⚾ Relief on the way? | Sports Daily Newsletter
Maybe Taijuan Walker can boost the Phillies’ bullpen.
Time for a reset, Phillies fans. They have won three straight series since that disaster in New York and stand firmly in second place behind the Mets in the NL East. And who knows, maybe their shaky bullpen will be getting a boost.
Taijuan Walker officially headed there on Sunday after the Phillies moved Ranger Suárez back into the starting rotation. For now, Walker will serve in a long relief role, although Rob Thomson would not rule out using him in later innings.
Walker has looked like a new man in six outings, posting a 2.54 ERA after a downright unsightly season in 2024. We’ll see how that translates to the bullpen.
Suárez’s first start of the season left a lot to be desired. He gave up seven runs and could not make it out of the fourth inning as the Phillies lost in 10 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“It just looked like he lost his command out of the stretch,” Thomson said. “Maybe a little bit of rust. I don’t think he had many baserunners when he did his rehab starts. But he’s better than that. And he will be.”
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, [email protected].
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Donovan McNabb’s son is drawing college recruiters to Brophy Prep in Arizona, where he plays alongside the sons of former NFL stars Darren Sharper and Larry Fitzgerald. But Donovan McNabb Jr. is not a quarterback like his father, who holds the Eagles’ record for career passing yards and led them to the Super Bowl in 2005.
Donovan Jr. is a wide receiver. “I wanted to try a new position, make a name for myself,” he says. His father’s alma mater, Syracuse, has already offered him a scholarship along with many others.
Drew Kendall had the perfect role model as he grew into an NFL prospect: his father, Pete, who played 13 seasons in the league at offensive tackle. These days, though, Kendall is more interested in film of Jason Kelce.
It makes sense: A fifth-round draft pick by the Eagles, Kendall played center for four years at Boston College after playing guard in high school. He could wind up playing either position with the Eagles.
“I love the way he pulled,” Kendall said of Kelce. “Got out in space and really attacked the second level. He got on the second level really fast and really stressed the linebackers. So I thought that was really good and that really made the run game go. So that was a really special thing that he did.”
The Eagles added another player to their wide receiving corps with the signing of Giles Jackson, an undrafted free agent who starred for the Washington Huskies. The Birds now have 11 receivers on their 90-man roster.
The Eagles expended a fifth-round draft pick on Mac McWilliams, a cornerback out of Central Florida. Our writers weigh in on him.
The NHL will conduct its draft lottery tonight at the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, N.J., and the Flyers have a 9.5% chance of getting the first or second overall pick. They are guaranteed a top-six selection in the draft, which starts on June 27. Here are all the details on lottery night.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame inducted Carli Lloyd on Saturday night, honoring the Delran native’s 17 years of professional accomplishments, which included two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals, an English FA Cup, and two FIFA women’s player of the year awards. Lloyd took the moment to say thanks and also to discuss the reconciliation with her parents and the birth of her daughter.
Worth a look
Broad Street Run: Philadelphia’s Amber Zimmerman wins the women’s race for the second straight year.
Union: Bradley Carnell’s gamble pays off with a victory in Montreal.
Great golf: The Truist Championship will add to Philadelphia Cricket Club’s rich history.
On this date
May 5, 2000: In a game that ended at 2:35 a.m., Keith Primeau scored the winning goal in the fifth overtime as the Flyers outlasted the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Goalie Brian Boucher made 57 saves to post the win.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Isabella DiAmore, Jackie Spiegel, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Mia Messina, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Jeff Neiburg.
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Thank you for reading. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim