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  • Phillies force Game 3 against Braves with comeback win; Schwarber, Harper with back-to-back bombs; live updates

    Phillies force Game 3 against Braves with comeback win; Schwarber, Harper with back-to-back bombs; live updates

    // Pinned

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 6:01pm

    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.

    Alec Bohm, Phillies find their power late to beat the Braves and force a Game 3

    — Lochlahn March

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 5:50pm

    When will Phillies-Braves Game 3 start?

    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.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 5:20pm

    Phillies win Game 2 in extra innings

    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.

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 5:06pm

    Andrew Painter starts the 10th to close Game 2

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 5:06pm

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 5:03pm

    Phillies take the lead in the 10th on Bohm homer

    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.

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 4:57pm

    Game 2 heads to extra innings, no ‘ghost runners’

    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.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 4:38pm

    Andrew Painter makes postseason debut coming out of the bullpen

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 4:32pm

    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.

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 4:21pm

    Braves add another run on Matt Olson sacrifice fly

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 4:18pm

    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.

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 4:05pm

    Phillies keep Game 2 tied with clutch double play

    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.

    Sanchez pumped his fist and screamed as he walked off the mound. His pitch count stands at 91 through six innings.

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 3:52pm

    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.

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 3:15pm

    Cristopher Sánchez cruises through three innings

    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.

    — Lochlahn March

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 2:38pm

    Braves even up Game 2 on Matt Olson RBI

    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.

    — Lochlahn March

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 2:20pm

    Bryce Harper RBI gives Phillies an early lead

    Trea Turner celebrates after scoring the first run in Game 2. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    ATLANTA — For the second consecutive day, the Phillies jumped out to a first-inning lead against the Braves.

    Trea Turner started off the game with a double, and scored on a single from Bryce Harper to give Cristopher Sánchez a 1-0 lead to work with.

    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.

    — Lochlahn March

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 2:09pm

    How the Phillies will approach Tyler Mahle

    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.”

    — Lochlahn March

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 1:32pm

    Jhoan Duran could pitch in Game 2 if needed

    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.”

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 11:45am

    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.”

    If there is one for the Phillies.

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 11:34am

    Phillies revise Game 2 lineup

    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.

    Here’s the rest of the Phillies’ lineup:

    1. SS Trea Turner
    2. DH Kyle Schwarber
    3. RF Bryce Harper
    4. 1B Alec Bohm
    5. 2B Bryson Stott
    6. LF Brandon Marsh
    7. 3B Edmundo Sosa
    8. CF Justin Crawford
    9.  C J.T. Realmuto

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 10:32am

    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.

    Don’t blame Don Mattingly for the Phillies’ Game 1 collapse. Can the season be saved?

    — Matt Breen

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 8:57am

    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.

    — Matt Breen

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 7:56am

    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.

    Short of a Cristopher Sánchez complete game, the Phillies will again face the issue that cost them Game 1

    — Scott Lauber

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 7:55am

    Phillies face a tough opponent in Tyler Mahle

    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.

    Don’t blame Don Mattingly for the Phillies’ Game 1 collapse; can the season be saved?

    — Matt Breen

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 7:50am

    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.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 7:45am

    Don Mattingly’s future with the Phillies in peril

    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.

    Yes.

    Well.

    Don Mattingly puts his future with the Phillies in peril as his strategy with Jhoan Duran backfires

    — Marcus Hayes

    Full wild-card schedule for Wednesday

    • Phillies (0-1) at Braves (1-0): 2 p.m. on NBC
    • White Sox (1-0) at Astros (0-1): 5 p.m. on NBCSN
    • Red Sox (0-1) at Yankees (1-0): 8 p.m. on NBC
    • Cubs (0-1) at Padres (1-0): 9:30 p.m. on NBCSN

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 09/30/26 7:40am

  • The PGA Tour Champions is coming to Allentown for the first Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic

    The PGA Tour Champions is coming to Allentown for the first Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic

    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.

