🦅 Trust the process | Sports Daily Newsletter

One game does not determine a season.

Chances are you’ve heard that before, and that’s kind of the mantra it appears Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will continue to employ despite the Birds’ less-than-impressive performance against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

Sweeping changes aren’t on the table, it would appear — well, one, but it doesn’t pertain to the team. Mannion, who noted that during planned joint practices and a preseason game against the New England Patriots, he’ll call plays from the booth as opposed to the field, as he did against the Ravens.

Why?

“I think it’s an opportunity to get a feel for both,” Mannion said on Monday. “I think it’ll be an interesting perspective, but, you know, I think for this preseason, an opportunity to kind of experience.”

Despite Saturday’s score, there were positives Mannion noted he’s focusing on going forward. Inquirer writer Ryan Novozinsky dives into what Mannion said and more right here.

It’s Tuesday, Philly. Expect some rain today, with highs in the low 80s.

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

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❓Who’s the most important piece on the Eagles’ offense? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Going into the last week of July, the Phillies reached base at a .303 clip, tied for last. But they also had the fourth-best hard-hit rate and were near the middle of the pack in barrel rate, which measures how often a hitter makes contact with the optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle.

Maybe it was bad luck. The Phillies were batting .281 on balls in play. (Major league average is .289.) Or maybe it was self-inflicted. As a team, they swung at the second-highest rate of non-strikes (34%).

Whatever the case, they needed to figure it out.

So, they had a meeting. What’s followed has been a dramatic turnaround.

And on Monday, Cristopher Sánchez became the first MLB pitcher to earn 16 wins this season as the Phillies held off the Marlins, 6-5.

Next: The Phillies continue their series against Miami at 6:40 p.m. tonight (NBCSP). Zack Wheeler (10-4, 2.89 ERA) will start for the Phillies. The Marlins have not announced a starter yet.

📖 Reading: What national pundits are saying about the Flyers’ chances for this season.

🏈 Sharing: FBS and FCS polls dropped yesterday, with Penn State and Villanova cracking the Top 25 in their respective lists.

💪🏽 Wondering: Who looks like they could crack the Eagles’ 53-man roster coming off last weekend’s preseason game against the Ravens.

🏀 Saving: The date for next year’s JAB Classic, a summer basketball showcase with NBA stars playing for a unifying purpose.

👀 Watching: What fight fans thought of UFC 330 in Philly this past weekend.

So the Union are back in the win column. In part was due to gutsy play to come from behind, this time against New York City FC, but it was also a test put out by interim manager Ryan Richter.

“It was more about challenging the guys to just play better,” Richter said after the Union’s 3-2 victory. “To give more, to be more connected when they didn’t have the ball.”

Richter didn’t call out guys specifically he urged to step up and put the edict out, but as Inquirer writer Jonathan Tannenwald explains, he didn’t have to, given who outperformed in the second half.

Now, the Union hope to do the same against league-leading Miami on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

Tommy John is widely known across the baseball world for the elbow surgery that bears his name, one which has revived the careers of thousands of pitchers.

But to Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, he was better known as a great teammate and a fellow Indiana native.

John died Saturday at age 83. Yesterday, Mattingly took some time to remember his Yankees teammate, as the duo played together in 1982 and again from 1986-89.

Aug. 18, 2016: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt wins an Olympic gold medal in the 200 meters for the third straight time, this time at the Summer Games in Brazil with a time of 19.78 seconds.

“The notion that throwing a pick during training camp should serve as any kind of referendum on any NFL starting quarterback is so stupid that it could gain traction only on X.” — Sielski’s latest looks at what people are saying about Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on social media entering the season. Read that and more in his latest op-ed.

For all of the Eagles fans pining for the start of the season, it’ll be here before you know it. Until then, see if you know this: what number did Eagles defensive legend Reggie White wear in his rookie season?

A) 90

B) 92

C) 91

D) 95

We asked: What will it take for the Phillies to make the playoffs and go on a run?

More consistent hitting over the stretch to back up the starting pitching. Hitting that was evident during the recent Twins series must continue. The bullpen must pull its weight; the top three starters are excellent and give them a chance to win with almost every start. This is probably the last rodeo for this group. Perhaps they have reached their peak as a team, and there is very little upside to keeping them together for yet another season. — Bill B.

What will it take for the Phils to make the playoffs? Nothing special. Just each guy playing up to his capabilities. No mysterious slumps (looking at you, Brandon Marsh). They are a better team on paper than Atlanta or San Diego or Arizona or the Cubs. Now they need to play that way on the field. With their three top starters, they could go deep in the playoffs. Very deep. — Dirk D.

Right now I am somewhat pessimistic about the Phillies’ playoff chances. Going to take a big turnaround in both hitting and pitching to make it happen. Phils are 22nd best in batting average and 15th in runs scored. Marsh at .274, Harper at .256, Turner at .247, and JT at .215 are not going to do it. Very questionable relief group, and with Nola at a 5.33 ERA and Painter at 6.43, and Nola leading all MLB pitchers with 30 home runs allowed, it is not looking good. Maybe Mattingly has some magic he can perform, but I am not betting on it. — Everett S.

Consistency. They need to be at their best and go on a run. They have a good start but need to keep it up. The bullpen, starters, and lineup need to do what they just did against the Twins. As Alec Bohm said in his postgame interview after the Saturday win, he needs to just make contact and not try to hit the ball out of the ballpark. And they need to take advantage of their schedule and win series against poorer teams. — Mitch B.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Ryan Novozinsky, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Mike Sielski, Gabriela Carroll, Mia Messina, Jeff Neiburg, Conor Smith, and Ariel Simpson.

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.

Thanks, Philly. We’ll catch you tomorrow. If you can’t sleep tonight, ESPN is showing a replay of the Corgi races at Emerald Downs from 2023 at 4 a.m. on the Ocho. No, seriously. — Kerith