A Lower Merion businessman who raised $9 million from more than 50 Main Line, pro sports, and Hollywood investors for Kind Financial, his marijuana payment-processing business, was charged by federal prosecutors Tuesday with five counts of fraud.
The businessman, David Dinenberg, “fraudulently induced dozens of people into buying shares of Kind” by supplying false sales and business information, and “misleading the investors into believing that their entire investments were being used” for the company, not “diverted” for his personal use, according to charges filed in Philadelphia federal court. Dinenberg did not return calls seeking comment.
The U.S. Attorney also called on Dinenberg to forfeit $9 million prosecutors contend he had raised from investors by fraud.
But Snider and others who invested in Kind, then tried to keep the company going after the board confronted Dinenberg about his spending and he left in 2023, said Wednesday that they had no advance notice of the criminal charges.
David Dinenberg, who headed Kind Financial, hoped to serve cannabis growers at a time when few banks would do business with the industry. He has been charged with fraud and accused of embezzling.Kind Financial
Instead of using all the money to build his marijuana business, Dinenberg allegedly “embezzled” more than $750,000 to pay for “unauthorized personal expenditures,” including family members’ school tuition, a luxury California rental home, and country club memberships. Prosecutors say he lied to investors by exaggerating sales and prospects for Kind.
Dinenberg is also accused of stealing $175,000 from Rhode Island, which had hired Kind to collect cannabis fees from growers.
Prosecutors say Dinenberg was supposed to forward that money to the state, less a small transaction payment, but began keeping the fees, and reported money that should have gone to the state as company revenue.
Dinenberg started Kind in 2012 to process cannabis transactions that were legal in some states but prohibited under federal law. The legal complexity discouraged national banks from working with cannabis businesses, but also created what Dinenberg persuaded investors was an opportunity for his company to focus on serving legal-cannabis pioneers.
The prosecutors depict Dinenberg as a successful fundraiser who founded a series of related companies, hiring two friends and a “family connection” to run the business in 2014, and tapping each of the three employees to help fund Kind.
After the Microsoft deal, Kind won the Rhode Island contract. But Kind’s cash flow from the Rhode Island work was so meager that Dinenberg stopped paying his lawyers and stopped paying Kind employees — while keeping the tax and Social Security deductions he had withheld for them, prosecutors said.
Dinenberg issued glossy investor documents that projected sales of under $500,000 in 2016 would zoom to over $10 million in 2017 and $40 million in 2018 — with “no factual basis” for the unaudited financial reports, their “false” revenue data, and baseless projections, prosecutors allege.
In 2019, Dinenberg closed a business deal with pioneering cannabis investor Hartstreet Holdings and Colorado-based Herring Bank to develop a KindPay app to pay cannabis transactions through the Mastercard payment network, according to the prosecutor’s charges.
At first, it worked: “In 2020 and 2021, KindPay was working and some dispensaries even had KindPay kiosks” to enable sales, according to prosecutors.
But in 2021, Mastercard figured out that KindPay was used for marijuana sales, and cut the service off, according to prosecutors.
By 2023, Dinenberg had taken more than $750,000 from Kind bank accounts to cover personal expenses. Confronted by an employee, Dinenberg admitted he’d stolen money but claimed the total was $80,000, according to prosecutors. He resigned May 4 of that year.
Snider and other investors looked at ways to keep the company going, but its websites have since gone dark.
“The company has been defunct for some time, and it’s truly a shame what has happened,” said Snider in an email after learning of the charges. She declined further comment.
Mark McKenzie still can’t quite put his finger on it, but a return to Chester feels right.
On Wednesday, his professional career came full circle when the Union officially announced that he will join the team on Jan. 1 via a designated player contract during January’s FIFA transfer window. McKenzie, 27, will return to the club “that took a chance on him” when he joined its first team in 2018, after grooming the central defender for years in its youth academy and developmental teams.
He will enter coming off a year as a mainstay on the backline of Toulouse in France’s Ligue 1, with performances that caught the eye of U.S. national team coach Mauricio Pochettino. That landed him a spot on this past summer’s 26-man roster for the FIFA World Cup.
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) May 26, 2026
So how did the Union ultimately land McKenzie? It definitely took some convincing. He had options from other clubs in Europe, and his decision to return wasn’t just a simple phone call from Union brass. However, to hear McKenzie tell it, when he was looking for what would come next in his now nine seasons as a professional, Philly checked a lot of boxes.
“I don’t think it was necessarily a ‘who called who,’” said McKenzie. “It was more of I was looking for something next in my career, and to be honest [initially, I] couldn’t pinpoint exactly what that was. Some players want more money. Some players want to play in certain leagues, or play in the [UEFA] Champions League. Some players just want to go home.
“I think for me it was a mix of different things. And my agent and I were on the same page with what I wanted and what I envisioned for that next step. So we were putting out feelers and figuring out what that would look like.”
With that as the mindset, McKenzie said his agency representation at The.Team met with Union sporting director Jon Scheer and others on whether a move back would even be viable. It took stages, but according to McKenzie, it worked out that Philly felt like the right choice for the Bear, Del., native, with several family members still in the area.
In May, Mark McKenzie (center, right) battles Senegal forward Sadio Mané during an exhibition match ahead of the World Cup.Scott Kinser
Scheer told The Inquirer that convincing McKenzie meant a face-to-face with him and his representation, meeting McKenzie outside of the country just before preparations began for the World Cup.
“We went out to Spain to speak with him and his agent, and for us it was more a gauge to see where his head was at and what he wanted to do next,” said Scheer. “It wasn’t necessarily easy, as he had options, but at the end of the day, I think we offered a package and an opportunity for him to come home and that’s something he wanted.”
The dollar amount of that total package remains to be seen but could be revealed when the Union holds their official news conference to announce McKenzie, scheduled for a virtual conference later today at 12:30 p.m. For McKenzie, who is expected to rejoin the team on a designated player contract, he says coming home will still allow him to “continue to develop.”
Mark McKenzie (left) spent three seasons with French Ligue 1 club, Toulouse FC. Emma Da Silva
Success in bunches
Even before his departure for Europe, McKenzie knew immense success with the Union. As a homegrown player, he played along the club’s back line for former coach Jim Curtin, and helped guide the team to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2018-20.
The 2020-21 season saw him head to Belgium’s Genk on a transfer valued at $6 million. He’d celebrate winning the Belgian Cup later that season with Genk, and go on to play two more seasons before a move to France’s Ligue 1 and finding himself a mainstay on Toulouse’s starting 11. It was his performances there that enabled him to earn that spot on the national team roster for the World Cup.
Mark McKenzie has gone the full 90' in Toulouse's last eight games, keeping FIVE clean sheets as the French side have only lost once since the start of December 🇺🇸💪 pic.twitter.com/Q5PCzoEZ8p
He says that all of those stops along the way have helped him grow as a player and as a person in his professional career, choosing to go the gradual approach to stardom as opposed to a big splash that felt unnatural.
“There was the possibility to go to maybe a bigger league or to a different club [from the Union my first time around], but I think for me, I wanted to take steps that were right for me,” McKenzie said. “I feel that too many times, especially young players, they get fixated on the idea of going to maybe a big club or going somewhere that looks optically like the thing to do, and then end up regretting it, or end up going and bouncing along.
Mark McKenzie (left) battles Australia’s Connor Metcalfe during their international friendly last year. David Zalubowski
“I wanted to go somewhere where I can develop, where I can play meaningful minutes, where I could be seen for the player I was and the person I was, and still be challenged in the same way. And going to Belgium from Philly was like that first step for me in getting my feet wet in Europe.”
Dive deeper and McKenzie says the moves all along the way were more strategic, in terms of acclimating to the rigors of European soccer than being thrust into it from the outset.
“I was able to experience the [UEFA] Champions League, Europa League and Conference League and after going through those years, it was like, all right, well, what’s the next step now? It was a strategic step of how can I make sure that I’m one, playing week in and week out, and two, still playing against some of the best players in the world and showcasing what I can do against the best in the world.”
Now McKenzie says he gets the opportunity to do that, surrounded by the familiar confines of the Union’s sprawling complex in Chester and in front of familiar faces of family and friends he had to say goodbye to while plying his trade overseas.
Union defender Mark McKenzie plays against the New England Revolution in 2020.YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Family comes first
Just before the start of the 2025 Gold Cup, McKenzie and his wife, Carley, welcomed their first child, Micah. For the new father, it meant several sleepless nights, getting acclimated to the rigors of parenting on top of preparing for a major tournament. In November, while McKenzie was back in Philly as a member of the U.S. national team, he noted that he was still balancing fatherhood and his thriving professional career.
So how much did having family and friends minutes away instead of a world away factor into his decision to return, especially having a new, young family of his own?
Mark McKenzie led the USMNT in prayer after the Americans moved on to the Round of 16 🙏 pic.twitter.com/scEBXAO3ow
“It’s huge, man,” McKenzie said. “I think about the years that I’ve been in Europe, and you get the opportunity for family to come visit, be together and watch games. But now, the opportunity to walk off the field, to come back home and laugh and talk to a lot of the same people? That adds more to your career or who you are as a player than sometimes the wins and losses do.
“At the end of the day, when I look back at my career, I’m just a product of who my family is and how strong my support system is. So, for me to come back here, not only make sure that they feel that love, but also my family at the Union … family is a core value, you know, and that’s what’s pushed me to get to where I am today. It’s a big part of the reason why I made the decision to come back here, and it’s going to be a big part of the reason why we’re successful as a club.”
Mark McKenzie and fellow former Union player Paxten Aaronson bang the ceremonial drum ahead of a match in 2023. Philadelphia Union
On Saturday, McKenzie was in Chester and watched the Union deliver a 4-2 win over Orlando City, setting a franchise record as they now revel in an unbeaten streak of 12 games. McKenzie opened the match with the ceremonial banging of the drum on the field. It not only started the game, but also the countdown of his return to the field in a few short months.
When asked what that moment was going to feel like, McKenzie was a man of few words, but he had one that spoke volumes.
“Surreal,” he said. “Yeah, I think that’s the best way to describe it.”
Prosecutors in upstate New York this week reopened an investigation into a former Cornell University student’s claims that several men raped her at a campus fraternity house two years ago while forcing her to take drugs.
The move came after the woman, who was a third-year Cornell student when the alleged attacks occurred and who is identified in court filings as Jane Doe, sued the university, the fraternity, her sorority and seven men who she says assaulted her.
The woman reported the assault to Cornell police three weeks after she said it happened. The police opened an investigation into her accusations, and asked the Tompkins County, New York, district attorney’s office to review her statement. The district attorney closed the case after determining that there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges.
The lawsuit has raised questions about how Cornell administrators and local law enforcement authorities have handled the woman’s accusations to this point.
Here is a timeline of the events so far.
Oct. 19, 2024
Jane Doe leaves Lot 10, an Ithaca, New York, bar at around 11 p.m. She walks about a mile to the Chi Phi house to meet a male Cornell student who is a friend. After arriving, she claims in her lawsuit, she was forced to take ketamine and was sexually assaulted by several men.
Nov. 8
Jane Doe reports her accusations of sexual assault and forced drug use to the Cornell police. In a statement to police, parts of which were publicly released by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten on Monday, she indicated that she had voluntarily participated in some drug use and sexual activity that night.
Nov. 8
The university suspends the fraternity temporarily while it investigates the accusations as potential violations of Cornell’s Student Code of Conduct. The university also suspends the students Jane Doe accuses of attacking her.
November
Cornell police notify Van Houten’s office that they are investigating the accusations, and then ask the office to review the woman’s claims to determine whether they constitute allegations of crimes. Van Houten decides that there is not enough evidence to support the filing of criminal charges.
Nov. 26
Cornell University President Michael I. Kotlikoff issues a statement saying that the university is investigating the accusations and noting the suspensions of the fraternity and the students.
Jan. 14, 2025
Jane Doe files a complaint with the university Title IX coordinator, who is responsible for investigating internal accusations of discrimination and harassment of so-called protected classes of people. A Title IX inquiry is opened.
May
Cornell’s Title IX committee holds at least 12 hearings involving the accusations.
Nov. 4
Cornell releases a statement on the results of its 2025 survey of sexual assault and related misconduct. The survey, taken by both students and staff members, notes an increase in sexual misconduct and says alcohol has a role in more than half of reported cases.
Sept. 16, 2026
Jane Doe, in a detailed complaint, sues Cornell, university leaders, the fraternity and seven men who she says assaulted her. Also named in the suit is her sorority, Delta Delta Delta, which she accuses of failing to protect her.
Sept. 21
The student newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, publishes an editorial identifying the seven men and criticizing university leaders for their handling of the case.
Sept. 28
Van Houten says his office is reopening the case and preparing to bring it to a grand jury.
On Wednesday, PFS unveiled the first 50 films that will play as part of the film festival, which runs from Oct. 15-25.
The lineup includes films such as the Venice Film Festival-premiering Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine. Among the star-studded lineup are the Cannes-premiering films Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord and Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden, andBeth de Araújo’s Josephine which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Simon Stone’s Elsinore, which stars Andrew Scott, is also part of the program.
Outside the filming of David Lynch’s “Eraserhead” at the Film Society Center on Oct. 5, 2025.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
PFF35 will also host the world premieres of four films by area filmmakers in the Filmadelphia section. That list includes Hoag Kepner’s Big Phan, Doree Simon Hatfield’s Gentle By Birth, Andrew Sullivan’s I Don’t Want to Drink Your Blood Anymore, and Max Korman’s Joy Will Prevail.
Among other program highlights are Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas, Danny Boyle’s Ink, and William and David Greaves’ Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a film that was shot in 1972 by William Greaves but completed by his son David years after his death.
J. Andrew Greenblatt, PFS CEO and executive director, said this year’s milestone is “incredibly special” and he and other organizers anticipate this year’s edition will be the most expansive in the festival’s history.
“This one, I think, will be larger, with features and a couple dozen narratives we’ve had for the last several decades. The intention is for it to be larger than that.”
Like every year, this year’s festival will feature filmmaker Q&As, red carpet events, opening and closing night parties, and surprise guests.
Moviegoers take in a recent screening at the Philadelphia Film Center.Philadelphia Film Society
Greenblatt anticipates upward of 110 films will be screened throughout the 11-day festival, across PFS’s three theaters.
The PFS will also host a preliminary event that honors both the 35th anniversary of the festival and the 25th anniversary of PFS. That event, called Reel October, is a two-week showcase of films projected on 35mm at Film Society Center.
The series kicks off with screenings of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi on Sept. 30, and ends on Oct. 11 with The Exorcist.
Greenblatt said the dual celebration is one he and other programmers have anticipated for years.
“It’s a lot of fun and something we have been planning for a long time because it’s something special for the industry. And it’s something we haven’t taken lightly,” he said.
Philadelphia Film CenterPhiladelphia Film Society
PFS board director Jen Su said these collective efforts are designed to demonstrate how the festival has forged community and continuously sparked viewers’ curiosity.
“They come because they genuinely want to discover something new, hear from filmmakers and experience films together in a theater,” she said.
But it’s also a moment, she said, for viewers to look ahead at the next generation of filmmakers and to inspire emerging storytellers to continue pursuing their dreams.
The full festival lineup will be announced on Oct. 7.
The 35th Philadelphia Film Festival takes place from Oct. 15-25. Festival badges and passes are available for purchase. filmadelphia.org.
Last month, I saw a single mother in my medical clinic who had recently lost her SNAP food benefits. She was now struggling to afford enough food for her three children, including solid foods that her 9-month-old baby needed for growth and development. Stories like hers are becoming more common as federal SNAP cuts strain families at a time when food insecurity is higher than at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a pediatrician in Philadelphia, I care for many infants and families who rely on the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program for nutritional support. I referred this patient to WIC, but I can’t prescribe her the necessary childcare, transportation, and time off work to visit her WIC office every few months, as required in Pennsylvania to receive benefits. These logistical barriers have long challenged Pennsylvania participants, as well as many of the nearly 12 million people nationwide who are eligible for WIC each year.
For families already struggling to put food on the table, these are not minor inconveniences. They often determine if a family can access adequate nutrition at all. The good news is the pandemic showed us a path to overcome this.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued emergency waivers allowing WIC agencies to offer remote appointments and services. Nearly all state agencies reported that the changes made WIC more accessible. They provided a lifeline for WIC families when in-person visits were almost impossible.
Earlier this month, Congress passed a temporary funding bill that keeps the program funded through the end of the year. Unfortunately, funding alone is not enough. Without action to extend remote services, families across the country risk losing WIC access due to work obligations, childcare needs, or travel barriers.
Congress should also support universal adoption of remote benefit loading. Pennsylvania is one of the few states that still does not allow participants to load their WIC benefits remotely, though it plans to introduce a digital WIC card in 2027. Research from the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 found a 14% improvement in WIC participation in states that allowed remote benefit transfer, compared to “offline” states.
Both the Modern WIC Act in the House and the 21st Century WIC Act in the Senate would formalize these changes, but neither has a clear path to passage. Like the National WIC Association and many public health organizations, I urge our lawmakers to prioritize these bills before the end-of-month deadline. All states should also commit to modernizing their WIC systems to make benefits and services easier for families to access.
In the last few years, WIC still hasn’t reached nearly half of those eligible. Traveling to appointments is consistently cited as a major barrier, especially for working parents, rural families far away from any WIC office, and those without reliable transportation.
Congress and state agencies must act together soon to protect families’ access to WIC, one of our country’s most valuable investments in maternal and child health. At a time when high cost of living and federal benefit cuts further threaten food security, we should strive to make WIC easier to use. No family should lose out on critical nutrition support because getting to a WIC appointment is harder than it needs to be.
William Zhuo-Ming Li is a pediatrician in his final year of residency training at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is interested in neonatal health equity and infant nutrition advocacy.
The U.S. men’s soccer team made it two wins in two games to start this season’s stretch of friendlies, beating Chile 4-2 on Tuesday in St. Louis.
Union defenders Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield were in the U.S. starting lineup, earning their first national team starts after making their debuts as substitutes in Saturday’s win over Peru.
Both played just over an hour, and while they weren’t perfect they showed their potential. Pierre had 74 touches, four clearances, one tackle, and four defensive recoveries, and completed 60 of 68 passes. Westfield had 46 touches, two interceptions, one tackle, and three recoveries, and completed 27 of 34 passes.
As with the Peru game, U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino mixed young and old players. But with 10 changes to the starting lineup, it wasn’t surprising that there was a lack of chemistry early.
Sergiño Dest (left) watches Frankie Westfield battle for the ball with Chile’s Nils Reichmuth (right) during the first half.Jeff Roberson
Chile looked better, forcing U.S. goalkeeper Chris Brady into four saves before Ben Brereton Díaz hit the crossbar in the 34th minute. Barely a minute later, Darío Osorio hit a post.
The U.S. scored first, though, in the 37th. After Gio Reyna and Sergiño Dest combined down the left, Dest uncorked some fancy footwork on a charge forward, then squared for Julian Hall. But the striker deftly let the ball run between his legs, and an onrushing Sebastian Berhalter slammed it home.
Sebastian Berhalter scores again to make it 1-0 for USMNT.
Chile equalized in first-half stoppage time off a second straight corner kick that the U.S. failed to clear. Nearly a dozen players combined from the teams piled into each other in the six-yard box, and Diego Ulloa got the decisive touch.
The teams agreed to use nine substitutes each. Pochettino made his first at halftime, removing Brady and sending in Brian Schwake of MLS-leading Nashville SC.
That ensured each of the four goalkeepers on this U.S. roster would have a half of action under their belts heading into Saturday’s showdown with rival Mexico in Glendale, Ariz. (10 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62).
Schwake got a rough welcome. Within four minutes, Maxi Gutiérrez beat a high-pressing Westfield on the flank, then raced away, cut in, and curled a superb 20-yarder around Pierre.
Pochettino made five changes at the hour mark, and all the entrants were veterans: Tyler Adams for Adri Mehmeti, Alex Freeman for Westfield, Chris Richards for Pierre, Auston Trusty for Miles Robinson, and Malik Tillman for Dest.
Two more swaps came in the 71st: Damion Downs for Hall and Mathis Albert replaced Reyna.
But for all the attacking moves, a centerback gave the U.S. the lead. Richards was unmarked when Berhalter’s corner arrived in the box, and had a wide-open lane for a thumping header.
The last substitute was Cavan Sullivan for Berhalter in the 83rd, earning the Northeast Philadelphian native his second cap a day after celebrating his 17th birthday.
Albert, another 17-year-old, finished off the scoring in the 93rd by getting on the end of a free kick play. Robinson served it, Trusty headed it from the end line into the middle of the box, and the Borussia Dortmund winger charged forward to slam it off the bar and in.
Chile took out its anger over the night after that when Leandro Hernández kicked at Schwake after he had picked up the ball. Richards took exception, and within seconds there was a full-scale melee including the benches — even the coaches. Pochettino ended up right in the middle of it.
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military announced on Wednesday that it has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last U.S. troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal between Baghdad and Washington.
The withdrawal, agreed on two years ago, comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between the United States and Iran that has also sometimes spilled over into Iraq, with Iran-backed militias firing on U.S. troops and the U.S. striking the groups’ strongholds.
In recent years, Washington has appeared to seek to shift its focus from the Middle East toward Asia, but that shift has been inconsistent, with the Pentagon alternating between reducing its Mideast presence and then finding itself engaging in new conflicts — including the ongoing war in Iran.
Baghdad touted the end of the U.S. mission as a sign of the country’s increasing strength and sovereignty.
The withdrawal was also celebrated by Iran-backed groups but raised concerns among some other Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region, where many fear a resurgence of IS as well as more attacks by Iran-linked groups, possibly emboldened by the departure of U.S. forces.
Meanwhile, questions loom around the future of the Iraqi militias, which the Baghdad government has sought to disarm, with little success so far.
A new phase in Iraq after decades of US involvement
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that U.S. troops and equipment had completed an “orderly departure” from the air base in Irbil, in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
“This milestone reflects the success of a 12-year campaign that defeated ISIS as an organized military threat in Iraq and across the region,” he said. “It also marks a transition from a wartime coalition mission to an Iraqi-led security effort supported by a more normal bilateral security relationship.”
He added that the U.S. military “will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to our Iraqi partners.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi presided over the handover ceremony and described the U.S. withdrawal as the beginning of a “new phase, one defined by Iraq’s sovereignty, the strength of its institutions, the readiness of its forces, the unity of its decision-making, and balanced partnerships with its friends.”
He said Iraqi security forces will continue the fight against IS and the government will ensure that non-state groups no longer hold weapons.
U.S. troops invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. They departed in 2011, but three years later, Iraqi authorities invited a smaller U.S.-led mission to fight the Islamic State group, which had rampaged across Iraq, seizing large swaths of territory.
With the extremist group reduced to scattered sleeper cells, Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind the mission down.
U.S. troops pulled out of bases in most areas of Iraq last year but maintained a small presence of hundreds of troops in the semiautonomous northern Kurdish region. Bases there have regularly come under attack since the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran-backed Iraqi militias also have coordinated with Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia.
While a handful of less-influential militias have agreed to turn over their weapons, powerful groups close to Iran rejected the prospect or set conditions for disarming that the government would be unlikely to meet.
Al-Zaidi has since walked back the deadline. He told The New York Times earlier this month that the deadline for militia disarmament has been pushed to June 2027.
The effects of the U.S. withdrawal may not be immediately visible, particularly since the U.S. military presence had already been scaled down. But officials in Iraq’s Kurdish region have expressed anxiety about the departure and particularly about the removal of U.S. air defense systems.
The Kurdish regional government’s Peshmerga Ministry said the Kurdish region had faced more than 1,000 drone and ballistic-missile attacks during the recent U.S.-Iran conflict.
“The departure of the United States from the Kurdistan Region under these complex regional circumstances, without the provision of a defense system, is a matter of concern,” the statement said.
Iran-allied groups in Iraq, meanwhile, have celebrated the U.S. withdrawal.
“The expulsion of the occupation forces, defeated, from the land of Iraq is the beginning of full sovereignty,” Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a security official with the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia, said in a statement.
He added a warning to al-Zaidi and his government not to carry out American plans, threatening that “any government that does not work for the benefit of the people will be overthrown by all means.”
He was right Tuesday to use Jhoan Duran in the seventh inning to protect a one-run lead against the top of Atlanta’s lineup in their 5-3 loss in Game 1 of their wild-card playoff series. The Phillies couldn’t get to the ninth inning unless they got through the seventh, and Duran needed just 12 pitches. That inning against Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuna Jr. was the highest-leverage situation of the game. Duran was the right pitcher for that spot.
