Big swing ⚾ | Sports Daily Newsletter

Happy Friday, readers ... we made it to the weekend.

The Phillies will continue their West Coast road trip tonight as they kick off a three-game series against the Padres in San Diego. They’re coming off a series loss to the San Francisco Giants, which has led to a bigger topic of conversation: What are the Phillies’ plans as the July 31st trade deadline approaches?

First, let’s review this past week. Bryce Harper had a career-best four extra-base hits in the Phillies’ 13-0 win on Wednesday, but a day prior, the team suffered a wild and gut-punching loss after the Giants hit an inside-the-park, walk-off homer.

It highlighted the fact that the Phillies need bullpen help, especially for the playoffs, considering the team’s recent history.

Remember in 2023, when the Phillies got walked off in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series in Arizona, then blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning of Game 4? Or last year in the division series, when they gave up five runs in the eighth inning of Game 1 against the New York Mets?

Jordan Romano was supposed to be this year’s big offseason bullpen acquisition, after subtracting Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez from the group. But Romano currently has four losses, three blown saves, and a 7.44 ERA.

The deadline is 20 days away, and the market will feature several appealing options for bullpen buyers. However, will the Phillies be willing to part with a prized prospect to land one of the top closers? Scott Lauber takes a closer look.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, [email protected].

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Even 13 years after his retirement, Brian Dawkins’ highlights from his playing time in Philadelphia will never get old. From crunching Alge Crumpler to his flying strip-sack against the Steelers, the Hall of Famer relived his biggest hits and moments as an Eagle in a video on the Eagles’ YouTube channel. Here’s five things we learned from his reactions.

Christian Dvorak has a sense of comfort with the Flyers’ new bench boss, Rick Tocchet. It’s what led him to sign a one-year, $5.4 million deal with Philly on July 1.

The forward played for Tocchet from 2017 to 2021 with the Arizona Coyotes, enjoying his best NHL season in 2019-20, when he collected career highs in goals (18) and points (38). The 29-year-old has established himself as a good faceoff man and penalty killer, but could a reunion with Tocchet help Dvorak’s offense bloom?

The 76ers are fresh off a disastrous season that saw their three stars, Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey sit out substantial swaths of time. In the same span, spark plug Jared McCain suffered a torn meniscus and lost the majority of his rookie season.

So, predictably, when No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe suffered a sprained thumb, the excitement around his summer league debut turned to concern. The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey takes a closer look at the fear sparked by Edgecombe’s injury and the hard shell that Sixers fans have developed over the years.

Meet twin sisters Ava and Brinn Findora, who are rising seniors at Downingtown West. The two are ranked among the nation’s best in lacrosse. Since they were kids, they shared a dream of playing together at the next level and used to say to each other while watching women’s college lacrosse, “Could you imagine if that was us.”

Soon enough, their dream will become a reality. Ava and Brinn are committed to play for the University of Virginia. They have each other to thank for becoming the players they are today.

We asked: What’s your favorite part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities? Among the most interesting responses:

In my opinion, the All-Star games in all sports have become irrelevant. An example is the MLB event. When the American and National leagues initiated interleague games where every team plays each other it made the game unnecessary. We now see every team and their star players during the regular season.

The All-Star game has become more of a money grab and media, and advertising hype. In order to give the All-Star Game relevance, the winning league receives the home-field advantage in the World Series. This is ridiculous. The home field advantage should go to the team with the better record. I’m sure that the players would rather have the days off to spend with their families rather than flying across the country to play a meaningless game. MLB had to allow player contracts to include All-Star Game incentives in order to get the players to be willing to participate, and still, some players “fake” an injury to opt out. I am a huge baseball fan and I choose not to watch the All-Star Game. — Joe G.

I attended the 1976 All-Star Game at the Vet and it was such an exciting time. It was our Country’s Bicentennial celebration, and the Phillies had 5 or 6 players participating and it was very special. Up until that time, it was the largest ever AS attendance at almost 64 thousand and the atmosphere was electric. The four of us from our company made it a special day by having lunch together at one of the close by hotels and really enjoyed watching our Phillies and the NL win it. Over the years, the three friends I attended with have passed on so it is an especially fond memory. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Keith Pompey, Ariel Simpson, Gabriela Carroll, Ethan Kopelman, Isabella DiAmore, Jackie Spiegel, Matt Breen, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

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 for reading! Have a restful weekend, Jim will be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella