Bohm is back | Sports Daily Newsletter

Alec Bohm has returned to the lineup from his hamstring injury.

The Phillies’ bats are also back.

That’s what saved them on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were threatening to make a comeback. But even with mistakes on baserunning and a still-shaky bullpen, the Phillies hitters bashed a big enough cushion to seal the win, 7-3.

As the team inches ever closer to the .500 mark, there are more indicators that the squad has hit a groove in the season and can take on any club.

After all, if the Dodgers, a top team out west, aren’t a worthy measurement against which the Phillies can compare against, then no team is.

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

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There are worse places to be than a game under .500 and coming off a series win over one of baseball’s leading contenders. There are also better places to be, and maybe the Phillies are headed there after a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon. Seven wins in eight games, Trea Turner heating up, Craig Kimbrel back from the ashes. . .things are looking up. A turning point? We’ll see. The next four days should offer some clarity as the Phillies head west for a surprisingly pivotal series against the Diamondbacks. Arizona enters the series with a 40-25 record and a 3½ game lead over the Dodgers in the National League West. The Phillies? They’ve once again rolled the boulder to the top of the hill: seven wins in eight games after five losses in five games. Rinse and repeat in reverse all the way back to opening day.

Next: The Phillies open a four-game series in Arizona at 9:40 p.m. Monday (NBCSP). Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.61) will start against Diamondbacks left-hander Tommy Henry (3-1, 4.37).

Chris Paul is reportedly set to be waived by the Phoenix Suns, and the 76ers are set to lose James Harden, according to The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. So, on the surface, it makes sense that Paul would be connected to Philly. But, in basketball terms, does it actually make sense? With Paul’s age and injury history, every cent the Sixers spent on Paul would come with a risk. Paul could be absent with the Sixers need him most in the postseason. So does it make sense? Not really, David Murphy writes.

DeVonta Smith hosted his second annual celebrity softball game in Allentown, and one of the participants was Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens, who is a fan of Smith’s. “I’ve admired this guy’s game for so long,” Owens said. “He’s been excelling ever since. He’s obviously doing really great things in Philly, where the expectations are high ... his game speaks for itself.”

The focus on Tuesday’s trade has been primarily on Ivan Provorov and the first-round pick the Flyers received in return. The Flyers also got a prospect back in the three-team, nine-part transaction.

But who is 21-year-old defenseman Helge Grans? Giana Han talked to the man who drafted the defenseman with the No. 35 overall pick in 2020.

The Union had chances to extend their unbeaten MLS streak to 10 games but ultimately, it ended Saturday night with a 2-1 loss in San Jose.

Here are Jonathan Tannenwald’s takeaways from a tight match that could have ended differently if not for a Julián Carranza miss.

Next: The Union now have 10 days off before taking on Orlando City on June 21 (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

Siegrist homecoming: The NY state native was back in her home state and managed to make an appearance in her rookie WNBA season.

ShopRite champion: Ashleigh Buhai claims her first LPGA title in the United States.

Philly’s Top Ten: Take a dribble down memory lane with the list of top Philly-area talents who have gone on to the WNBA.

This past Saturday Arcangelo won the Belmont Stakes, making Jena Antonucci the first woman to train a winner of one of the three races in the Triple Crown.

“Never give up,” an emotional Antonucci said following the race. “If you can’t get a seat at the table, make your own table.”

Jockey Javier Castellano won his first Belmont and owner Ebbert his first Grade 1 race.

“I have an immense amount of gratitude to Jon,” Antonucci said. “He’s a patient owner. A lot of owners could learn from his example and let a horse develop. This crazy guy gave a bunch of girls a chance.”

A real estate investor in Pennsylvania, whose 40th birthday is tomorrow, Ebbert was inspired by his grandmother to start his Blue Rose Farm racing stable at Parx Racing in Bensalem in 2009. He purchased Arcangelo as a yearling for only $35,000.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jon Tannenwald, Lochlahn March, Josh Tolentino, Giana Han and David Murphy.