Mattingly’s decision to send Duran back for the eighth is fair to criticize until you think about the manager’s other options.
The Phillies ignored their bullpen all season, giving Mattingly one option Tuesday: be desperate. A properly constructed roster doesn’t force the manager to use the closer in the seventh inning and consider using that pitcher for nine outs. Other playoff teams have more than one trusted high-leverage arm. That’s the hand Mattingly was dealt. Somehow it almost worked.
Duran recorded the first two outs of the eighth on three pitches and then almost finished the inning on an 85.5 mph grounder. If Trea Turner makes that play, no one is questioning Duran in the eighth. Then the collapse happened. But who should Mattingly have used in the eighth?
Jonathan Bowlan hasn’t pitched in two weeks and had allowed runs in five of six appearances before going to the injured list. Andrew Painter’s only two relief appearances were as a bulk reliever following an opener. It would’ve been foolish to tap Painter there after Duran sped through the seventh. José Alvarado? We’ve seen that before. It wasn’t conventional but asking Duran to pitch a second inning was the right choice, especially in the postseason.
Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (left) jogs off the field after the final out as the Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias (center) celebrates their win with Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (right).Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran reacts after giving up a three-run homer to the Atlanta Braves Austin Riley in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerAtlanta Braves Austin Riley celebrates his three-run homer in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran reacts after giving up a three-run homer to the Atlanta Braves Austin Riley in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran reacts after catching a line drive off the bat of Atlanta Braves Matt Olson in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryson Stott celebrates after he scores in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryan De La Cruz (right) celebrates with Bryson Stott after they both scored on J.T. Realmuto hit in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto knocks in two runs in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryson Stott singles in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Derek Hill reaches for a ball of the bat of Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Alex McFarlane pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryce Harper strikes out in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber singles in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto strikes out to end the fifth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies second baseman Edmundo Sosa celebrates his fifth inning double.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo reacts to the third out in the third inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerAtlanta Braves Ha-Seong Kim tags Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner as he tries to steal second base in the third inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (left) and Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (center) talks as pitching coach Caleb Cotham makes a visit after the Phillies game up a run to the Atlanta Braves.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerAtlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale pitches in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber and Derek Hill (right) celebrate after Schwarber scores on an Alec Bohm double in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Alec Bohm hits a RBI double in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryce Harper (right) and Trea Turner greet each other before the start of game 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Phils’ big splash this winter was Brad Keller, who struggled before undergoing Tommy John surgery that will likely cost him next season. They acknowledged their bullpen need at the trade deadline by adding Brooks Raley, who pitched so poorly he was left off the postseason roster. The other additions last winter were names you probably already forgot. The Phillies have a $320 million payroll yet tried to build their bullpen off Temu. So don’t blame Mattingly for trusting his only option.
Tuesday could have been avoided had the Phils added more last winter or been more aggressive at the trade deadline. It also could have been avoided if Zack Wheeler didn’t have to start Sunday in Game 162. They could’ve used Wheeler and Luzardo to steal Game 1. But Wheeler’s unavailable unless the Phils win Game 2 on Wednesday. Credit the bullpen there, too. One less seventh-inning meltdown and the Phils could’ve secured a playoff berth before the season’s final day.
How the Phillies have three catchers on their postseason roster. What do you do with three catchers in a three-game series? That’s like the Eagles dressing four quarterbacks. The construction of the bullpen got a lot of attention after Tuesday’s loss, but don’t overlook how a team with a $320 million payroll started Derek Hill, Bryan De La Cruz, and Edmundo Sosa at No. 5, 6, and 8 while Atlanta had Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley hitting 5-7.
We’ll always wonder…
What would have happened had Turner made that play in the eighth inning? It was difficult, but it was the play I envisioned Turner making when the Phillies signed him to that $300 million contract. I thought the Phillies were signing a future MVP shortstop who could do everything. I’ve never been more underwhelmed by a Philadelphia athlete. Tuesday was just another chapter.
Game 2 starter Tyler Mahle has a 2.28 ERA in four starts against the Phillies this season.Erik S. Lesser
It’s going to be tough to…
Beat Tyler Mahle on Wednesday. He faced the Phillies twice in six days earlier this month, allowing one earned run in 13 innings as the Braves started to run away with the division. He struggled in San Francisco but was much better there after returning from the injured list in late June and blooming into a smart buy-low candidate at the trade deadline.
He dominated the Phillies by mostly throwing a fastball and splitter as he simplified his arsenal since joining the Braves. He doesn’t throw hard but has a ground-ball rate similar to Jesús Luzardo and induced 19 groundouts over those two starts against the Phils. He’ll be looking for that weak contact again.
Cristopher Sánchez will start for the Phillies in Game 2 on Wednesday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
But I still think…
Cristopher Sánchez can save the season. He’s still one of the best pitchers in baseball and can win you a playoff game. But that loss was a gut punch. The Phils suffered playoff gut punches in Atlanta in 2022 and 2023 and won the series. But they had a day off after both of those losses before regrouping at home in front of a crazy crowd. But there’s no bat spike without Rhys Hoskins misplaying that ball in Game 2. And there’s no stare down without Bryce Harper being caught on the base paths. The Phillies have responded before. They’ll just have to recover quicker this time. They have the pitcher to do it.
The Phillies (1-1) tied up their wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves (1-1) with a 4-3 win in Game 2 Wednesday. Game 3 will take place Thursday.
Alec Bohm, Phillies find their power late to beat the Braves and force a Game 3
Alec Bohm celebrates after hitting the game-winning home run in the 10th inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Staring down the potential end of his Phillies tenure, Alec Bohm set up against Didier Fuentes in the 10th inning.
With the Phillies facing elimination from their wild-card series in Game 2, and Bohm nearing free agency, it was fair to wonder as he dug in if it could be his final at-bat in a Phillies uniform. But with one swing, Bohm ensured the season would extend another day. The infielder powered a fastball over the wall in right field to put the Phillies in front for a 4-3 victory over Atlanta in 10 innings on Wednesday.
Backed by gutsy pitching performances from start to finish, the Phillies staved off elimination and forced a Game 3 to decide the series on Thursday. Rookie Andrew Painter pitched the final three innings to get the win in his playoff debut. The Braves advanced the go-ahead run to first on a pair of singles in the 10th, but Painter did not falter. He went right after Dominic Smith, getting two swings on his changeup.
