Join us for a Phillies chat today | Sports Daily Newsletter
The Inquirer’s beat writers discuss the club’s playoff chances.
Will Bryce Harper return in time to help the Phillies reach foreign territory (the actual postseason)? Will Schwarbs have an All-Star hangover? Does this Phillies team have enough pitching? Will Dave Dombrowski do what needs to be done by the trade deadline to give Rob Thomson’s ballclub a boost?
Plenty of questions, but this much we know: The Phillies are 49-43 coming off the All-Star break and stand a fraction of percentage point above the St. Louis Cardinals for the final National League wild-card spot. We’ll find out soon enough how it all plays out.
On Inquirer LIVE, Phillies fans can join baseball reporters Scott Lauber and Alex Coffey at 4:15 p.m. today for a discussion of what could be in store at the trade deadline and the chances of ending that danged 10-year playoff drought.
— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Kyle Schwarber knows a thing or two about ending long streaks. He was part of a 2016 Cubs team that ended a 108-year drought without a World Series win. He doesn’t face quite that daunting of a challenge with the Phillies, who have gone a decade without making the playoffs, but the approach remains the same. Don’t feel consumed by it, lean into the challenge and go “full steam ahead.”
Next: The Phillies return to action at 7:05 p.m. Friday when they host the Cubs at Citizens Bank Park (NBCSP). Kyle Gibson (5-3, 4.35 ERA) will be opposed by Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (3-6, 4.15).
An NBA source confirmed Wednesday night that guard James Harden has agreed to a two-year, $68.6 million contract with the Sixers. Harden will make $33 million this season and has a player option worth $35.6 million for 2023-24, allowing him to potentially enter free agency again next summer.
The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey addressed a slew of readers’ questions about the Sixers in his latest mailbag.
Five years ago in April, the NFL held its draft right here in Philadelphia at the Art Museum. On the five-year anniversary, Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino did a redraft for the first round. All the picks were made considering how each player has fared on and off the field in the last five seasons.
The Flyers lack star power at the NHL level and need to start acquiring and developing it within their farm system if they are to turn things around.
Adding Cutter Gauthier with the No. 5 draft pick earlier this month was a start, but who else do the Flyers have in terms of prospects? Factoring in age, upside, and production to this point, here’s how we rank the organization’s top 10 prospects.
Who will score the most goals for the Union by the time Major League Soccer’s season ends, Dániel Gazdag, Mikael Uhre, or Julián Carranza?
What shoe will manager Jim Curtin debut next?
Where will the team’s quiet fulcrum, Kai Wagner, finish the season?
When will the Union win their first MLS Cup championship?
Why hasn’t Curtin played the young talent of the squad more?
How did Northeast Philadelphia produce two top Union prospects?
If you’ve wondered any of these questions or many others concerning the Union or the United States men’s and women’s national team (When might the Aaronson brothers play together on the USMNT? Will Crystal Dunn return to play this year for the USWNT? Will Tobin Heath?) don’t pass up the opportunity to reach out directly to The Inquirer’s soccer expert, Jonathan Tannenwald. Send your queries to jtannenwald@inquirer.com
Worth a look
‘Get a real job’: Readers respond on Twitter and email to columnist Mike Sielski’s writings, not all of them kindly.
Staley’s new job: South Carolina coach Dawn Staley will serve as a TV game analyst at the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup.
Roman’s Colossus: Austin Ramsey of Roman Catholic stands 6-foot-4 and 360 pounds and takes equally large hopes into his senior football season.
Rutgers-bound: Moorestown shortstop Maximus Martin pulled out of the MLB draft when he was not selected in the earlier rounds. He is going the college route.
Recruiter’s dream: The Philadelphia area has a wealth of basketball prospects on the national scene. Justin Edwards, DJ Wagner, and Aaron Bradshaw are that good.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Gustav Elvin, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Matt Breen, Mike Sielski, Isabella DiAmore, and Joey Piatt.