Farewell, Philly Rob? | Sports Daily Newsletter
And the Flyers fail to finish off the Penguins.
When Dave Dombrowski fired Joe Girardi as Phillies manager in 2022, he made the move the day after a day off that led into a series at home. Today might be the same scenario.
Maybe the embattled Rob Thomson will avoid that fate, but the Phillies have a $317 million luxury-tax payroll and a 9-19 record, which qualifies as a full-blown crisis, Scott Lauber writes. The thing is, Thomson can only play the hand that Dombrowski has dealt him.
The core of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner hasn’t changed, and now those players are in their 30s. The Phillies’ right-handed hitters have a historically bad .505 OPS against left-handed pitching, and after Dombrowski whiffed on acquiring Bo Bichette, he basically gave up on bringing in another righty with power.
Something has to change, and Dombrowski seems safe as president of baseball operations. If the ax falls, it usually comes down on the manager, Lauber writes. Here’s more on the Phillies and Thomson.
Next: The Phillies host the Giants tonight at 6:40 (NBCSP) with Jesús Luzardo (1-3, 6.91 ERA) pitching against San Francisco’s Tyler Mahle (1-3, 5.26).
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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❓Does Rob Thomson deserve to be fired by the Phillies? Why or why not? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
The Flyers are letting a veteran Pittsburgh Penguins team hang around. What was once a commanding three-games-to-none Flyers lead in their playoff series is now 3-2 after the Pens won by the same score on Monday night.
Kris Letang’s decisive goal was fluky, as his shot from the point bounced off the end boards and ended up between the legs of Dan Vladař. The Flyers’ goalie wound up knocking the puck across the goal line. The Penguins still have life in the series, which returns to Philly for Game 6 on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
The Flyers made Matvei Michkov a healthy scratch for the game, with rookie Alex Bump playing in his place. Bump shined in his playoff debut, scoring the Flyers’ first goal and provided “a ton of energy.”
The Sixers are facing elimination in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series with the Celtics tonight at 7 in Boston (NBCSP). This is the time to be desperate, although Tyrese Maxey cannot understand why the Sixers did not act that way in Game 4.
“We should have been [desperate],” Maxey said. “We should have been.”
Well, they have no choice now after they got stomped by 32 points at home on Sunday. “Our kind of M.O. all year,” coach Nick Nurse said, “is to have a lot of things thrown at us and pick ourselves up and fight back. We’re just going to have to do that again.”
Joel Embiid returned to play Sunday for the Sixers, 17 days after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. The center talked about the illness, the surgery, and what it took to return to the court.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe finished third in the voting for NBA Rookie of the Year.
Makai Lemon is a native Californian, but don’t expect the wide receiver to have a laid-back approach in any way as a member of the Eagles. The first-round draft pick will be plenty focused, says his high school coach, Ray Fenton: “You drafted the guy that’s going to match the city’s intensity when it comes to pro football.”
Lemon said himself on draft night: “They getting a dawg. It’s ready to work, for real. I ain’t doing no playing.”
Olivia Reiner tells the story of Lemon, the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver who is hard to tackle and sure-handed. According to Pro Football Focus, he dropped only two passes at Southern Cal last season.
As expected, the Eagles have picked up the fifth-year options for two first-round picks from 2023, defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith. Now both are under contract through the 2027 season. The Eagles could sign either to a contract extension and lessen the salary-cap blow for 2027, similar to what they did earlier this offseason with 2022 first-round pick Jordan Davis, Jeff Neiburg writes. Carter seems the more likely of the pair to be extended first.
Our best Penn Relays 📸
More than just the wins and losses, the Penn Relays are a visual feast. Inquirer photo editors picked our best shots from the carnival last week to share with you, our readers.
Sports snapshot
Rivalry renewed: St. Joseph’s and La Salle are playing baseball against each other again.
Alec Bohm lawsuit: Attorneys for his parents are seeking a dismissal of the case.
Fashion fundraiser: Former Phillies TV reporter Taryn Hatcher is selling her team gear to benefit the SPCA.
🧠 Trivia time
Name the Eagles first-round draft pick who never started a game for them. First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.
A) Jalen Reagor
B) Marcus Smith
C) Andre Dillard
D) Danny Watkins
What you’re saying about the Eagles
We asked: How do you rate the Eagles’ draft and their big trade? Among your responses:
I think the Eagles did well. But they still need OL help. Experienced guys since they don’t have Stout to teach them. — Bill M.
One word — OUTSTANDING! Just wait until June 1st. The trade with New England will be bigger than the Brinks Robbery. — Ronald R.
I find it ludicrous to attempt to rate any draft or draft pick before a single practice or game has even been played. Nobody has the faintest idea of what the future holds ... — Stephen T.
I like the acquisition of Greenard at linebacker especially and the USC receiver Lemon, but was surprised Howie did not do more to bolster the struggling and aging offensive line. Drafting Stowers the tight end was a must with the possibility of Goedert leaving at the end of the season, and the young QB from NDS looks to be an interesting addition. — Everett S.
The Eagles did a nice job addressing immediate needs — Wide Receiver, Tight End, Edge and even a QB that may be a gifted playmaker. Of course, draft picks do not always work out, however the pedigree of the picks gives us a good bit of confidence. — Bob C.
We compiled today’s newsletter using contributions from Scott Lauber, Jackie Spiegel, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Gina Mizell, Gabriela Carroll, Mia Messina, Nick Vadala, Ariel Simpson, and The Inquirer’s photography staff.
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.
Thank you for reading. I’ll see you in tomorrow’s newsletter. — Jim