🏟️ Playoff time in Philly | Sports Daily Newsletter

Anyone else loving this back-to-back deluge of postseason excitement? We sure are, as win or lose, there has been plenty to talk about over the last week as both the Sixers and Flyers are in the midst of first-round playoff games.

Now all of those games head to Philly, with both teams looking to gain an advantage from inside the confines of Xfinity Mobile Arena over the next four days.

It’s going to be a busy time for the folks down at the arena, but remember, they have that surface switch down to a science dating back to the Wells Fargo Center days.

This morning, we’re talking Flyers after they pushed the Penguins to the brink of elimination with a chaotic 5-2 win Wednesday night. But this group isn’t getting ahead of itself, electing to look long-term at a Stanley Cup chase. It’s been a fun series to watch, personally, and that sentiment is apparently shared at large as the Pennsylvania rivalry as of Wednesday has been the most-watched NHL playoff series.

Today is going to be the best of the week, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-70s under sunny skies.

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

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❓Which playoff series have you found more exciting? Sixers or Flyers? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Watching VJ Edgecombe hit “flow state,” as the kids would say, was pretty fun on Tuesday night. His 30-point, 10-rebound effort was the highlight, but it was a simple gesture late in the game that cemented that the NBA Rookie of the Year candidate isn’t feeling the pressure from his first professional playoff series.

It was a simple wink with just three minutes remaining in Game 2 after he hit an ice-cold three-point shot to increase the Sixers’ lead to 13 that sent social media abuzz on Wednesday.

Mind you, this is all after he was sent to the locker room in the first quarter after what looked like a pretty serious fall.

Now, all eyes will be watching if he can run back the swagger (and the point totals) when the Celtics are inside Xfinity Mobile Arena for Games 3 and 4 this weekend.

🚗 Sharing: If you’re heading down to the stadium complex, you might need to find a different way besides getting off at Packer Avenue.

🤔 Wondering: What is it eventually going to take for the Phillies to “find their stride?"

🎉 Watching: Scenes from the Flyers and Sixers joint pep rally on Tuesday.

👀 Eyeballing: The latest movement locally across college sports, courtesy of the Inquirer’s NCAA transfer portal tracker.

👏🏽 Applauding: Sticking with colleges, the St. Joseph’s baseball team is in good form right now, coming off an impressive win in the local Liberty Bell Classic.

The hits keep coming for the Phillies. J.T. Realmuto was placed on the 10-day injured list before their game against the Cubs on Wednesday. The veteran catcher is dealing with back spasms that caused him to miss two games earlier in the week.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said the injury recurred when Realmuto had to reach for a wild pitch from José Alvarado on Tuesday. He is sore, but the Phillies don’t anticipate him needing longer than the 10 days.

The Phillies now hold the longest active losing streak in baseball after they fell 7-2 to Chicago on Wednesday night, which extended their losing streak to eight games.

As the team struggles on the field, the Phillies scored a big victory in their bid to renovate their spring-training facility.

Next: The Phillies wrap up their series in Chicago at 2:20 p.m. today (NBCSP). Cristopher Sánchez (2-2,1.59 ERA) is scheduled to start against Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera (2-0, 2.38).

As of right now, the Eagles still hold the No. 23 pick in tonight’s NFL draft (8 o’clock, 6ABC, ESPN, NFL Network). Our team of beat writers did an evaluation of 14 prospects they believe rank as a good fit for the Birds on a scale of 1 to 10.

It’s our annual draft meter, one that answers the elephant in the room ...

Is A.J. Brown out the door, and if so, does that force Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to consider looking at the pool of available wide receivers?

If you’re looking for even more insight, it’s also a conversation that might get touched on when Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner break down the NFL draft today at 3 p.m.👇🏽

With the NFL draft fast approaching, Olivia Reiner and Jeff McLane will take a closer look at the biggest storylines, what the Eagles are really looking for, and the players to keep an eye on. Make sure you tune in today live at 3 p.m.

April 23, 1950: The first Major League Baseball game to start in the daytime and end under the lights happened today in a game between the Phillies and the Boston Braves. The Phillies won, 6-5.

For the record, I don’t think Phillies manager Rob Thomson or president Dave Dombrowski should be fired. Before the loss on Tuesday, Dombrowski gave Thomson the dreaded vote of confidence, but those endorsements are about as reliable as a presidential promise. — Hayes’ latest column explores the state of the Phillies, management from the field to the front office, and the heads that could roll as a result.

TOTE MARJUL..

To add injury to an insulting start to the season by Phillies standards, on Wednesday, the team announced this player was being put on the 10-day disabled list. Think you know? Take a guess and then click here to see if you’re correct.

We asked: Can the Flyers complete a sweep of the Penguins?

Yes, the Flyers will sweep the Penguins. They are pumped, have the momentum, and will be at home, so yes, they will do it. — Everett S.

They could possibly post this in the locker room. Might be the only thing that will make the curse of Kate be gone. [I’m an] original Flyers fan. What they did to Kate Smith was reprehensible, and most of us old timers will never forgive them. As [former Flyers coach] Fred Shero [said in] Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup: “Win today, and we walk together forever.” — Ronald R.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jackie Spiegel, Matt Mullin, Gustav Elvin, Henry Savage, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg, Ryan Novozinsky, Olivia Reiner, Isabella DiAmore, Colin Schofield.

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 all for today. My esteemed colleague Jim is back in your inbox to get your weekend of playoff action all set up. Stay safe, Philly. — Kerith