ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Phillies’ series against the Angels this week has had several sloppy moments on the base paths.
Although they wound up winning both times thanks to late rallies, the Phillies gifted Los Angeles four outs at either third base or home plate across the first two games of the series. Even so, interim manager Don Mattingly doesn’t think there is an overarching concern about the team’s baserunning that needs to be addressed teamwide.
“I think it’s something that’s going to happen now and then,” Mattingly said.
Instead, he has been having individual conversations on a case-by-case basis. For example, Mattingly said he spoke to Derek Hill about the play on Friday night that led to Bryan De La Cruz getting tagged out at home.
With De La Cruz on second and Hill on first, Kyle Schwarber laced a single to right field to advance both runners. De La Cruz initially pulled up after rounding third, but Hill was running with his head down and didn’t see the stop sign from third base coach Anthony Contreras. He continued toward third base, forcing De La Cruz to then try to score, or else get doubled off.
De La Cruz was tagged out easily at the plate, costing the Phillies a potential run and ending the inning.
“I talked to D-Hill about it,” Mattingly said. “AC was stopping him from the beginning of that play; D-Hill has got to keep his head up. So that’s nothing more than just the technique of baserunning.”
Derek Hill missed third base coach’s stop sign on Friday night and it led to Bryan De La Cruz getting tagged out at home.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Mattingly said he didn’t have as much as an issue with the aggressiveness from Trea Turner and Bryce Harper on Saturday that resulted in outs. In a game the Phillies were leading 1-0 at the time, Turner was picked off attempting to steal third, while Bryce Harper was tagged out attempting to steal home.
“Being aggressive is fine. Harp’s is to me, not a bad play either,” Mattingly said. “Just from the standpoint of [Alec] Bohm’s in a bad count, he’s 0-2, so it’s worth taking a shot. And third base is way back, so that one I don’t mind.”
Later in the game, though, Brandon Marsh handed the Angels the first out of the 10th inning by attempting to advance to third on a grounder to shortstop. That play was a mistake both he and the Phillies would like to have back.
“The Marsh one’s just principles of you’re not going on any ball that’s in that spot,” Mattingly said. “You’re in scoring position already. If it’s to his left, I’d feel a little better about it, but it’s kind of right at the guy, and it wasn’t really a tough play. It was a pretty easy play.
“I know it looks like over the last couple days, it looks bad … but in general, I think two of them are OK, and one of them’s D-Hill not looking up, and the other one’s just bad baserunning.”
Day off for Arraez
Second baseman Luis Arraez was out of the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Angels for a regular day off, according to Mattingly.
“Felt like it was the right time,” Mattingly said.
Bryson Stott moved back to second base, while Edmundo Sosa drew into the lineup at third. It was just the second time Arraez was out of the starting lineup since the Aug. 3 trade that brought him to Philadelphia. The second baseman also sat on Aug. 23 against the Cardinals due to low body cramping, but he later appeared in that game as a pinch-hitter.
Luis Arraez is out of the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Angels.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
In addition to giving Arraez a break, Mattingly wanted all three of his right-handed bench bats — Sosa, Hill, and De La Cruz — to start against Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
To open an infield spot for Sosa, Mattingly also considered giving Turner a day off. But Turner was coming off back-to-back multihit games after an ice-cold start to the road trip, and Mattingly did not want to halt any potential momentum.
Extra bases
Aaron Nola (5-10, 5.03 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday’s series opener in Arizona. Brandon Pfaadt (7-1, 3.51) is set to take the mound for the Diamondbacks.
A decade-long void was filled: the whooshing winds of the peloton, the whooping and cheery sounds of cowbells, the whiffs of greasy food, and sips of cold beer.
All of it returned to the city’s vistas Sunday as the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, one of the nation’s most storied races — drawing cycling’s Olympians, national champions, and emerging talents to the City of Brotherly Love — made its resurgence. Funding snafus and waning support begone; biking in Philly is back.
For an international field of riders, the 14.4-mile looping, winding, and climbing course that weaved from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Manayunk was a giant chessboard of strategy, aerodynamics, and aerobics. For revelers, it was a great equalizer, a unique, unfettered opportunity in sports to see athletic prowess, drama, and world-class competitors up close.
That rarity was not lost on spectators, some of whom experienced the legacy race, which ended in 2016, and others for whom this was a novelty.
Ashley O’Neill’s stepfather talked relentlessly about the classic of yore’s folklore, but she never witnessed it herself. “The people [gathering] together, the happiness,” O’Neill, whose 41st birthday was also Sunday, recalled her stepdad saying, “but for years there was no race.”
Dylan O’Neill chimed in: “To have the city lose something like this is a huge loss for the entire community.”
As the Trenton couple huffed through humid air to reach a lookout on the famed “Manayunk Wall,” they talked about plans to come back, year after year.
“We hope they keep doing it,” Dylan O’Neill said. “It’s such a unique thing, and Philly is the perfect place to do it.”
Remembering the old
During its run from 1985 to 2016, Philadelphia’s criterium reigned, known for its theaterlike scene and famed “Manayunk Wall,“ an incline with a maximum 17% gradient.
“I remember the first race, it was amazing: No one was here and they had a helicopter,” said Thomas Gartside, 77, who moved to Manayunk, near the Wall, a year before the inaugural classic.
Over the years, as the race grew in prestige and attendance, his block got more crowded. In 2016, Gartside said he didn’t watch the spectacle — unaware the cyclists’ return would be an uphill battle.
The next year, the race had run its course; in 2017, organizers canceled the classic, citing increasing costs and decreasing sponsors, much to the chagrin of the city’s cycling community.
“I got a little tired of it, but this is reinvigorating,” Gartside said, looking out at hundreds of merry people packed shoulder to shoulder. Gartside hosted his own small fête, with bagels and coffee.
“Look at all the energy and all the neighbors,” he said.
Cyclists climb the Wall in Manayunk during the men’s race in the Philadelphia Cycling Classic on Sunday, Aug. 30.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Organizers have described the free-to-watch revitalized classic as “the people’s race.” Road cycling is also one of the few professional sports where athletes brush right up against fans and front doors, bringing “the stadium to the streets,” said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.
Michael Jones, a cyclist with Philly club Major Taylor, was among the throngs of fans who didn’t want to miss a second of the action — a 10-year break was long enough.
Jones even brought his bike along to follow some of the race route. A passerby remarked, “It’s like bringing a glove to a baseball game. But bigger.” And Jones couldn’t have agreed more.
Despite growing up in Philadelphia, the 48-year old was unfamiliar with the classic before getting into the sport himself, which he said transcends generations. Now, back and seemingly bigger than before, the race was electrifying, Jones said.
“It’s just so fantastic that so many people are down here taking in the scenes,” he said about the Fan Fest crowd.
“It’s just beautiful to see.”
If the verve of the morning’s women’s competition is any indication of the next era of cycling in Philly, it will be nothing short of “amazing,” according to Stefy and Sean Beury of West Mount Airy.
“The hype, the buildup, and the media attention to get more awareness and attention, in general, to the event and to bring more cycling back to Philly,” Stefy Beury, 47, said. “It’s just been awesome.”
It’s possible, Sean Beury, 54, said, that success on Sunday could inspire future road races, but he hopes the race motivates younger Philadelphians to start riding.
Spectators wearing orange cone costumes cheer in Manayunk during the men’s race in the Philadelphia Cycling Classic on Sunday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Ushering in the new
Eyes glued to a phone, siblings Tess and Fitz Dolan counted down the seconds it took the women’s field to arrive at the Wall, tracking their movements on a livestream of the race.
The teen mountain bikers’ ages were in the single digits when the race went away and they never had a chance to see it in person. On Sunday, they refused to lose sight of the riders.
“It’s so cool to see them do this,” said 16-year-old Tess Dolan, “we are used to these roads and we bike there. The women are putting in a lot of work and they are just rocking it.”
Her older brother, Fitz, was equally in awe by the bikers’ performance. The 18-year-old has biked the Manayunk Wall once and considers it to be a challenge for any cyclist. “They made it look so effortless,” he said.
Seeing the women’s strength and the jolliness of the spectators inspired Tess to put the Wall on her bucket list.
“It’s important for us to see them,” she said.
“It gives us inspiration to go outside and get on the bike.”
Bikers celebrate on the podium after placing in the Philly Cycling Classic on Sunday. From left are second-place finisher Alexandra Volstad of Canada, of EF Education-Oatly; winner Chiara Consonni of Italy, of Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto; and third-place finisher Ella Sabo of the United States, of Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
(From left) Andy Dalton, Cole Payton and Tanner McKee all made the Eagles’ roster.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles, for now, have punted on their backup quarterback decision.
Howie Roseman didn’t move either Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee before the 6 p.m. roster deadline Sunday night, and the Eagles went the unconventional route of keeping four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster.
They aren’t the only team. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, and Atlanta Falcons also kept four quarterbacks on their rosters.
Neither Dalton nor McKee grabbed the backup job by the horns during training camp. McKee struggled in Friday’s preseason finale while Dalton looked better than his two previous performances.
Still, Roseman was unable to find a trade partner – assuming he tried – before the roster deadline Sunday night.
The Eagles don’t open the season for two more weeks, so Roseman has time to sort out the roster situation at quarterback. Roseman and Nick Sirianni will meet with reporters Monday (at a time to be determined).
Keeping four quarterbacks also means the Eagles were unwilling to waive rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton, who led only four drives during preseason games as the Eagles mostly gave reps to the quarterbacks competing to back up Jalen Hurts. Payton would have had to clear waivers. He was turnover-prone throughout camp, but the Eagles decided to commit to developing him, at least for now.
They waived sixth-round pick Kyle McCord last year after a shaky training camp. McCord was on the practice squad last season before signing with Green Bay. The Mount Laurel native had a solid preseason with the Packers and was traded Sunday to Miami for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Eagles waive both ‘foreign exchange students.’ They can only protect one.
Joshua Weru and Uar Bernard (not pictured) were long shots to make the team.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Vic Fangio wasn’t wrong when he warned time after time that Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru – the two first-time football players that joined the Eagles this offseason – have “a long way to go.”
The Eagles used a seventh-round pick on Bernard, a defensive tackle from Nigeria with off-the-charts athleticism. They signed Weru, a Kenyan rugby convert, as an undrafted free agent. Neither had played a padded football game before the Eagles and Ravens met in the first preseason game earlier this month, and getting on the field in a real NFL game is a whole different beast.
But the Eagles’ decision to waive both players ahead of the 6 p.m. roster deadline Sunday means they’ll only be able to protect one of them, and they may not even get to develop either of them if another NFL team decides to claim them off waivers and put them on their 53-man roster.
That result is unlikely. Again, as Fangio says, his “exchange students” are a long way away from being ready to play in NFL games. But assuming both of them clear waivers, the Eagles will only be able to designate one of them as an IPP player, and the other would be free to sign to another team’s active roster at any point during the season.
That’s obviously a risk Howie Roseman was willing to take.
While Bernard was the more talked about prospect after the Eagles used a draft pick on him, it was Weru, an edge rusher, who flashed more during camp and in the preseason contests. If one of the two was going to get cut, Bernard seemed like the more likely candidate given the possibility the Eagles could use Weru on special teams.
Instead, the Eagles kept five edge rushers on the roster: Jonathan Greenard; Jalyx Hunt; Nolan Smith; Arnold Ebiketie; and A.J. Epenesa.
In leaving Bernard off the roster, the Eagles also kept just five interior linemen: Jalen Carter; Jordan Davis; Moro Ojomo; Byron Young; and Ty Robinson.
Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams will face the Eagles in Week 4.DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
Aaron Donald is unretiring to return to the Los Angeles Rams, where he’ll play alongside reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
Donald, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, signed a one-year deal that could end up being worth $30 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Eagles host the Rams at the Link in Week 4, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks its possible Donald might delay his return to the field until Week 5:
The specific timing of Aaron Donald's return opens the door to the possibility of the Rams placing him on reserve/PUP (or reserve/NFI) and giving him 4 more weeks to keep getting ready — and reducing his total workload to no more than 13 regular-season games.
The #Titans are waiving QB Will Levis, source says. Tennessee had been open to trading Levis for some time, and in the end, both sides move on. pic.twitter.com/PTZo1l8zi5
Dolphins reportedly trade for ex-Eagles quarterback
Former Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord appears to be headed to Miami.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Miami Dolphins, according to ESPN, are acquiring Green Bay Packers quarterback Kyle McCord for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
That probably eliminates Miami from the list of teams the Eagles could get a draft asset for in exchange for Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee.
McCord, a Mount Laurel native, was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles last year but did not make the team out of camp. He spent the season on the practice squad before signing with the Packers.
McCord performed well in the preseason. He completed 22 of 35 pass attempts Friday night for 226 yards and four touchdowns. McCord will be the only other quarterback on Miami’s roster besides Malik Willis, meaning the soon-to-be-24-year-old could be in line to be the primary backup.
The Dolphins may still need another quarterback, though. They traded Quinn Ewers on Saturday and reportedly waived both Cam Miller and Mark Gronkowski on Sunday. It’s hard to imagine they’d part with more draft capital for another quarterback, though.
In Miami, McCord reunites with former Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who is Miami’s pass game coordinator.
Carson Steele and the mirage of preseason football games
Carson Steele runs for a touchdown during the Eagles final preseason game. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
No Eagles skill position player touched the ball more during the team’s three preseason games than Carson Steele. After getting only one carry in the first game, Steele had 18 touches in the second contest and 16 Friday night.
The 23-year-old running back, signed in free agency after spending some time with Kansas City over the last two seasons, Steele was the best offensive player on the Eagles in losses to New England and Cincinnati. He had just 33 yards on 12 carries vs. the Patriots, but he turned six catches into 84 yards and made two highlight-reel hurdles, including one that helped him reach the end zone.
Then he rushed eight times for 24 yards Friday and caught eight passes for 52 yards and another touchdown as Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton spent most of their shifts checking the ball down when they dropped back to pass.
Steele, who was waived Saturday, was one of the few bright spots on an offense that mostly struggled throughout the exhibitions, and it was fair to wonder if 6-foot, 228-pound back could push for a roster spot — especially given his potential to play fullback.
But that’s the problem with the preseason: Eagles fans only get to see such a small part of what’s going on, and what Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni, and the rest of the team’s decision makers are watching when they’re whittling down the roster to 53 players.
The Eagles practiced 17 times in training camp and played just three games. The exhibition games, then, make up 15% of what the Eagles are evaluating.
So, while standing out in two of the three games — 10% of the evaluation period — isn’t unimportant, it’s too small of a sample.
That’s not to say Steele was bad in practice. He was fine. But the Eagles didn’t really have room for him with Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley in front of him on the depth chart. There are other roster needs, and they don’t seem to have the luxury of keeping a fourth running back on the roster.
But he can play fullback!
So can Cameron Latu, who could be on his way to a roster spot at tight end and is a solid special teamer.
The Eagles probably won’t mind Steele clearing waivers and finding his way onto their practice squad, though.
The Dolphins need a backup quarterback after trading Quinn Ewers and waiving Cam Miller (not pictured)Lynne Sladky
The Miami Dolphins are in the market for a quarterback after they traded Quinn Ewers to Jacksonville on Saturday and waived Cam Miller Sunday morning.
Howie Roseman has probably scrolled his way to Jon-Eric Sullivan in his contacts list.
The Eagles likely are trying to trade either Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee, and the Dolphins are one of a few teams in need of some quarterback help.
But here’s another angle to consider: Are the Eagles one of the teams in need of quarterback help?
Neither one of their backup quarterback options shined in camp, and McKee on Friday night looked sort of lost while Dalton performed better than he had in previous preseason contests.
Still, it’s possible the Eagles could fetch a late-round pick for either player. Dalton’s body of work and his ability to mentor a younger quarterback – in Miami’s case, Malik Willis – could be more valuable.
The Eagles could find themselves in an awkward position later on Sunday if they’re unable to move a quarterback or don’t trade for one themselves. Would they keep both Dalton and McKee on the initial roster? Would that mean keeping four quarterbacks? Would that mean waiving fifth-round pick Cole Payton and exposing him to waivers?
Jalen Hurts (right) walks to the field with Tanner McKee (left) and Andy Dalton (center) behind him.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The winner of the No. 2 job is still unclear. Can both lose?
Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton have been that uninspiring. The preseason finale offered more questionable quarterback play. There have been only glimmers.
McKee got his first start of this preseason after Dalton started the first two games. He played the entire first half. It was a brutal watch. McKee completed 12 of 22 passes, but for only 55 yards. He underthrew and overthrew receivers, looked timid in the pocket, and ultimately became a check-down artist.
McKee didn’t exactly have the best players around him. There were several drops, one that resulted in his lone interception. But receivers were also schemed open. Britain Covey got separation off a nifty double move for a would-be touchdown, but McKee completely overshot him.
Dalton took over in the second half. Like McKee last week vs. the New England Patriots, he outplayed his competition in relief. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown — and with a few lesser players at certain spots.
Dalton had some shaky moments, too. And when given the opportunity to engineer a go-ahead, fourth-quarter drive, he and the offense couldn’t get the job done.
RookieCole Payton came in late in the fourth quarter. He continued to hold the ball too long when he dropped. His passing wasn’t much better. In Payton’s defense, he hasn’t practiced much the last few weeks. The Eagles will take a long view with the fifth-round draft pick.
Payton must really want to play, though. He was in on the cover unit for the Eagles’ first punt.
Dalton’s play this summer hasn’t earned him the No. 2 job. McKee has been only marginally better, but has shown improvement. The best man doesn’t always win. But the educated guess here is that Roseman will trade Dalton to a backup-needy team — of which there are many. He may need to keep all four quarterbacks past Sunday’s deadline to get what he wants in return, however.
Payton has displayed more than last year’s rookie project — Kyle McCord — and probably wouldn’t pass through waivers if the Eagles consider stowing him on the practice squad.
Roads along the race route will remain shut down after the race and some SEPTA buses will be diverted. Here’s a rundown.
Inquirer sports reporter Ariel Simpson attempted to climb the imposing Manayunk Wall. Here’s how she did.
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After 10 years, a glorious return to Philly
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// Timestamp 08/30/26 4:40pm
Tim Torn Teutenberg wins men’s race at Philly Cycling Classic
Tim Torn Teutenberg raises his arms as he crosses the finish line to win the men’s race Sunday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
German cyclist Tim Torn Teutenberg cross the finish line first to win the men’s race at the first Philadelphia Cycling Classic in 10 years.
“It was a super good atmosphere today,” Teutenberg told 6abc following his victory, comparing it to the prestigious Tour of Flanders in Belgium.
Teutenberg finished the 120-mile race in just under four hours and 21 minutes. American cyclist Riley Sheehan finished fourth, coming in about 22 seconds behind the leaders.
Rain falls in Manayunk during the Philadelphia Cycling Classic Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026.Michelle Myers
Rain began to empty Levering Street Monday afternoon, but many fans remained to watch the Cycling Classic, some following the race closely on their screens.
He grew tired of race crowds. Now he’s thrilled the Cycling Classic is back.
Thomas Gartside watches the Cycling Classic in Manayunk.Michelle My
Thomas Gartside, 77, remembers feeling a bit tired of the crowds coming to his Manayunk block on race day. The decade-long hiatus changed his perspective.
“I remember the first race, it was amazing: No one was here and they had a helicopter,” said Gartside, who moved by the Manayunk Wall a year before the inaugural 1985 race.
Over the years, he said, the race expanded and his block got more crowded. By 2016, he didn’t come outside to witness the spectacle, unaware the cyclists’ return would be an uphill battle.
On Sunday, seeing the street packed with hundreds of cheerful people brought joy back to Gartside, who decided to hold his own small gathering with bagels and coffee.
“I got a little tired of it, but this is reinvigorating,” Gartside said staring at the crowd standing shoulder to shoulder outside his door. “Look at all the energy and all the neighbors.”
Kim Stoveld, a Philly native, on her unusual path to Cycling Classic
Kim Stoveld didn’t start cycling until her late 30s.Courtesy / Automatic Racing Team
Kim Stoveld, a Philadelphia native, took an unconventional route to appear in the Cycling Classic.
The former University at Buffalo swimmer did not pick up competitive cycling until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Six years later, she placed 71st in her hometown race with a time of 2:37:59.
“I watched this race in 2013, 2014, ’15, and ’16 when it was still going on, and I was just getting into cycling,” Stoveld said. “And then to be on the other side of it, 10 years later, is just like a dream come true. Just absolutely amazing.”
Stoveld looked to break away from the main pack of cyclists in the final stretch, but failed to will herself to the front.
“I am a breakaway rider,” Stoveld said. “My best bet is to win in a small break, and unfortunately, being caught by world tour teams was probably inevitable. But that was my shot, and I was happy to shoot it.”
One section of the race Stoveld had a leg-up in over some of her competition was Manayunk’s “The Wall” — which sees riders climb 210 feet at a steep incline. Stoveld hosts a “group ride” every Tuesday, noting that “those poor suckers” who sign up for her ride take on the Wall with her every week.
One reporter asked Stoveld what her advice would be to young women looking to take up cycling.
“If I can do this good in my late 30s, picking it up at 30, you as an 8-year-old getting into sports will dominate,” Stoveld said. “Please keep riding your bike”
There’s no shortage of cheers and warm welcomes at the Manayunk Wall. It’s not just the first to arrive who feel the crowd’s support – those coming behind get even more:
At the Manayunk Wall, the first riders aren’t the only ones to feel the support: pic.twitter.com/i2b4fGS4EQ
‘It’s inspiring me to put more effort into cycling’
Spectators cheer a group of women riders along Main Street in Manayunk.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Rita’s water ice in one hand and a cowbell in the other, Jim Lamond let the clank of the bell ring out as racers rode past on Ben Franklin Parkway on their third lap.
Lamond, 57, came to the race with his daughter, Katie Coulter, 28, who is just starting to get into cycling and triathlon and wanted to witness the sport on this scale in person.
“During the triathlon, cycling is the one discipline that I struggle with the most,” Coulter said. “So seeing the ladies and the professionals do this, it’s inspiring me to put more effort into cycling, and seeing how effortless they do it, it’s really inspiring for me.”
For the few seconds the cyclists are riding past, Lamond and Coulter are fixed on the course, but in the downtime between laps, the Fan Fest on the parkway has plenty to pass the time.
Food trucks line the streets, including the Rita’s Water Ice truck where Lamont got his. There are also tents with fan activations and giveaways, merchandise and cycling apparel for sale, a DJ, and a screen displaying all the action.
“Here at the Fan Fest, you have all different vendors between the equipment for the riding and things like that, the helmets, the bikes, keeps them interactive with the kids,” Lamond said. “They have a Fan Fest for the kids as well, and you get to experience the atmosphere of being outside.”
— Mia Messina
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‘It’s like a mini Tour de France’
Alice Antonelli, an avid cyclist and financial consultant, is among those watching Sunday’s race.Michelle Myers
Alice Antonelli, 65, woke up at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday unable to contain her excitement for the return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.
“I wasn’t able to come before. I had kids and a lot going on,” Antonelli said. “I’m so thrilled it’s back. It’s like a mini Tour de France.”
In a new era of her life, the avid cyclist and financial consultant was among the 400 registered for the Charity Ride for AACR, the American Association for Cancer Research. She completed her race in under an hour, she said, and came back to the Manayunk Wall to cheer for the women’s race participants.
“Having done the course, it’s actually not bad, but the Wall separates the women from the girls. I am a girl,” Antonelli said.
Standing on the porch of a neighboring house, Antonelli couldn’t contain her enthusiasm at seeing cyclists more skilled than her go up the same hill she conquered.
“Not to say that my heart is pounding, but I’m anticipating for them; I am living vicariously through them,” Antonelli said, bringing her hand to her chest.
As the motorcycles announced the arrival of the cyclists, Antonelli couldn’t help but jump up and down in celebration, bringing her fingers to her mouth and whistling for the riders.
“I’m planning to come back next year, please keep bringing it back,” Antonelli said.
‘I’m just happy right now’: Father and son take in Cycling Classic
John Dempsey and his 11-year-old son, Orion, woke up at 5 a.m. to make the trip to Philadelphia from their home along the Jersey Shore.
John Dempsey wanted to show his son “something different other than the usual running or car events.”
“Even though we’re from New Jersey, we love the city of Philadelphia,” John Dempsey said. “My wife’s run the marathon here. I’ve run the half marathon here, and we’ve come here for Made in America Festival. Always nice to come back to Philly.”
Added Orion: “It’s very cool. It’s fun to be here, and I’m just happy right now.”
The two are rooting for women’s cyclists Kristen Faulkner and Laini Bones. Faulkner is two-time Olympic gold medalist while Bones won over the Dempseys through her social media content. Bones has found an online audience by attempting to beat male cyclists’ records.
“She’s viral on Instagram for taking men’s segments with Strava and talking a lot of trash to them lightheartedly and going out and beating their time,” John Dempsey said.
Teen spectators inspired by cyclists climbing Manayunk Wall
Spectators line Levering Street as the women’s race makes their way up The Wall in Manayunk.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eyes glued to a cell phone, siblings Tess and Fitz Dolan counted down the seconds it took women cyclists to arrive at the Manayunk Wall, closely following their trip on the livestream.
The mountain biker teens’ ages were in the single digits when the race went away, and they never had a chance to see it in person. Now, they don’t plan on losing sight of the cyclists as they wait for their arrival at Tower and Levering Srreets.
“It’s so cool to see them do this because we are used to these roads and we bike there,” said 16-year-old Tess Dolan. “The women are putting in a lot of work and they are just rocking it.”
Her older brother, Fitz, was equally in awe of the bikers’ performances. The 18-year-old has biked up the Manayunk Wall just once and considers it to be a challenge for any cyclist.
“It was fun, but very hard because it’s so long and really stiff,” Fitz said. “They made it look so effortless and I can vouch it’s not as easy as it looked.”
Seeing the women’s strength and the cheering spectators inspired Tess to put the Manayunk Wall on her bucket list.
“It’s important for us to see them. It gives us inspiration to go outside and get on the bike,” Tess said, praising the work of the organizers and cyclists. “Thank you for bringing it back and putting in the work, because I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”
Mayor Parker says the Cycling Classic is bringing ‘the stadium to the streets’
Spectators cheer as the women’s race makes their first pass at The Wall in Manayunk.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker is looking to “keep pushing” for the city to host “even more grander events.” In the meantime, she is enjoying the spotlight sports have shined on Philadelphia this summer.
“Philadelphia is a tough city,” Parker said. “When you hear people describe our grit, our resilience, our stick-to-itiveness, our fight… battling the underdog notion – it’s a real thing. But sometimes we forget how amazing we are, and when we look at 2026 and all that we have accomplished through FIFA, the MLB [All-Star Game], the Cycling Classic, all of the amazing events that were here, We are a world-class global city and prepared to receive guests from around the world.”
Parker also noted the event is a “very equitable opportunity” for all Philadelphians because it is free to watch. Unlike some of the other events Philadelphia held this summer, the Cycling Classic “brought the stadium to the streets.”
“We got a chance to drive through in Roxborough and Andorra and Manayunk, and even if you didn’t get a chance to see it, right now, you will see families have set up barbecues. They’re doing cookouts and parties at their houses. You also can tell that people have made sure their their lawns are well manicured, it’s a big thing.”
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is underway. As a group of women speedily cycled by Main Street, dozens of people came out of their Manayunk homes to await them with cheers and praise.
Whistles began to blow, alerting spectators to their impending arrival. “They are coming,” some started yelling as a small fleet of police in motorcycles drove by.
Ringing bells, the eager crowd leaned harder on the barricade, cheering and clapping, before the cyclist speedily rode hill up, with such force the 8% to 9% incline looked effortless.
In less than 40 seconds the women were up the hill and gone from the view of their supporters, but the cheering spirit did not stop.
Shouts of: ”That’s crazy,” and “they are amazing” could be heard among the crowd as they disappeared into the next section.
Celebrating her birthday watching the return of the Philly Cycling Classic
Taking deep breaths, Ashley and Dylan O’Neill walked up Lyceum Street looking for the best spot to see cyclists ride the Manayunk Wall.
The walk was stiff and the air felt slightly humid, but after waiting a decade to experience their first Philadelphia Cycling Classic, Ashley felt like this was the best way to spend her 41st birthday.
“My stepdad wouldn’t stop talking about it: The people gathered together, and the happiness, but for years there was no race,” she said.
“We were bummed out because it’s such a unique thing for a city to do, that to have the city lose something like this is a huge loss for the entire community,” Dylan added.
As soon as the Trenton couple learned the race was coming back, they booked an Airbnb and bought train tickets to Philly.
“We are excited to see the women race and then the men race, especially Quinn Simmons, but we are definitely leaving the cycling to them, because even walking up is hard enough,” Ashley said.
As folks began to gather along the street, the O’Neills plan to return every year to see the race and watch it from different spots.
“We hope they keep doing it, because it’s such a unique thing and Philly is the perfect place to do it,” Dylan said.
For the first time in 10 years, the Philadelphia Cycling Classic is officially underway.
The 62-mile women’s race began shortly after 8:30 a.m. on the Ben Franklin Parkway. The cyclists will complete four laps before the men’s race begins at noon.
The course is a 14.4-mile circuit that will start and finish on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The women’s race will total 65 miles, while the men’s race will be 122 miles.
The original course ran up the Ben Franklin Parkway to Kelly Drive, passing through East Falls, Roxborough, and Manayunk, which was home to the most famous part of the course, the Manayunk Wall.
This year’s race will return to that original course, and will take participants past Strawberry Mansion, Lemon Hill, Boathouse Row — and, of course, up the Wall.
The Wall is a steep incline hill, reaching up to a 17% grade over a stretch of about a half mile, mostly on Levering Street in Manayunk. It is considered one of the race’s most iconic components, and has been part of the race since 1985, when Jerry Casale and David Chauner first mapped out the course
— Mia Messina
// Timestamp 08/30/26 7:18am
The best places to watch the Philly Cycling Classic
The women’s race will start at 8:35 a.m. with the men’s race to follow at noon.
For fans interested in attending, access to the race will be free, meaning anyone can line up along the course to watch.
Traditionally, large parties take place along the tight streets of Manayunk, turning the race into a festival of sorts. But for those not located in the Manayunk area, the event’s official Fan Fest will be held by the Iroquois Sculpture near the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free and will include vendors, live entertainment, a stream of the race, activities for kids, and a beer garden.
— Mia Messina
// Timestamp 08/30/26 7:12am
Road closures in Center City Sunday
Matti Breschel raises his arms after winning the Philadelphia International Championship Liberty Classic along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 2008.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back after a decade-long hiatus, bringing loads of cycling fans, events, and road closures along with it.
Plan ahead if you need to drive near the 14.4-mile path for the main women’s and men’s races, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and noon, respectively, and the morning charity ride, which begins at 6:30 a.m.
The following road closures will take effect from 3 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway:
Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 17th Street to Eakins Oval (all lanes)
Spring Garden Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and 31st Street
All roads from Arch to Spring Garden Streets, 18th to 22nd Streets (access maintained for residents)
All roads from Arch Street to Fairmount Avenue, 22nd to Corinthian Streets (access maintained for residents)
23rd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Eakins Oval
22nd Street between Winter Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
21st Street between Winter Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
20th Street between Arch Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
19th Street between Callowhill and Cherry Streets
16th, 17th, and 18th Streets between Arch and Spring Garden Streets, if public safety conditions warrant
1600 and 1700 blocks of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, if public safety conditions warrant
Fairmount Park:
Kelly Drive (all lanes)
Waterworks Drive
Reservoir Drive
Lemon Hill
Sedgley Drive between Girard Avenue and Kelly Drive
Poplar Drive between Girard Avenue and Kelly Drive
MLK Drive from Falls Bridge to Eakins Oval
Manayunk and Roxborough:
Ridge Avenue between Kelly Drive and Hermit Street
Main Street between Ridge Avenue and Green Lane
Levering Street between Main and Tower Streets
Cresson Street between Levering and Cotton Streets
Lyceum Avenue between Tower and Mitchell Streets
Pechin Street between Green Lane and Roxborough Avenue
Roxborough Avenue between Mitchell and Terrace Streets
Manayunk Avenue between Roxborough Avenue and Osborn Street
Rector Street between Terrace and Pechin Streets
Pensdale Street between Terrace and Lauriston Streets
Kingsley Street between Manayunk Avenue and Lauriston Street
Salaignac Street between Manayunk Avenue and Lauriston Street
Terrace Street between Dawson Street and Ridge Avenue
Vassar Street from Ridge Avenue to Cresson Street
Mitchell Street from Connaroe to Martin Streets
Additional streets: unit blocks of Shurs Lane, Jamestown Street, Pensdale Street, Roxborough Avenue, Grape Street, Levering Street, Gay Street, Carson Street, Rector Street, Cotton Street, and Connaroe Street, and the 300 block of Burnside Street
SEPTA detours
The following SEPTA bus routes will be detoured through Kelly Drive, Manayunk, and Roxborough beginning at 4 a.m. Sunday: 7, 9, 27, 32, 33, 38, 43, 48, 49, 52, 60, 61, 65, 82, 124/125, K.
For information on specific route changes, visit www.septa.org.
In the final of the inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open on Penn’s campus on Saturday, Katie Volynets beat Tereza Valentová, 6-3 and 7-5.
The event marked the return of the Women’s Tennis Association to the city after more than two decades. Event organizers Top Notch Management and the Philadelphia Sisters secured a three-year contract for the tournament to be held in the city through 2028, but tournament director Alex Guthrie said the plan is for the Philly Open to become a regular stop on tour.
“We put a lot of time, energy, and investment into this,” Guthrie told The Inquirer. “We want this. We didn’t invest all this time and energy just to do it for three years. We see this as a 10, 20-year thing. I think this has the potential to grow into something special.”
Guthrie said the organizers weren’t sure what to expect from fans. Crowds at WTA 125-level events can vary widely from session to session and tournament to tournament, but the WTA was impressed with the turnout in Philly, especially for the day sessions.
The tournament sold out its opening day on Aug. 23, selling 1,500 tickets, and maintained a solid crowd for the remaining sessions. For the final, fans packed the grandstand, the nearby grass hill, and some unticketed even peeked in from a bridge outside the grounds.
“I was so surprised that even the day it rained, the fans stayed all night and watched the match finish,” Volynets said. “That was really impressive to me, and says a lot about the crowd. I also thought that they cheer so well, because they’re so respectful, they clearly know their tennis. They cheered both sides on while still making me feel like a home favorite.”
Katie Volynets claimed the inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open on Saturday.Thibault Camus
Hosting the tournament the week before the U.S. Open helped draw a field of several top-100 players, including both finalists (Volynets ranked 91st, while Valentová was 57th). Semifinalist Julia Grabher was a late entry to the field, after a late U.S. Open withdrawal pulled her out of qualifying and straight into the main draw.
“She was already in New York for qualifying, and she texted me, ‘Hey, do you have any wild cards open?’ And a space had literally just opened up for us,” Guthrie said. “If we were anywhere else, she couldn’t just take an hourlong train ride.”
Some players on tour, Guthrie said, avoid first-year events to make sure the facilities and management are up to par before committing. After the success of the 2026 edition, he believes it’ll be an easier sell next year.
Working with a new facility at Penn, which hadn’t previously hosted a professional event before, added a few “quirks and challenges,” but ultimately Year 1 was a success among the players.
“I love these kind of courts,” Volynets said. “They’re grippy, so you can play different spins. If you play a slice, it stays low, if you hit topspin, it goes high. I love how the courts accept the spin. I think it makes tennis so fun to play and so fun to watch.”
Spectators watched from the bridge near Penn’s tennis courts throughout the Philly Open week.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Organizers have already begun conversations with potential sponsors for 2027, and hosted a few prospective sponsors during the week. In order for Philly to attract a larger 250 or 500-level WTA tournament, more sponsorships and funding would be required, according to Guthrie.
But the tournament is on stable footing. The Philadelphia Sisters hope the event will become another permanent installment of women’s sports on the Philly sports calendar.
“From a Year 1 perspective, the foundation was laid very well,” Guthrie said. “Now that it’s happened, and people see what the event is — we were selling something that didn’t exist. Now we have proof of concept, fans know what to expect, and sponsors know what to expect.”
It took just one moment for the Union’s 3-1 win to live up to the billing, from the player who stood atop the marquee.
Cavan Sullivan’s sixth goal for the Union’s first team was easily his most sensational: a perfect jumping trap of Danley Jean Jacques’ cross-field pass, a cut left into the 18-yard box, and a lashing shot to the far post.
It sent jaws dropping from North Jersey to Chester and well beyond, perhaps even to his future home at Manchester City. (Or at least it would have when they woke up Sunday morning over there, as it was just before 2 a.m. in England when the play happened.)
“This was the first moment of a really special individual play for one of his goals,” interim Union manager Ryan Richter said. “So that was cool.”
The trap alone was a special play, and Richter rightly insisted that the pass was its own highlight. Jean Jacques hit it inch-perfect into open space on the right flank.
Sullivan then brought the ball down before it could hit the turf, with the kind of first touch that makes soccer scouts worldwide swoon. All the more when it’s done by a 16-year-old — and yes, with an extra layer when that teen is an American. The world has gotten used to this country winning men’s World Cup games, but it’s sometimes still surprised when a Yank shows such skill.
There was no guarantee a goal would follow, though, not least since Sullivan had passed up a chance to fire from atop the box in the first half. This time, he charged past Dos Santos and shot before a sliding Ronald Donkor could get there.
“The first half, I didn’t think that he was at his best: A couple opportunities where he had a chance to make a play that didn’t come off in the way that you know he can, and then a couple defensive lapses, I thought … [where] he got outplayed a little too bit too easily,” Richter said. “But the second half, he fixed what he needed to fix, and he got going in the game.”
Then came a moment where Richter could watch just like the rest of us.
“The goal that he scored, it’s what he’s capable of doing,” he said. “In these one-v-one situations, he’s different, and we want to give him the freedom to express himself. And honestly, he has gained the respect of his teammates, that they also give him the freedom that he can go in these moments, because they know that he can create something out of it.”
The drumbeat has grown louder for Sullivan to earn his first senior U.S. national team call-up for the four-game friendly run in September and October. Indeed, quite a few observers think Mauricio Pochettino should call up Pierre and Westfield, too.
Pierre has turned just as many heads in the know as Sullivan lately, and turned more with his latest goal Saturday — his fourth in nine Union first-team games this year.
“He’s growing every week, and you guys are watching the same thing I am: he looks like a top center back in this league,” Richter said. “He has to keep pushing, and keep his feet on the ground, and focus in the right way, and become the best center back in this league. That should be his target — but that’s a day-to-day thing that he has to keep pushing to get better and better.”
Westfield, meanwhile, has become the leading candidate to be the starting right back on the 2028 Olympic team.
Andrew Rick and Quinn Sullivan could also merit consideration, given their past work for Pochettino and Rick’s potential to make the 2028 squad.
Asked whether Cavan should get the call, Richter answered promptly: “That’s not my job to influence that one way or the other.”
The Union could soon see Mauricio Pochettino (right) call up a new generation of their prospects, following in the footsteps of alumni like Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie.Jonathan Tannenwald
But that doesn’t mean he isn’t allowed to, and he snuck in a little of it.
“If you’re watching the games — which, the national team staff, I’m sure they are watching these games — then he’s making a case for himself,” Richter said.
The squad should be announced in mid-September, which means the Union probably have three more games before then: Saturday at home vs. CF Montréal (now with Chilean legend Alexis Sánchez), Sept. 9 at home vs. FC Cincinnati, then the year’s longest road trip to visit San Diego FC on Sept. 13.
(And yes, this writer hears those of you ready to pounce on Richter saying “watching the games.” Four years into MLS’s streaming deal with Apple, no Union-related subject still draws more emails than the lack of games on traditional TV. So take note that the Cincinnati game will be on FS1.)
The two weeks left for the U.S. staff to judge the Union will go by quickly. But they’ve got plenty of evidence now, especially with Cavan Sullivan, Pierre, and Westfield.
So does ever more of the soccer world.
Lionel Messi scored four goals last night, but it isn't the biggest story in MLS this morning – not even on the league's own website.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — It was just 56.6 mph off Trea Turner’s bat.
According to the StatCast metric that takes into account exit velocity and launch angle, it had an expected batting average of .150. The majority of the time, contact like that would have been a routine out.
But the Angels had their infielders drawn in during the 10th inning Saturday, looking to stop the bleeding that started with an RBI double from Kyle Schwarber to break the 1-1 tie. And Turner’s soft ground ball found a gap between them.
As it dribbled between first and second base, Justin Crawford read it perfectly. The rookie, whose one-out single was key in kicking off the late rally, hurtled toward home with pinch-runner Garrett Stubbs following behind. Both scored, securing some needed insurance runs for the Phillies’ 4-2 win over the Angels.
“I thought I saw the ball pretty well on that pitch, and thought I was going to hit it pretty hard, and then obviously capped it,” Turner said. “It ended up working out. Yeah, it’s just find a way, any way, no matter how bad it looks, or how good it looks.”
Turner arrived in California ice cold. He ended an 0-for-19 skid by picking up two hits in Friday’s series opener, and followed it with two more on Saturday. Even if neither was very flashy, interim manager Don Mattingly hopes that these two games could get him back on track.
“I know they’re not bullets anywhere, but they’re still two hits,” Mattingly said. “And as you wake up in the morning, you all of a sudden you’ve put two hits up, two days in a row. So hopefully that gets him rolling a little bit.”
The Phillies broke the stalemate in the 10th with some textbook baserunning. Before Turner’s single, Schwarber dropped a bloop hit into center field in front of a charging Mike Trout. J.T. Realmuto made sure it reached the ground before scoring from third, while Crawford went from first to third, and Schwarber advanced to second on the throw.
It was a stark difference from earlier in the game, when it looked like baserunning blunders might cost the Phillies the win. They ran into three outs on the base paths. In the eighth inning, Turner was fooled by Trevor Martin’s pickoff move, and was thrown out trying to steal third.
Turner believed he managed to sneak under the tag, but a review deemed there was insufficient evidence to overturn the call.
“I didn’t deserve it, but yeah, I thought I got in there,” Turner said.
Bryce Harper (left) was tagged out by Angels catcher Travis D’Arnaud trying to to steal home during the eighth inning.Mark J. Terrill
Later in the inning, Bryce Harper tried to take matters into his own hands for an insurance run, and was thrown out trying to steal home against Martin and catcher Travis d’Arnaud. With Alec Bohm at the plate in an 0-2 count, Harper took off on the pitch and was initially called safe. After lengthy review, that was overturned to become the third out of the inning.
“I don’t think you’d really ever expect anybody to steal home, even if they’re a speed guy,” Turner said. “Just trying to make the play. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but I like the aggression.”
The third mistake came on the first play of the 10th inning, when ghost-running Brandon Marsh attempted to advance to third on a ground ball to shortstop, and was easily thrown out.
Extra innings became necessary after Jonathan Bowlan conceded a game-tying homer to Zach Neto in the eighth. The Angels’ shortstop fouled off seven pitches, including four in a row, before teeing off on a sweeper in the bottom half of the zone.
As soon as the ball cleared the left field wall, Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez was no longer in contention for his 17th win of the season, after one of his strongest starts of the second half. He turned in seven scoreless innings and held the Angels to two hits in his deepest start since completing seven on July 11 against Detroit.
Five of Sánchez’s eight total strikeouts came on his changeup, including one vs. Neto to end the fifth inning. Neto dropped to one knee over the plate trying to make contact with the pitch that nicked the bottom outside corner, becoming the 200th strikeout victim of the season for Sánchez.
“We just have to keep going,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “This doesn’t end now.”
Cristopher Sánchez lasted seven innings for the first time since July 11.Mark J. Terrill
He joined fellow lefty Jesús Luzardo as the second Phillies pitcher to reach the milestone this year. Both Sánchez and Luzardo eclipsed 200 strikeouts in 2025.
The Phillies offense needed every bit of Sánchez’s dominance to keep them in it. They hadn’t capitalized as much as they could have against Angels starter Ryan Johnson, who issued four walks his first time through the Phillies order. Many of his misses weren’t close to the strike zone.
The Phillies managed one run against him, which came on an RBI single from Marsh in the second. They threatened to break the game open that inning after Crawford worked a key walk to load the bases and flip the lineup back over, but consecutive pop-ups to shallow left from Schwarber and Turner stranded all three runners.
“You worry about that second [inning]. You leave guys out there,” Mattingly said. “It’s kind of one of those things you hope it doesn’t come back to bite you. And then we never really got anything going after that, until late.”
Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth inning to force extras, and after the offense’s three-run outburst in the 10th, Mattingly asked his closer for three more outs. It’s something that he wants Duran to get more experience doing as the postseason looms.
Jhoan Duran pitched two innings to close out the Phillies’ win.Mark J. Terrill
Duran, who had recovered from a stomach bug that rendered him unavailable Friday night, obliged.
He conceded one run in the 10th on a single and a force out, but induced back-to-back flyouts from Neto and Trout to seal the win and the series victory.
“Tonight, I thought we made some mistakes as a team, and I think we know that, and we want to play better,” Turner said. “But it’s nice winning those games and learning from it, than losing them and trying to learn from it. … There’s still room for improvement, but it feels like we’re playing pretty good this week.”
ANAHEIM, Calif. — When MLB rosters expand from 26 players to 28 players on Tuesday, interim manager Don Mattingly said he expects the Phillies to use the extra position player slot on a third catcher.
The Phillies carried three catchers — starter J.T. Realmuto and backups Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs — for several months this season until both Stubbs and Marchán suffered injuries in July. Stubbs returned from left wrist inflammation on July 21 while Marchán (left knee patellar tendinitis) is currently on a rehab assignment with triple-A Lehigh Valley. In 10 rehab games so far for the IronPigs, the switch-hitter has a .206/.300/.206 slash line.
Stubbs’ positional flexibility — he has also appeared in left field, first base, and third base this year, and has enough speed to be used as a pinch runner — is why the Phillies are comfortable retaining all three when Marchán returns from the injured list.
Mattingly believes the Phillies’ current mix of bench players cover the Phillies’ positional needs. Carrying three catchers also allows the club to avoid designating either Stubbs or Marchán for assignment, as both are out of options, and could risk losing them on waivers.
“[Stubbs] gives us a different dimension in that,” Mattingly said. “A lot of times, in that role, you would bring a guy that steals a bag. We kind of got that guy. So positionally, what we do is kind of set.”
Injury updates
Tanner Banks (left forearm strain) made his second rehab appearance for triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday. The lefty tossed 1⅔ scoreless innings Saturday to follow up a scoreless inning on Wednesday. He has not allowed a hit.
Banks is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list starting on Sept. 7. His last major league appearance prior to the injury was on July 8.
Tanner Banks is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list starting on Sept. 7.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“I think for Banksy, it’s make sure we get him built properly, the fact he’s out for a long time,” Mattingly said.
Left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes, who the Phillies signed to a major league deal on Aug. 19, is currently doing long toss in Clearwater, Fla., according to Mattingly. Cortes has not appeared in a major league game since Sept. 3, 2025 after undergoing arm surgery that sidelined him for most of 2026.