Harper moved back to right field at the trade deadline in a switch he and the Phillies thought might give them the best chance to win in October. But a misread on a fly ball from Drake Baldwin in a crucial moment in the seventh led to it going over his head and Atlanta taking the lead.
He found a way to redeem himself with his bat. Three pitches after Schwarber sent one from Dylan Lee 447 feet, Harper gave a slider a ride to right center to tie the game at 3.
Andrew Painter celebrates with teammates after the Phillies’ Game 2 win.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
We know the Phillies and Braves will face off in Game 3 Thursday. We just don’t yet know when.
Under most scenarios, Game 3 will start at 2 p.m. Thursday on NBC, just like Games 1 and 2.
If the only remaining series are Phillies-Braves and White Sox-Astros, then Game 3 would start at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Game 3 will also start at 8 p.m. if Phillies-Braves is the only remaining series heading into Thursday.
If the Phillies overcome the odds and manage to defeat the Braves, they’ll advance to the National League divisional series and face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1 would be Saturday at either 4 p.m. on Fox or 9 p.m. on FS1, depending how the wild-card round plays out.
Kyle Schwarber pumps his fist after hitting a solo homer in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA – Andrew Painter locked it down.
With a tap of his cap, Painter challenged the final pitch, got a called strike against Dominic Smith, and the Phillies celebrated a come-from-behind 4-3 victory to even their best-of-three wildcard series.
The season will come down to Game 3 on Thursday.
Painter entered in relief in the eighth inning and tossed three scoreless innings. The 23-year-old rookie gave up three hits and struck out the side in the 10th – with singles by Mauricio Dubon and Michael Harris II mixed in.
Alec Bohm’s go-ahead solo homer in the 10th inning was the difference after Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back solo homers in the eighth inning to tie the game.
The Phillies are expected to have both Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler available to pitch in Game 3. The Braves haven’t named a starter but could counter with right-hander Grant Holmes.
ATLANTA – Alec Bohm whipped his right arm in the air as he rounded the bases.
Bohm gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead in the 10th inning with a two-out solo homer into the right-field bleachers. They rallied from a 3-1 deficit with back-to-back solo homers, also to right field, by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the eighth inning.
Andrew Painter, who held the Braves scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, will return to the mound to pitch the 10th against dangerous Matt Olson, Mauricio Dubon, and Austin Riley.
The Phillies and Braves enter extra tinnings tied 3-3, but they won’t be joined by any “ghost runners.”
MLB’s designated runner rule puts a player on second base to begin each half-inning if a game is tied after nine innings. The rule was an attempt to preserve pitching staffs and avoid extra-long regular season games.
But during the playoffs, that rule is out the window.
Phillies tie the Braves on back-to-back homers by Schwarber and Harper
ATLANTA – If ever there was a time for a one-two punch, this was it.
Kyle Schwarber.
Bryce Harper.
Boom. Boom.
Trailing 3-1 in the eighth inning, with the Braves bringing tough lefty reliever Dylan Lee into the game, Schwarber and Harper hit the first back-to-back homers for the Phillies in the postseason since Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell on Oct. 3, 2007 in Game 1 of the NL division series against Colorado.
Harper’s homer was redemptive after he misjudged a fly ball that went over his head for a go-ahead RBI double by Drake Baldwin in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Braves take the lead after Bryce Harper misplays fly ball
Bryce Harper couldn’t catch a ball off the bat of Braves catcher Drake Baldwin in the seventh inning. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA – Bryce Harper froze.
With runners on first and second in the seventh inning of a tie game, Drake Baldwin hit a line drive to right field. Harper misjudged it, and by the time he began to retreat to the right-field wall, the ball went over his head.
Sean Murphy scored from second base with the go-ahead run before the Braves tacked on with a sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 lead and knock Cristopher Sanchez from the game.
The seventh inning began with Sanchez throwing a close pitch to Murphy. Unlike last year, when Sanchez had a borderline pitch to Alex Call go against him in the seventh inning of an elimination game against the Dodgers, plate umpire Adam Beck called a strike. But Murphy challenged with the automatic ball-strike system and got the call overturned.
Murphy overturned another called strike later in the at-bat and drew a leadoff walk. He slid safely into second base on a sacrifice bunt by Ha-Seong Kim to give the Braves a two-on, one-out rally.
Sanchez struck out Ronald Acuna Jr. before Harper’s gaffe on Baldwin’s drive. After Ozzie Albies walked intentionally, Matt Olson lifted the sacrifice fly.
With that, the Phillies lifted Sanchez, who threw 116 pitches, the most he has thrown in a game in his career.
ATLANTA — When the Phillies rearranged their infield after the trade deadline, Don Mattingly noted that Alec Bohm’s move to first base was the least of his concerns.
“I’ve seen him enough at first,” Mattingly said. “I felt he was really good at first.”
Bohm might have saved the season in the sixth inning when he started a double play to get Cristopher Sanchez out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation.
Michael Harris II hit a chopper to Bohm, who fielded it and threw to home plate to force out Ozzie Albies. Then, he snagged the return throw from catcher J.T. Realmuto, which appeared to be up the line.
Sánchez gets out of a jam, but his pitch count is climbing
ATLANTA — Cristopher Sánchez sidestepped a Braves rally in the fifth inning.
That was the good news for the Phillies.
But while Sánchez worked around a one-out double by Sean Murphy to strand the go-ahead run on second base — with an assist to catcher J.T. Realmuto — he also walked off the mound having thrown a total of 80 pitches.
After Murphy’s double, Realmuto challenged an 0-1 pitch to No. 9-hitting Ha-Seong Kim. It was overturned, leading to an 0-2 count. Kim fouled off the next pitch, which Realmuto caught against the netting behind home plate for the second out.
The Phillies walked Ronald Acuna Jr. intentionally before getting Drake Baldwin to ground out.
Cristopher Sanchez throws in the first inning of Game 1 against the Braves.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — Don Mattingly said before today’s Game 2 that he expects to push Cristopher Sánchez deep into his start today, if he can.
“As long as he’s throwing the ball good, getting outs,” Mattingly said. “I can’t push him if he’s giving up runs.”
So far, so good on that front. Sánchez gave up a first-inning run on a walk, two stolen bases, and a single, but he has not allowed another hit since to Atlanta. Through three innings, he has used 51 pitches, but he seems to be getting stronger and more dialed in with his location. In the third inning, Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t lift the bat off his shoulder once, striking out on three pitches and was visibly frustrated in the dugout afterward.
Sánchez’s changeup is working so far, too. Out of Atlanta’s six swings on the pitch, five have been whiffs.
ATLANTA — A leadoff walk to Ronald Acuña Jr. came back to bite Cristopher Sánchez and the Phillies as the Braves tied things back up in the bottom of the inning.
Acuña stole second and then third, as Edmundo Sosa did not cover the bag allowing the Braves star to advance without a throw. And when Matt Olson’s ground ball found a gap on the right side of the infield, Acuña came home easily.
Atlanta put Sánchez to work a bit in the first. Olson’s single was the only hit he allowed, but the Braves fouled off a lot of pitches, driving his pitch count up to 23. He will have to become more efficient if he is to go deep into this game like the Phillies hope.
The Phillies could have done even more early damage against Braves righty Tyler Mahle. With runners on the corners, Harper was off on contact when Bryson Stott hit a tapper back to the mound. Harper was caught in a run down and was tagged out diving back to third.
Even so, the Phillies still had two runners on for Brandon Marsh, but the outfielder chased two splitters in the dirt to strike out and end the rally there.
Tyler Mahle has a 2.28 ERA against the Phillies this season. Gene J. Puskar
ATLANTA — The Phillies have a lot of familiarity with Atlanta’s Game 2 starter Tyler Mahle.
This season, they have faced the right-hander four times: twice with the Giants, and twice with the Braves after Mahle was traded there. Relying mainly on his fastball and splitter, Mahle has held them to a 2.28 ERA this season.
“We haven’t solved that riddle really well yet, but we’ll see today,” Mattingly said.
Since the Aug. 2 trade to Atlanta, he’s become even sharper. Mahle had a 5.13 ERA in 18 starts with San Francisco but a 1.99 ERA in nine starts with Atlanta. But Mattingly thinks the Phillies hitters’ familiarity could be an asset while game-planning.
“There’s going to be a plan for each guy individually,” Mattingly said. “Like if I’m a good high ball hitter, I’m gonna push this guy up in the zone. Get him down for a little while, see if he throw strikes down there. But if you’re a guy that hits the ball down, that split may end up being right where I like it. So it depends with each guy, but there should be a solid approach.”
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran threw 27 pitches in Game 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA – If the Phillies have a lead in the late innings today, will they have their star closer available?
Jhoan Duran threw 27 pitches in Game 1, his highest total since Aug. 16. He entered in the seventh inning and retired the side but began to tire in the eighth and allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to Austin Riley on a 100-mph fastball over the heart of the plate.
But Duran is the Phillies’ best reliever – by a wide margin. Interim manager Don Mattingly won’t stray from using him in Game 2, assuming he’s available. Asked after Game 1 if he would be able to pitch, Duran said, “Maybe yes, maybe not,” depending on how he felt after playing catch Wednesday.
Mattingly said he expected to receive a “thumbs up” from Duran but was waiting until for the relievers to go through their pregame workouts.
“Well, it’s like every other day; we’ll see how he throws the ball,” Mattingly said. “He’s been honest with us all year long. If he feels good or not, or he’s good to go, then we go with that.”
Zack Wheeler not available Wednesday, Aaron Nola could pitch in ‘total emergency’
Zack Wheeler takes the field before Game 2 between the Phillies and Braves Wednesday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — If the Phillies are able to extend their season, Zack Wheeler and probably Aaron Nola would be in the pitching plans Thursday for a decisive Game 3 of the wild-card miniseries.
Wheeler isn’t available out of the bullpen here Wednesday after having thrown 97 pitches in the regular-season finale Sunday, according to interim manager Don Mattingly. But the ace is expected to be a factor Thursday, possibly even to start, on three days’ rest.
“I would think so,” Mattingly said. “I would think so. And even (Thursday) anyway, if Noles starts it.”
Speaking of Nola, he started Saturday night on two days’ rest in a desperate move that backfired when he allowed three runs in the first inning. He’s available Wednesday only in “a total emergency,” Mattingly said, as the Phillies hope to save him for a Game 3 start.
“He threw his (between-starts) pen the other day, so he’s built up for it,” Mattingly said. “Yeah, we expect him to take the ball tomorrow.”
Bryson Stott won’t bat cleanup after all.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
After releasing a lineup featuring Bryson Stott batting cleanup, the Phillies revised their Game 2 batting order to have Alec Bohm batting fourth. Stott will instead bat fifth.
“Clerical error when we sent it out,” interim manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday morning.
Why do the Phillies have three catchers on their playoff roster?
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto knocked in two runs during Game 1. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
I’m still thinking about how the Phillies have three catchers on their postseason roster – J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchán, and Garrett Stubbs
What do you do with three catchers in a three-game series? That’s like the Eagles dressing four quarterbacks.
The construction of the bullpen got a lot of attention after Tuesday’s loss, but don’t overlook how a team with a $320 million payroll started Derek Hill, Bryan De La Cruz, and Edmundo Sosa at No. 5, 6, and 8 while Atlanta had Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley hitting 5-7.
One reason the Phillies could still beat the Braves
If the Phillies win Game 2, they can turn to Zack Wheeler for an all-hand-on-deck Game 3.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Despite wasting an exceptional outing from Jesús Luzardo, the Phillies should have a pitching advantage in Games 2 and 3.
Tyler Mahle, who is starting Game 2, was excellent after being acquired at the trade deadline from San Francisco, and allowed just one run this season in three starts against the Phils.
But he did get roughed up by the Reds last week in his final start of the regular season and had a 5.13 ERA with the Giants before coming to Atlanta. He’s human and Cristopher Sánchez is the better pitcher who the Phils hope can do enough to force a Game 3.
If so, the Phils will have all hands on deck (even Zack Wheeler) against Grant Holmes. The Braves placed Bryce Elder and Martin Perez on the injured list in September, depleting even more of their options after Chris Sale and Mahle. If the Phils win one of the first two games, they’ll take their chances in an elimination game against Holmes.
Cristopher Sánchez to start Game 2, and they’ll need him to go deep
Cristopher Sánchez went 0-2 against the Braves this season.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
The Phillies will pin their hopes of staying alive in the playoffs to Cristopher Sánchez, and he did win 18 games with a 2.91 ERA. They went 23-10 in his starts, albeit only 8-6 on the road and 0-2 against the Braves.
But unless Sánchez throws a complete game, Phillies manager Don Mattingly will face the conundrum of how to get the last three, six, or more outs from less than a handful of trustworthy options.
Zack Wheeler would be on two days’ rest after throwing 97 pitches Sunday in the must-win regular-season finale. Aaron Nola would be on three days’ rest after starting on two days’ rest Saturday night. And the Phillies probably need to hold him back to start a potential Game 3 here Thursday.
Duran threw 27 pitches, his highest total since Aug. 16. Could he pitch again Wednesday in Game 2?
“Maybe yes, maybe not,” he said. “I don’t know. I need to do my catch play first.”
Rookie righty Alex McFarlane will be available after only 16 pitches in the sixth inning. But he gave up the go-ahead run on a hard single by Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies’ triple off over center fielder Derek Hill’s outstretched glove at the wall in right-center field.
Mattingly suggested that Jonathan Bowlan was an option in the ninth inning if Duran had gotten through the eighth. Rookie starter Andrew Painter will sit in the bullpen again, and could easily get a phone call even though he hasn’t pitched in relief.
Tyler Mahle will take the mound looking to eliminate the Phillies.Erik S. Lesser
It’s going to be tough to beat Atlanta Braves starter Tyler Mahle on Wednesday.
He faced the Phillies twice in six days earlier this month, allowing one earned run in 13 innings as the Braves started to run away with the division. He struggled in San Francisco but was much better there after returning from the injured list in late June and blooming into a smart buy-low candidate at the trade deadline.
Mahle dominated the Phillies by mostly throwing a fastball and splitter as he simplified his arsenal since joining the Braves. He doesn’t throw hard but has a ground-ball rate similar to Jesús Luzardo and induced 19 groundouts over those two starts against the Phils. He’ll be looking for that weak contact again.
History isn’t on the side of a Phillies’ wild-card comeback
Jhoan Duran reacts after giving up a three-run homer in Game 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
If the Phillies hope to come back against the Atlanta Braves, they’ll also need to overcome history.
For starters, the Phillies will need to win two straight games against the Braves to move on to the National League Division Series. Over the past month, the Phillies have won games on back-to-back days just once – Sept. 16 and 17 against the Washington Nationals.
Since 2022, when MLB made the best-of-three wild-card series permanent, 16 teams have gone down 0-1. Just one team — the New York Yankees in 2025 — managed to come back to win the series.
There’s also Phillies history to overcome. Philly is 0-9 all-time when losing Game 1 in any postgame series.
Interim manager Don Mattingly before the Phillies loss to the Braves in Game 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
ATLANTA — As Don Mattingly settled into his seat on the golf cart to return to his clubhouse after he’d mismanaged his flawed roster into an eighth-inning collapse, Braves ace Chris Sale strode toward the interview room to discuss his role in the Braves’ 5-3 win in Game 1 of the National League wild-card series.
With his magnificent left hand, Sale doffed his cap and tipped it in Mattingly’s direction. Mattingly’s head was down, understandably. Sale, persistent, took his cap off and tipped it again. Mattingly nodded appreciatively.
After Mattingly’s performance Tuesday, that might be the last time the pair sees each other for a long, long time. Mattingly is the Phillies’ interim manager, and he wants to come back next season. A report last month said Mattingly would have to win the NL pennant to make that happen.
That yardstick got longer Tuesday.
Mattingly used his best reliever, closer Jhoan Duran, in a situation overwhelmingly foreign to Duran. The decision smacked of the odd and desperate moves that cost Rob Thomson the manager’s job 28 games into this season. Mattingly was installed by Phillies president Dave Dombrowski last winter as Thomson’s bench coach to mitigate misjudgments like this. Mattingly was promoted to interim manager in April with the assumption that such misjudgments would not continue.
For the first time, Lehigh Country Club in Allentown will host a PGA Tour Champions event when the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic takes place from Friday to Sunday.
The tournament will bring together 78 players for a three-day, 54-hole tournament. Competition begins Friday with gates opening at 8 a.m.
Tournament proceeds will go to local charities in Northeastern Pennsylvania and throughout the greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Regions. The main recipients of the tournament proceeds are the Eagles Autism Foundation, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, and Valley Youth House.
The PGA Tour Champions, a branch of the PGA Tour, is a tour for players 50 and older, and features many of the sport’s most accomplished veterans, including 35 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
The tour was established in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour and gives fans the opportunity to watch familiar names from years past compete in the next stage of their professional careers.
Unlike the PGA Tour, the Champions tournaments are typically three-round, 54-hole events. Players compete throughout the season for the Charles Schwab Cup, a season-long points race that concludes with the three-tournament Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.
The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic is one of 25 regular-season events on the 2026 schedule and is one of two tournaments added to the tour this year.
The tour’s mission includes creating substantial charitable and economic impact in tournament communities.
Who is playing?
Stewart Cink, a nine-time PGA Tour Champions winner and 2009 British Open champion, and Ernie Els, a former world No. 1, four-time major champion and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, will headline the field. Three other members of the World Golf Hall of Fame — Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie, and Vijay Singh — will also be in the field.
Eight of the top 10 players in the Charles Schwab Cup standings will compete this week. That includes Cink (1), Steven Alker (3), Goosen (5), Boo Weekley (6), George McNeill (7), Els (8), Ben Crane (9), and Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (10).
What does the champion receive?
The inaugural champion will take home $345,000 from the tournament’s $2.3 million purse.
Where to watch?
The tournament will air live on Golf Channel. Here’s the television schedule:
Tickets for the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic can be purchased on the tournament website. Children 17 and under will get in for free with a ticketed adult.
United States Armed Forces, veterans, and first responders will receive complimentary admission.
What can spectators expect?
The tournament’s spectator experience will extend beyond the golf course, with daily activities including the Wind Creek Tailgate Zone. The tailgate zone will feature a jumbo screen, Rita’s Ice truck, beverages from Yuengling, Good Boy Vodka, and Cellar Beast Winehouse, and Brand activations from sponsors including Wind Creek, Cadillac, and Comcast.
