hurts? Among your responses:

Philly’s #1 superstar is Bryce Harper, and not Jalen Hurts. Hurts is not even the clear outright star on the Eagles. He is good, most of the time, but not viewed as equal to many other NFL QBs, and he is only playing 1 of the 22 starting positions. He would not be rated as one of the top five players in the NFL, and Harper would be rated that way in MLB. Hurts is not even a consistent all-pro QB. I say this even though Harper is in the midst of the worst performance slump of his career. Harper is the real deal because of his long-term offensive performance, but also the clear leadership he shows on the Phillies; he is the face of the team. Hurts is less “out there.” — Jay W.

.Both are marvelous athletes, but kind of like comparing apples to oranges. Jalen is beginning his 5th year as a professional while Bryce is playing in his 13th. Bryce plays in 162 games per year while Jalen plays 17. Both have had postseason opportunities and both have failed along with their teams in the World Series and Super Bowl. … If Bryce and the Phillies do go on through the playoffs and into the WS, they will be more watched and followed than the Eagles. Since Bryce has been a multi-time All Star, a Rookie of the Year, and two time MVP, I will say that at least for now he is the bigger. This year with a new offensive coach and a new system and a more enthusiastic Eagles team Jalen could show Philadelphia and the sports world that he is the number one Philly sports leader. — Everett S.

Bryce Harper is THE Philly athlete, and it isn’t even close. Bryce chose Philly, gets this town, and embraces everything Philly! Hurts is a great athlete, but is much too enigmatic and standoffish. I get the feeling that he’s about to become Carson Wentz 2.0. — Jeff S.

I believe Bryce Harper is. Simply because he has embraced the city and fans much more effectively than Hurts. Hurt’s stoicism plays against him in just about every category. Jalen has done some very good charitable things for the city, but Harper’s personality wins the day. The talent isn’t bad either. — Tom G.

Bryce and it’s not even close. He gets it, Jalen doesn’t. Bryce is the perfect superstar for Philly and he should be who Jalen emulates. — RJ M.

Bryce Harper. The guy just radiates positivity, is charismatic and has the energy of the Energizer Bunny. I must admit — I wasn’t a fan of his “bravado” when he first came up to the bigs but as a Phillies fan who now lives in Maine, following the Phillies with Bryce Harper as the centerpiece is a close second to the 08′ team. — Pete B.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Keith Pompey, Jonathan Tannenwald, Isabella DiAmore, Lochlahn March, Alex Coffey, Olivia Reiner, Jackie Spiegel, Matt Mullin, Devin Jackson, and Gabriela Carroll.

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 wraps up another week of Sports Daily. See you in Monday’s newsletter. — Jim