Shortly after signing Cortes as veteran pitching depth, the Phillies optioned him to single-A Clearwater and placed him on the seven-day injured list to allow him time to build up.
“We’ll see how long that takes, to see where it goes,” Mattingly said.
Reliever Caleb Kilian (left oblique strain) is also progressing and is close to throwing, Mattingly said. When Kilian suffered the injury after making just his fourth appearance with the Phillies since they acquired him from the Giants at the trade deadline, the team expected he would be out for a while. But they are not counting Kilian out from returning this season, either.
Extra bases
The Phillies released right-handed pitcher Jean Cabrera on Friday. Cabrera, who was ranked the 11th-best prospect in the Phillies farm system by MLB Pipeline in 2025 and won the organization’s internal award for best minor league pitcher in 2021, had struggled significantly this season. He posted a 7.64 ERA and 1.88 WHIP in 21 games between double-A and triple-A and was previously designated for assignment on July 5. … Zack Wheeler (10-5, 3.40 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale against Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 6.25).
The Union laid a 3-1 rout down on perennial rival Red Bull New York on Saturday in North Jersey, with a highlight-reel goal from Cavan Sullivan at the center of it.
Milan Iloski and Neil Pierre also scored to extend the Union’s unbeaten run in league games to seven, and edge them up to 12th in the Eastern Conference at the final whistle (6-10-6, 24 points). They’re now just one point back of ninth, the last playoff spot, now held by Toronto FC.
Neil Pierre (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring his goal.Philadelphia Union
As pretty as Sullivan’s goal was, Iloski’s opener had to be described as all goals counting the same, no matter how ugly they are.
Sullivan worked out of a jam to spring Danley Jean Jacques down the right flank, he hit a hopeful cross, and Iloski crashed into Dylan Nealis as both men went for the ball. Neither got it, and the prize bounced away to an unmarked Indiana Vassilev.
From there, Vassilev either woefully scuffed a shooting chance, or made it look like he did while passing back to Iloski. But the end result was Iloski gratefully tapping in from near the goal line.
Milan Iloski finishes off the sequence for @PhilaUnion! 🤩
Andre Blake made a fine save in the 31st, then got lucky when Ronald Donkor shot an easy rebound shockingly wide of the net. Blake made an even better one seven minutes later after Red Bull’s young phenom striker Julian Hall pushed off Nathan Harriel, and was lucky once again when Harriel got up just in time to block Jorge Ruvalcaba’s long-range attempt.
38' | Big save from Andre Blake
Red Bull play a long ball up top for Julian Hall (who gets away with a push on Nathan Harriel), who sees his shot saved by Blake. Jorge Ruvalcaba with the follow up shot, sees his effort headed away by Harriel.
The Union’s turn for a shocking miss came in first-half stoppage time. Iloski settled a bouncing ball and squared it through the 6-yard box for Pierre, but Justin Che beat him to it to clear off the line. The ball went back to Iloski, and his follow-up was blocked by a sliding Nealis.
The second half started with fireworks: Hall shot off the post with Blake stranded a mere 12 seconds after kickoff.
Nine minutes later, the big boom struck. Jean Jacques hit a superb cross-field pass to Sullivan on the right wing, he trapped it expertly, cut in, and lashed a shot to the far corner of New York’s net.
New York (7-10-5, 26 points) looked flattened at that point, and Pierre put them in an even deeper hole off a free kick play in the 65th.
Iloski hit the service from the left flank, Bruno Damiani jumped to flick it in the box, and Pierre crashed the back post — losing his footing along the way, but doing enough to slide the ball in. Red Bull goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, a former U.S. national team regular, could only stand on his line and watch.
Remarkably, that was the fourth goal in nine games for the 18-year-old centerback, who spent the first half of the year at Danish club Lyngby (in which the Union have an ownership stake).
The hosts got their goal in the 74th from one of the only veterans on the field for either team, 37-year-old striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. He entered the game as a substitute at halftime, when New York manager Michael Bradley switched to a two-striker setup to match the Union’s usual setup.
But that was all Bradley’s players could muster. Instead, it was the visitors celebrating not just a win, but one of the most comprehensive performances of Ryan Richter’s tenure so far.
Saturday afternoon featured belly flops, cannonballs, and face-plants into the Delaware River as 120 contestants tried — and mostly failed — to retrieve a flag at the end of a 30-foot greased-up telephone pole angled up over the water.
Competitors in the third annual Philadelphia Red Bull Championship Run soon found the challenge was harder than it looked. But with family, friends, and onlookers gathered Saturday at Penn’s Landing, each athlete had cheers and groans egging them on as they stretched, slid, and dove for the flag.
The event was peppered with wacky surprises, including an appearance by Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean, Red Bull’s newest ambassador, who found his doppelgänger at a look-alike contest held amid the pole runners. DeJean even aided in the ceremonial greasing of the pole with a long paint roller dipped in Crisco.
“I think I’d have a good chance at grabbing the flag,” DeJean said. “I don’t know if I’d be able to do it on the first go, but maybe give me a couple tries. I’d just go full speed, probably.”
The competitors, who entered the competition in early August after Red Bull posted it on social media, had different strategies while waiting their turn. Some tried to go slow and steady, while others pranced on their toes, but in the end, those who got the farthest cited luck as the biggest help.
Three of the 120 contestants emerged with a flag in hand. The trio got a second shot to be the ultimate winner, and Keilan Barber from Havertown secured the flag on both of his runs to take home the glory and the Red Bull Run trophy.
“I actually blew my quads out on the first run,” Barber said. “So they hurt, but I have a long car ride home with my dad, so I didn’t want to do it in silence. Shout-out to my family.”
Mike Kablack of Philadelphia was one of three contestants to capture the flag during the Red Bull Run on Saturday at Spruce Street Harbor Park.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“He must have the Red Bull angle on his side,” said Everett Jackson (aka Mr. Hollywood DJ), one of the emcees, after Barber flipped off the pole, second flag in hand.
Other competitors weren’t so lucky, even if they were repeat entrants.
“I got farther than I did last year,” said Luke Cheslock. “I had a graceful fall, but, yeah, I’m getting the flag next year, for sure.”
Amid DeJean’s presence and with football season dawning, many had opinions on which Eagles could make it to the end of the pole and grab the flag.
“I think DeVonta Smith would do the best,” DeJean said. “He’s got good balance, tall, quick, fast, so he’d definitely get up there.”
Contestant No. 34 Devin Gual is introduced by Cooper DeJean and Mr. Hollywood DJ (right) during the Red Bull Run.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Many competitors agreed with DeJean’s answer as they strapped into their life jackets and Red Bull helmets. Other popular names thrown out were Saquon Barkley, DeJean himself, and, of course, Jalen Hurts.
As for who on the Eagles would do the worst?
“The worst? I think that would have to be Quinyon Mitchell,” DeJean said of his fellow star in the secondary. “He’d get a little scared. He might just bail out.”