    What is the PGA Tour Champions?

    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.

    Gift Share At the U.S. Amateur, Merion Golf Club caddies know the course like few others

    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:

    Friday

    • Round 1: Golf Channel, 12 p.m. — 3 p.m.

    Saturday

    • Round 2: Golf Channel, 12 p.m. — 3 p.m. and Golf Channel App, 3 p.m.-4 p.m.

    Sunday

    • Final Round: Golf Channel, 12 p.m. — 3 p.m.

    Where to buy tickets?

    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.

  • They moved to Havertown for the community. The house was a bonus.

    They moved to Havertown for the community. The house was a bonus.

    Caroline and Kevin Finnegan needed a larger home for their growing family and had specific goals: a community feel, lots of neighborhood kids, and walkability to a park, shopping, and restaurants.

    Though house hunting during the pandemic was difficult, they found the perfect place in Havertown nearly five years ago, a 2,300-square-foot Tudor-style home built in 1920.

    “We had always loved Havertown as a community,” said Caroline, owner and principal designer of Hendren House Interior Design in Havertown. “The house was an extra bonus when we saw its character and history.”

    She also saw signs that this was her forever home. Caroline had been very close with her grandfather, Francis “Frank” Grandizio. She and Kevin bought the house in 2021, 100 years after her grandfather was born and the same year he died.

    The outside of Caroline and Kevin Finnegan’s Tudor-style home in Havertown.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer

    “A family who lived here previously had written all their names in the cement in the foundation of the garage,” she recalled. “There are so many stories to this house that I don’t even know and I find that so wonderful.”

    And, she added, “I love that we get to create our own stories here.”

    Prior to moving in, the Finnegans removed the carpet and refinished the floors on the second level of the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house. They also gave the bathroom a facelift. In 2024 they embarked on a larger renovation, swapping the locations of the kitchen and dining room and outfitting those new rooms.

    A designer for more than 10 years, Caroline enjoyed the process of creating a home for her family, including sons James, 7, and Hudson, 5, and daughter Charlotte, 1.

    The living room features a wall of leaded glass windows that cast a grid of light and shadows.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer
    Caroline Finnegan’s grandfather’s blue plaid chair is a favorite item of hers.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer

    “I’m inspired by classic, timeless, traditional design that has a bit of a modern twist, that entails layering, patterns, texture, and color,” said Caroline. “I like unexpected color combinations.”

    She often chooses wallpaper instead of paint, particularly nature-inspired designs. A blue-and-white botanical print, a contemporary interpretation of toile, greets visitors in the foyer, while a lush mural transforms the dining room.

    The powder room is wrapped in a paper featuring oversized blue blooms and delicate foliage, a hand block print from Michael S. Smith’s Jasper line — Smith is one of her favorite designers. A sweet pink and gray pastel paper sets the tone for Charlotte’s room.

    “I love florals,” said Caroline. “My aunt, Kathleen Gallagher Standeven, was a big inspiration for me. She put floral prints on everything. If I’m allowed to pick a floral wallpaper, I always will.”

    The foyer is wallpapered with a blue and white toile-like print. Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer
    The bedroom of the Finnegans’ daughter, their youngest child. The wallpaper and shades both feature a colorful pattern.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer

    The living room, bathed in light from a wall of leaded glass windows, is home to Caroline’s favorite chair that once belonged to her beloved grandfather. Now reupholstered in blue plaid, it has become a favorite resting spot for Kevin.

    “I like sitting there in the morning with a cup of coffee, looking out through the glass windows in the front,” he said.

    Nearby sits the grandfather clock that originally belonged to Caroline’s maternal grandfather.

    “My husband and sons crank it every Saturday, which has become a special, fun tradition,” said Caroline.

    A grandfather clock is another heirloom, which the family enjoys cranking each week to keep it running.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer

    Though Kevin has little say in the design of the home, he is thrilled with his wife’s choices.

    “I don’t have much taste, and Caroline obviously knows what she is doing,” joked Kevin, a detective in Upper Darby. “I trust her, and just let her do her thing.”

    Though admittedly not an avid cook, Caroline especially appreciates her kitchen, where soft off-white and green hues create a connection to nature. The perimeter cabinets are painted Old White by Farrow & Ball, the island is Benjamin Moore Colonial Verdigris in the Williamsburg Paint Color Collection, and the pantry is a custom stain.

    The Carrara marble island is surrounded by stools where the children sit to enjoy weekend lunches and snacks. Well-organized drawers and shelves store food and kitchen gear. The custom-built cabinet, made by woodworker Nate Wagner, owner of Wagner’s Wood Specialties in Chalfont, does double duty as a coffee bar and storage unit, and is easy to close for an uncluttered look.

    The children enjoy snacks and lunches at the kitchen island.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer
    A custom kitchen cabinet serves as a coffee bar and storage solution.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer

    The dining room is the venue for the family’s important shared mealtime, when they catch up on the highlights of each member’s day.

    Grassy yards make up the front and back of the house, where the kids play with their neighborhood buddies while their parents watch from the side porch.

    “This neighborhood has been wonderful for our family,” said Caroline. “Havertown has such a deep sense of community.”

    Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.

  • Exclusive: Philly’s buzziest bar is expanding | Let’s Eat

    Exclusive: Philly’s buzziest bar is expanding | Let’s Eat

    Good day, friends. Cocktail destination Almanac, which has picked up national and local accolades in its first two years, has a new location on the way, and we’ll tell you about it.

    Also in this edition:

    • Soup for you: Black chefs gather for a summit to celebrate pepper pot, the Philadelphia delicacy.
    • Senior moment: Some retired poker buddies are on a quest to find the best cheesesteak they can find.
    • News: Read on for word of a new restaurant in West Chester and a chef’s homecoming in Cape May.

    — Mike Klein

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Second act for Philly’s buzziest bar

    No bar has received the attention that’s surrounded Old City’s Almanac in its first two years. Now the team is branching out with a two-level cocktail destination near Rittenhouse Square. Read on for the exclusive.

    Chefs are giving pepper pot its due

    Black chefs gathered recently at the home kitchen of Shola Olunloyo to celebrate, revive, and update pepper pot, Philadelphia’s signature soup. Don’t call it a comeback, as Craig LaBan writes.

    Seniors on a cheesesteak quest

    After playing poker at a 55-plus community in Moorestown, a group of retirees decided to raise the stakes steaks. They’ve embarked on a quest to find the ultimate cheesesteak. Sarah Nicell joined them on an outing to discuss rolls and cholesterol.

    About that Phillie Faux-natic on Broad Street

    Talk about wild cards: The Sprouts Farmers Market on South Broad Street wanted to create a fall display that looks like the Phillie Phanatic. But, as Beatrice Forman writes, what is got was an artistic swing and a miss.

    Is there a Michelin price bump?

    The Michelin Guide has loomed over Philadelphia’s restaurant scene for the last year. Charmaine Runes and our data team wondered if prices had risen as a result. They compared menus before and after restaurants received accolades, and here are the findings.

    The best thing Kiki Aranita ate last week

    Caramelle, a candy-shaped pasta, gives late-summer corn a rich, funky foil in huitlacoche and black truffle at Fiorella in the Italian Market. Kiki Aranita explains how this Italian-meets-Mexican connection works so deliciously.

    Scoops

    Chef John Brandt-Lee, who oversees Bar Avalon locations in Bryn Mawr and West Chester (as well as one of the funniest Instagram chef accounts around), is targeting November for the opening of Beef & Bird Public House at 30 N. Church St., the onetime firehouse that was last Slow Hand. Brandt-Lee says the approachable menu, a departure from his decades of Italian cuisine, will emphasize beef and chicken, including rotisserie chicken, sandwiches, entrees, and elaborate, family-style meat boards.

    Carl Messick, chef-owner of Cape May’s Grana BYOB, will take over restaurant operations at the town’s landmark Peter Shields Inn on Oct. 7, returning to the property where he worked for 11 years before opening Grana in 2022. Messick and wife Megan plan modest upgrades while restoring its focus on high-end dining; Grana will be the more relaxed of the two. He also plans to tailor Peter Shields’ offseason business to local diners. “The goal is to remind people what Peter Shields Inn is all about,” he said.

    Restaurant report

    Palm Vintage, across from City Hall, is two concepts in one: an airy cafe serving espresso drinks, sandwiches, and bagels by day, and a cocktail lounge by night. Kiki Aranita finds sushi rolls and sashimi sets rivaling some of Philly’s best.

    Have Philadelphia’s health inspections intensified lately? The city says no.

    YouTube star Ms. Rachel sent crowds to Blended Joe Coffee Bar in Washington Township, Gloucester County, with a social media post. Owner Eric Powell didn’t even know it at first, as Sarah Nicell reports. His phone was dead.

    Mel’s Italian in Belmont Hills, which rebooted earlier this year but closed soon after, is on the market. Asking price, which had been as high as $675,000, is now $549,000.

    Briefly noted

    How to have a perfect Philly day, according to the woman who makes a perfect latte. Beatrice Forman hangs out with Zoe Tanner (shown above), who works her magic at Loretta’s, on Head House Square.

    Sorrentino Pasta & Provisions in Ambler may have closed, but Rich Sorrentino’s ravioli is still available. He’s taken the business into the wholesale realm.

    A popular food truck from a Camden County nonprofit provides job training for people with disabilities. Lacey Latch explains that Three Little Birds Cafe was initially envisioned to serve primarily as a mobile advertisement for Arc of Camden County, but has evolved into something much larger.

    Actor Eric Winter (The Rookie) will sign bottles of Palm Republic rum, which he cofounded, beginning at noon Saturday at the Fine Wine & Good Spirits store at 2426 Chemical Rd., Plymouth Meeting. Bottles go on sale when the store opens at 9 a.m.; aged rum is $44.99 and silver rum is $34.99, with a two-bottle limit. Attendees must purchase the rum at the store that day, and Winter will not sign other items.

    Habit Burger previews its new Jenkintown-area location at Baederwood Shoppes (1621 The Fairway) with free meals to the first 200 guests at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Official debut is Monday.

    Standard Tap’s annual Sausage Fest is on through Oct. 4 at the Northern Liberties mainstay with 10 house-made sausages from chef Patrick Bones inspired by flavors from Portugal, China, Scotland, Thailand, Germany, France, Morocco, the Chesapeake, and Philadelphia. Order them all on one platter for $100, and you get a souvenir T-shirt.

    A Taste of Britain, the Wayne tea room, marks its 35th anniversary throughout October with a $35 three-course prix fixe menu, with a cut going to the Wayne Senior Center. The menu includes a choice of salad or scone, one of several sandwiches, a toastie or frittata, and orange posset or warm gingerbread for dessert. ATOB is also discounting its full afternoon tea for $35, down from $40, Mondays through Thursdays during October.

    Provenance in Society Hill hosts Chicago’s similarly Michelin-starred Esmé for a one-night collab Thursday. Among courses from chefs Nicholas Bazik and Jenner Tomaska: fresh oyster paired with white sweet potato ice cream, celery hot sauce, peanut miso, and caviar; scallop prepared with black truffle emulsion and Meyer lemon; and king crab tart. Seatings at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m., via OpenTable, are $225pp.

    Conshohocken’s St. Mary & St. Mercurius Coptic Orthodox Church will host an Egyptian block party featuring homemade food, crafts, and family activities from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. this weekend at Fifth and Fayette Streets. Details are here.

