Luis Arraez doesn’t cry after strikeouts anymore. And not just because he doesn’t whiff often.
The Phillies new second baseman caused a lineup shake-up immediately. And that extended to Tuesday’s starting lineup, with slugger Kyle Schwarber leading off and Arraez, who’ll wear No. 4, in the cleanup spot. So to recap: the second baseman (4 in baseball shorthand) wearing No. 4, had four homers on the season, and was batting fourth. It’s a spot in the lineup he’d only occupied 39 times before, but no worries.
“I don’t care. If I see my name in the lineup, I’ll be happy,” Arraez said.
And that’s not all he’s excited about now that he’s here.
Oh, and in the newbie’s first two at-bats as a Phillie? RBI singles. Here’s how the rest of the game played out.
— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Reppin’ in Philly
At this point, Andy Dalton has seen just about everything. Even his current place on the roster isn’t new — he hasn’t been a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL since 2019. But not knowing whether he or incumbent backup Tanner McKee are taking second-team reps on drills is a first.
So how’s that backup QB battle shaping up? Both players offered some insight into how things are going so far in training camp.
Speaking of camp, Jeff McLane has his latest observations from the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Spoiler alert: The defense is legit.
And one player battling for a spot on that unit says he’s just happy to be an Eagle.
Lessons learned
It may be natural to compare LeBron James and his accomplishments to Michael Jordan. In fact, the twilights of their careers could end up being another talking point.
Jordan, who famously spent his last two seasons with the Washington Wizards, offers precedent to James’ tenure with the Sixers — and important lessons from that era for Sixers players, coaches, and brass alike.
Columnist Mike Sielski takes us through five key points, including that there’s more to the King coming to Philly than winning.
Speaking of learning, the modern-day G.O.A.T. has plenty to teach his younger teammates. Here are five things each Sixers player can learn from James.
Falling into place
The draft is in the rear-view mirror. The bulk of NHL free agency is behind us. But there still are a few lingering questions regarding the Flyers.
Whether it’s signing the remaining restricted free agents, the center situation, or how the Dan Vladař-powered goalie tandem will evolve, we’ve got you covered. Here is our take on the five biggest questions as the Flyers’ offseason starts to wind down.
Local pride
The next MLS commissioner is a big Birds fan. He’s a Cherry Hill native who once took on Peter Vermes’ Delran squad in the New Jersey high school state tournament.
And now Larry Berg is tasked with making the United States’ top professional men’s soccer league a bigger player on the global stage. Berg, who’s currently part of Los Angeles FC’s ownership group, will be MLS’s first commissioner with a background in major soccer. In fact, that background stretches to when he was 8 years old and saw a flyer for a new league in his hometown. And now he’ll be the third commissioner in MLS history.
And while the controversy surrounding FIFA president Gianni Infantino simmers, U.S. Soccer dropped its fall men’s national team schedule.
On this date
So turns out Aug. 5 is a pretty notable day in sports lore, including Philly sports — even if it didn’t result in many wins. Pete Rose broke Honus Wagner’s National League record for singles with his 2,427th in a 5-2 loss to the Pirates in 1979. Rose, who died in 2024, was far from done and remains baseball’s leader in hits (among other statistical categories) with 4,256.
Another Phillies great, Steve Carlton, who by then was playing for the Giants, notched his 4,000th strikeout in 1986 when he fanned Eric Davis in an 11-5 loss to the Reds.
And on the gridiron, the Eagles played the New Orleans Saints in an exhibition game in Mexico City’s Estadio Olímpico Universitario. They lost, 14-7, but it marked the NFL’s first action south of the border, according to ESPN.
What you’re saying about Philly sports events
We asked you: What’s your favorite city-centric event like the Rumph Classic?? Among your responses:
Hands down the Big 5 Men’s college basketball schedule — through all of its iterations, now a round robin culminating with a triple header at the Xfinity Mobile Center. Gone are the days of the Big 5 doubleheaders at the Palestra. So much tradition and pride across the city schools! — Bob. C
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Ryan Novozinsky, Jeff McLane, Mike Sielski, DeAntae Prince, Gabriela Carroll, 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. We’ll be back in your inboxes for Thursday’s newsletter. — Maria
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