Philly Sports Weekly Recap (Week of September 5th-11th)

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It was a nice turnaround week for the Phils who went five and one in 6 games against the Marlins and Nationals. It may not be against the best teams but when you’re in a situation like the Phillies are you need to win every game possible. The week started off on a high note after a Jean Segura walk-off propelled the Phils to victory in game one against the Marlins. Game two may be remembered as one thing and thing only, that being “the Edmundo Sosa game”. Sosa, went 3-3 with 3 RBI’s, a home run, and a double, not to mention some outstanding plays in the field. Sosa has been a plunder of a pickup for Dave Dombrowski this year and may turn out to be one of the reasons the Phillies make the playoffs. In game 3 the Phils luck ran out as David Robertson would have an uncharacteristic blown save giving the game to the Marlins in the 9th. However, heading into a series with the last place Nationals hope was still alive for a good week. And I think it’s safe to say that they came through, despite having to fight tooth and nail for the series sweep. As games, one and two went down to the wire, game three turned out to be one of the longest contests in team history with an almost 4-hour long rain delay. Even though the Nationals pounced on the Phils sluggishness out of the gate heading to a 4-1 lead, the Fightins were able to pull off a gutsy 7-5 win thanks to the contributions of Rhys Hoskins and Alec Bohm.

Both SP Griff McGary and SP Ethan Lindow were elevated from AA Reading to AAA Lehigh Valley Monday. McGary and Lindow have done well for the Fightins this season boasting ERA’s of 2.20 (McGary) and 4.02 (Lindow) respectively.

The MLB announced Wednesday the new rules agreed upon between the League and Players Association that would go into effect next season. First and most notably was the banning of the defensive shift. The shift has been used widely by teams since the early 2000s as a way to stop pull hitters. Players such as Ryan Howard, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Seager, along with nearly any strong pull hitter that comes to mind have been hurt by the shift over the years. Next is the introduction of the pitch clock, the pitch clock has been used nearly all season across the minor leagues in attempts to test its effect on real pro games. The decision was agreed upon for all leagues this week and will now entail an extra ball being added to the count if the pitcher neglects to release the ball before the clock expires. Finally, two more minor changes are increased sizes of bases from ‘15 to ‘18 inches and limits of pitcher throw overs to one per at-bat. All these changes were obviously made in an attempt to increase the number of runs, and the “excitement factor” of the game to cater to a younger audience. While issues such as player safety were cited as reasons, it is quite easy to look past the MLB’s statements to see their real agenda.

Seranthony Dominguez was elevated from the 15 Day IL Sunday and placed on the active roster. Dominguez, has been unavailable since late August as a result of Tricep Tendinitis but made progress throughout the week and was even able to pitch an inning in Sunday’s 7-5 win over the Nationals. The return of their star reliever will come as a welcome sight for the Phillies who have struggled with bullpen hiccups since Domiguez’s injury.

The Eagles embarked on a very successful week one taking down the Detroit Lions 38-35. Jalen Hurts appeared to be in good form despite playing just one series throughout the preseason, and his chemistry with AJ Brown seems to have already hit a new high as the pair connected for 10 catches and 155 yards. The offense, though looking flat at times had its highest point total since last seasons 40 point win over the Saints at Lincoln Financial Field. The defense was mainly where we saw the question marks as the Lions rushing attack flourished with the tandem of Jamaal Williams and DeAndre Swift manning the backfield. We also saw some lapses in coverage and a few missed tackles, one in particular by Avonte Maddox on a 10-yard 3rd-down run from Jared Goff that helped the Lions to a touchdown on the same drive. But all around we can’t judge too much considering these were some of the first live snaps a lot of these guys have taken since last season, and there will always be some struggles in September for whatever team it may be.

The Cowboys have signed former Eagles All-Pro Left tackle, Jason Peters, to a 1-year deal. Peters, 40, had made it clear he believes he is still a starting caliber tackle in the NFL and auditioned for many teams before ultimately signing with the Cowboys following the injury to superstar tackle Tyron Smith.

The Eagles and Saftey Anthony Harris mutually agreed to part ways last week following Harris’ demotion to the practice squad. The now-former Eagle stated that he believes he deserves a starting spot in this league and wants to go out and prove it. In addition, the Eagles signed DB Mac McCain III to the practice squad to replace Harris.

The Eagles have placed OT Andre Dillard on the IR with a Displaced Forearm. Dillard, fought hard throughout camp to ultimately remain on the roster, among trade rumors. However, after a strong camp, Dillard was soon seen as the Birds top backup O-lineman. Now after the injury and yet another setback in a disappointing career for the Dillard, the Eagles were left scrambling for backup options behind Jordan Mailata.

The Sixers have signed C/PF Montrezl Harrell to a 2-year contract worth $5.5 Million. Harrell, 28, won 6th man of the year with Doc Rivers as his head coach in Los Angeles during the 2019-20 season. He has also proven to be one of the most hard-nosed defenders and passionate players in the league. On top of his consistent offensive play as he always seems to manage averages of over 10-12 points per season.

The Union continued they’re winning ways with a huge 5-1 showing against Orlando City down at Subaru Park this weekend. The Boys in Blue were headlined by their 5 goals that were distributed all across the offense as Mbazio, Gazdag, Bedoya, Elliott, and Uhre all got a share of the scoring. Andre Blake performed outstandingly in goal once more as the Union now lead LAFC with 63 points in the race for the supporters shield and look to fly into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in MLS.

Still, no news from the Stars as we await some cuts from NFL squads. But it’s safe to say it could remain pretty quiet as we traverse through Football season.

The Wings made the following selections with their picks in the 2022 NLL Draft, Attack Taggart Clark, Midfield Matt Anderson, Goalie Deacan Knott, Midfield Troy Hettinger, Attack Jack Meyers, and Attack Max Waldbaum.