    Hi-Lo Taco in Washington Square West will send proceeds to benefit the Jefferson Community Health Collaborative as it marks National Taco Day from 4-9 p.m. Tuesday with $7 double-decker taco trays, half-price appetizers, and $6 house margaritas.

    Kalaya in Fishtown is teaming up with London’s Michelin-starred AngloThai for a one-night collaboration dinner Oct. 12, bringing chef John Chantarasak to Kalaya to cook with chef-owner Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon. It’s $165pp plus tax and tip, booked via Resy.

    Delicious City’s Hoagie Throwdown was postponed last weekend due to the severe weather. All tickets (as well as any you might order) will be honored on the new date: Oct. 25 at Other Half Brewing in Fishtown from noon-4 p.m..

    ❓Pop quiz

    Cheesecake Factory has been going viral for a particular dish, and it’s been driving staff bonkers. What is it?

    A) Cajun salmon

    B) Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake, done à la mode

    C) shepherd’s pie

    D) a burger the size of a watermelon

    Find out if you know the answer.

    Ask Mike anything

    Are there any good vegetarian restaurants in the Center City area? I know many can adapt to vegetarian — but not all — and sometimes, I just want to go to a place where I don’t have to work too hard to figure out what I can eat. — Dorothy V.

    There are the upscale vegan places like Vedge and Charlie Was a Sinner, as well as the more casual Bar Bombon, all in Washington Square West. For Chinese, there is Unit Su Vege near the Art Museum. My colleague Kiki Aranita enjoyed the vegetarian dishes at Meet Harbin, a new Chinese spot at 15th and Sansom that replaced Cheng Du and Su Xing House. If you’re looking for something on the quirkier side, there’s Monster Vegan in Washington Square West, which has a “horror show” theme. And how seasonal!

    ➡️ Readers offer additional recommendations for overall restaurants near Lantern Theater, 10th and Market Streets (“Let’s Eat,” Sept. 16), and Chinatown seems to be a popular option. Suet L. suggests EMei for Sichuan, Ting Wong for “no-frills Cantonese roast meats, rice plates, and Hong Kong noodle soups,” and Spice-C for “homey hand-drawn noodles,” while Susan H. has a soft spot for Tom’s Dim Sum.

    📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • Hannah Gann’s racial misrepresentation was a product of the lies we tell ourselves about identity

    Hannah Gann’s racial misrepresentation was a product of the lies we tell ourselves about identity

    Let’s start with the easy part: Philadelphia teacher Hannah Gann should not have pretended to be Black and Palestinian. I cannot — and will not — excuse that.

    But I think I can explain it.

    Gann seems to have believed the biggest myth of modern America: that identity is destiny. Your race and ethnicity determine how you think and act. So your membership in a given group gives you a special kind of insight that outsiders can never share.

    That echoes the fallacy of white racists, the original practitioners of American identity politics. You can find traces of it in Vice President JD Vance’s tributes to “Heritage Americans,” or in the recent rants against Black and brown football fans by a Texas political candidate. We got here first, the argument goes, and our experiences make us more legitimately American than anyone else.

    Never mind that Native Americans lived on these shores for centuries before any white person arrived. Our race is our truth, the white-identity crowd says. You are not us, so you cannot contest it.

    We hear the same claims from people of every background now. Whether you’re Black or Asian — or Jewish or Muslim — you claim a special understanding of your own group. It’s your identity, after all.

    That also means people outside the group can’t really understand it. So much for the ancient ideal that “nothing human is alien to me,” as the Roman playwright Terence wrote in 163 B.C. Identity politics imagines the opposite: Everyone is alien to you except people like you.

    Most of all, they can’t comprehend any oppression or harm you have faced. And “marginalization becomes a form of social currency,” as one observer posted about the Gann saga. The highest status goes to the group that has suffered the most.

