🏒 Icy hot | Sports Daily Newsletter

School is out for the Eagles, and yes, the Phillies accounted for 48 hits at the plate throughout their sweep of the Seattle Mariners.

Which … wow. 😮

But today? We’re talking Flyers. Why? Because much like the success both of the previous teams mentioned are having, there’s that faint twinkle in Philly sports fans that with a new coach and a young corps of talent, the Flyers can put something together and make themselves a legit problem in the Metropolitan Division of the NHL’s Eastern Conference.

So we lead off your Thursday with five questions surrounding the Flyers, who return to the ice in precisely one month from now against the New York Islanders for preseason action (Sept. 21, 7 p.m.).

OK, one more wow in the case of the Phillies … how about a team-record 34 strikeouts over those three games against Seattle?

You’re waking up to clouds but another mild day is on the docket as the rain takes a step back, and temperatures rise into the mid-70s.

We like that.

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓How confident are you in the Phillies’ pitching staff without Zack Wheeler? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The Eagles conducted their final open practice of training camp on Wednesday, as we creep closer and closer to the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4.

The end of camp means one final practice observations from our Jeff McLane, who was quick to note that Jalen Hurts and undrafted rookie receiver Darius Cooper finished strong.

Speaking of Hurts, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback talked about the process of building chemistry with new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and why he thinks injuries to key players that prevented continuity in camp could end up being a good thing in the long run.

Finally, at the ripe old age of 26, safety Reed Blankenship has quietly become the veteran of a secondary that has endured a lot of turnover in recent seasons.

👏🏾 Applauding: That actress and Wilmington native, Aubrey Plaza, still proudly wears Philly sports on her chest. Literally.

🤔 Wondering: What’s Vic Fangio’s plan to solve for an overflowing wealth of talent vying to be the Eagles’ other outside cornerback spot?

🗞️ Reading: This piece on how Paul George became the last man standing from the highly-touted 2010 NBA draft.

⚽ Feeling: Excited that the first real chance to get your hands on FIFA World Cup tickets is getting closer by the day.

In the Phillies’ first series since Zack Wheeler’s surgery to remove a blood clot in his upper right arm, Jesús Luzardo showed on Wednesday what he’s capable of at peak form. Luzardo put together his fifth consecutive quality start, striking out 12 and allowing one run in six innings to sweep the Mariners. The lefty continued to make his case that he belongs in the Phillies’ playoff rotation.

Nick Castellanos was back on the bench Wednesday for the third time in 11 days. The guy who played 162 games in 2024 is part of the Phillies’ rotation in the outfield.

Next: After a day off, the Phillies open a home series against the Washington Nationals at 6:45 p.m. Friday (NBCSP).

It was a big deal when the Union brokered a multimillion dollar deal for homegrown player and Medford, N.J. native Paxten Aaronson. In 2022, the Union announced he would be the second Union product with the same last name to play for a European club after signing with Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt.

Fast forward to late Tuesday when rumors broke that Aaronson was working on finalizing a deal to return to the States — to play for MLS’ Colorado Rapids franchise.

That was confirmed late Wednesday by Inquirer writer Jonathan Tannenwald, who said the Union will collect a significant percentage from the deal that, believe it or not, gives Aaronson a legitimate chance of catching U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino’s eye ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Tannenwald explains that and much more in this report.

Aug. 21, 2008: Delran, N.J. native Carli Lloyd scores the game-winning goal in extra time to lead the U.S. women’s soccer team to gold over Brazil in the Beijing Olympics.

Want a look at just how dominant the Phillies were in yesterday’s win over the Mariners? Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

We asked: What do you think about the Eagles trade for Metchie?

I thought the Eagles were pretty well set with Brown, Smith, and Dotson, but I guess Sirianni, Roseman, and Patullo felt they needed more depth there. As some of the Inquirer writers have said, it is a pretty low-risk trade. — Everett S.

Really not much to think about. John was injured one year and, even worse, fought a bout with leukemia another year. Almost never questioning Howie’s moves, he must know something the rest of us will soon find out. GO BIRDS! — Ronald R.

Metchie needed a fresh start and the Eagles just gave it to him. He’s going to be in a room with some of the best receivers in the country, one of which was his college buddy. I can’t see a world where this isn’t an upside for him and a potential low-risk, high-reward for an Eagles team looking to run it back. — Jaquan D.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gustav Elvin, Lochlahn March, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Jonathan Tannenwald, Gabriela Carroll, Elizabeth Wellington, John Smallwood, and Henry Savage.

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’s it for Thursday. Appreciate you letting me get your day started as always. Have a good one, Philly. — Kerith