    Hannah Gann’s deceit makes the work of Black and brown justice activists harder | Opinion

    That’s probably why Gann — a white Jewish woman — disguised her background. A teacher in Philadelphia public schools and a vocal anti-Israel activist, she thought she would gain more credibility — and more clicks — if she presented as Black or Palestinian.

    And that’s on us. We like to think we evaluate people based on their behavior, not their race. But Gann knew better. By altering her skin tone with fake tans and makeup, she got more people to rally behind her.

    Those people are now like jilted lovers who crave revenge. Blasting Gann on social media, critics noted she taught “predominantly Black youth” and “gained the trust of young people on the basis of a sense of shared oppression.” They also called on the school district to “hold Hannah accountable for the harm she caused.”

    Meanwhile, Gann released a proof-of-life-style video expressing “shame and sorrow and regret” for her deceptions about race. But here’s what she didn’t say: Race itself is a deception. It tricks us into thinking that our differences are immutable, and that some Americans have more insight into them because of a shared identity.

    That condescends to people, all in the guise of elevating them. I once heard a prominent Black historian of African American politics say he resented the idea that his race gave him more understanding of his topic. Just like any other scholar, he painstakingly gathered pieces of evidence and wove them together. His identity had nothing to do with it.

    Sadly, Gann isn’t the only white educator who has faked her race in recent years. In 2020, historian Jessica Krug — who, like Gann, is white and Jewish — admitted that she had pretended to be North African, Caribbean, and Afro-Latina. And in 2023, anthropologist Elizabeth Hoover — a scholar of Native American culture — acknowledged that she had falsely identified as Native American herself.

    In each case, social media exploded with vitriol. Both women were frauds, the critics said, and their scholarship wasn’t any good.

    But their work received loads of praise before their identity hoax was uncovered. Put simply, we evaluated them more highly when we believed they weren’t white. Remember the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”? We judged their books by the authors’ colors.

    That kind of distortion is inevitable when we prize identity over everything else. To repeat, Gann should not have lied about her race. But we should not have given her more attention — and more trust — because we believed the lie. We exposed her racial fraud. And she exposed ours.

    Jonathan Zimmerman teaches history and education at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of “Schooling Citizens: How Education Can Save Our Democracy,” which will be published in the spring by the American Philosophical Society Press.

  • Camden County voters will decide whether to pay more taxes to prevent sewage from entering the Cooper River

    Camden County voters will decide whether to pay more taxes to prevent sewage from entering the Cooper River

    The temperature was in the low 70s with a light breeze and clear skies. It was perfect boating weather. A group of students from Philadelphia’s Maritime Academy were excited to paddle out onto the Cooper River.

    But Don Baugh from the Upstream Alliance had to cancel the trip. The water was still too dirty from the weekend’s heavy rain, which can cause sewage to spit out into the river from old pipes in Camden.

    “Our goal is that we don’t have to cancel at all … we’d be able to say anybody can recreate, play, swim, on this water 365 days of the year, whether it rained or not,” Baugh said from his motorboat on Tuesday, surrounded by greenery and mud-colored water.

    That is why Baugh hopes voters will support a ballot referendum in Camden County that would increase the open space tax by one cent per $100 of property owned. That one-cent increase would go toward the county’s ambitious plan to rehabilitate its sewers and waterways through a multifaceted initiative that is slated to cost about $400 million across the next 10 years. It has become more urgent, county officials say, as powerful storms and flooding become more commonplace due to climate change.

    The nonprofit Upstream Alliance provides free kayaking to the public, but the organization has had to cancel about 20% of its programming due to concerns about water cleanliness, Baugh said. His rule of thumb is to wait 48 hours after half an inch of rain falls before allowing people in the water, so the bacteria from the sewage can die. But even that was not enough time following the weekend’s storm.

    Put frankly, the water still looked “yucky,” Baugh said, so he was not going to expose people to it.

    Olivia Liu with Upstream Alliance on the Cooper River in Camden County on Tuesday. A tax increase ballot referendum would fund projects like sewer rehabilitations aimed at improving the county’s waterways.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    What is the referendum?

    Camden County voters have already been receiving their mail ballots for the Nov. 3 election. One of the decisions they face is whether to raise the county’s open space tax by one cent — bringing it to $0.03 per $100 of assessed property value. If it passes, the tax will still be one cent lower than in neighboring Burlington and Gloucester Counties.

    This means that someone with property assessed at $500,000 would pay $150 a year toward open space, up from $100 at the current $0.02 rate.

    The county’s open space tax is used to preserve parks, farmland, and historic sites. But the one-cent increase would be dedicated to the county’s $400 million clean water plan, which includes sewer repairs along the Cooper River, green infrastructure, dredging in local lakes, and recreation programs.

    “The county is making a very bold step doing this now, and, frankly, nobody wants a tax, right? But everybody wants a higher quality of life,” Baugh said. “Everybody wants a safe and clean environment today and for tomorrow.”

    Scott Schreiber, the executive director of the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA) — the entity overseeing the project — believes the county could raise about $7 million from the tax increase, which could result in approximately $100 million worth of project funding through the New Jersey Water Bank, which offers the entity very low interest rates and principal forgiveness.

    The existing user rate that residents pay to the CCMUA will go toward the projects, Schreiber said, and the county will also seek out funds from the state and federal governments, as well as philanthropies.

    “It’s not one entity that can fix this,” Schreiber said. “This is going to take a combination of local government, state, federal government, advocacy groups, and the regular public to make this work. Without that combination of people and funding, it’s going to be really impossible to fix any of this stuff.”

    Here is what the $400 million effort, which the tax increase would go toward funding, entails.

    A combined sewer overflow site during low tide on Tuesday. This 60-inch discharge pipe spits out untreated wastewater and stormwater during heavy rain events, which flow directly into the back channel of the Delaware River.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The sewer problem

    The cities of Camden and Gloucester have an antiquated sewage system that combines stormwater and sewage in the same pipes. The pipes are designed to carry the combined liquid to the wastewater treatment plant, but when there is heavy rain, they can overflow and the contaminated water spits into the Cooper and Delaware Rivers. The overflow from the combined pipes can cause flooding — and then residents are subjected to sewage-infested waters in their streets and homes.

    “These are the old stone pipes that were built before the current technology,” Camden County Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said.

    “But as both cities grew, and the storms have become more violent, and rain has become more excessive … flooding has been a large problem,” he added.

    On top of the risks to humans, the nutrients from the human waste are harmful for aquatic life.

    There are 30 combined sewage overflow spots in the two cities, Schreiber said, that dump waste into the river when there is heavy rain and the system cannot handle it. Just one of the larger combined pipes pours out about 200 million gallons of sewage-filled water a year, he said, and the two cities dump out about 800 million gallons on average altogether.

    The county wants to spend $200 million to upgrade this system.

    The rest of the county has separate stormwater and sewage pipes, but they still need to be maintained. Leaky pipes can also cause sewage to spill into the river.

    The county plans to spend about $50 million for the rehabilitation of these sewer systems across multiple municipalities. The county has already begun the design process for lining some of these pipes, Schreiber said.

    The bottom line is, the Cooper River — which runs from Gibbsboro and Voorhees out to the Delaware River — does not meet state and federal water quality standards, he said, so the county is taking a “holistic approach” to fix the waterway that flows through multiple municipalities.

    Wildlife along the back channel of the Delaware River near the Cooper River on Tuesday.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Green infrastructure

    The plan also includes $25 million for green infrastructure, like rain gardens or bioswales, which are typically sloped channels covered with vegetation.

    Green infrastructure gets water directly into the ground, which helps with flooding and decreases the amount of water going through the pipes to the treatment plant, overall alleviating the system. This infrastructure, however, requires expensive and ongoing maintenance, Schreiber said.

    “The more that you contain the water on the land, the better it is for the water,” Baugh said.

    Dredging

    The project also includes $75 million for dredging and other methods of removing sediment from public waterways. This sediment includes toxins that end up in the water from residential and business areas, and if it is not removed, waterways can become defunct. It is part of what makes Camden County’s waterways brown after heavy rain, because “a lot of not-good stuff on the bottom” gets stirred up, Schreiber said.

    “We really want to make sure that we’re taking that sediment out, so that even if it does get disturbed and move, it’s moving clean sediment and not polluting or contaminating,” he added.

    Cleaning up Evans Pond and Wallworth Lake, Cooper River Lake, and Kirkwood Lake are priorities for the county.

    Newton Lake Park, which runs through Haddon Township, Collingswood, and Oaklyn, finished a two-year, $23 million dredging process in 2023 that rehabilitated the lake after it became clogged. And just on Tuesday, the county unveiled the results of a $1.3 million project to improve fishing piers at the rejuvenated lake.

    Don Baugh, president and founder of Upstream Alliance is on the Delaware River on Tuesday with Scott Schreiber (right), executive director of the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, looking at sewage runoff from Camden’s waterways.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Parts of Camden’s waterways are littered with lead and arsenic that was used in apple orchards decades ago in places like Cherry Hill and Voorhees, as well as toxins from the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund site, the location of a former paint manufacturer in Gibbsboro.

    Recreation

    Baugh said local families who do not have experience on the water and might not know how to swim show up to his free Saturday kayaking program disappointed that they cannot go out on a nice day. As the county gradually addresses its sewage issues, he expects to feel better putting people out on the water under his 48-hour rule and one day get rid of it completely.

    And the county’s plan would give more options for residents to enjoy their local waters, with $50 million allocated to restoring recreational lake areas. This effort aims to bring more fishing piers, kayak rentals, boat launches, and water trail systems, Schreiber said. The county is prioritizing rehabilitating Atco Lake, Lake Worth, and Audubon Lake, according to its planning document.

    Nash described exploring the county’s urban waterways as a “great thrill.” He wants more residents in Camden to enjoy it, too.

    Each of the plan’s components has distinct advantages, but taken together their benefits amplify, Schreiber said.

    “And if you do that holistically from the top of the county all the way down, you’re going to have a much more clean and friendly park system and river water system,” he added.

  • Willingboro’s new Performing Arts Center is opening with a kickoff concert this weekend

    Willingboro’s new Performing Arts Center is opening with a kickoff concert this weekend

    Willingboro is finally ready to raise the curtain on the township’s new arts and culture venue with its first performance on Saturday.

    The celebration for the opening of the new 570-seat Willingboro Performing Arts Center, located in the Kennedy Center, will kick off with a performance by R&B group Atlantic Starr.

    Crews transformed what was previously the high school auditorium into a revamped space designed for concerts, theatre productions, dance performances, lectures, and more.

    The venue “is envisioned as a premier community gathering place where residents and visitors can enjoy concerts, theatrical productions, cultural programs, family entertainment, community events, and other performing arts experiences,” the township said in a press release announcing the opening.

    Another highlight of the new space is that it gives Burlington County residents the chance to see world-class performances without needing to cross the bridge into Philadelphia, theater manager Bobby Duckett said.

    “We want to invite everybody from the region to come by and see what we do,” Duckett said.

    Following years of informal discussion about creating a hub for the performing arts in town, the effort to build the new concert hall started in earnest around 2023, Willingboro spokesperson Tanya Jackson said. The project cost around $2 million, with about half from township capital funds and half from state funding, she said.

    “Willingboro is the home of many talented artists and performers, and we just wanted to create a space for residents and surrounding community members to come together to experience music and theatre, cultural programming, and those types of things,” Jackson said. “Willingboro is an ideal place for a performing arts center just based on all of the great talent that has come through this community.”

    After opening night, the new venue has two more shows currently scheduled for this fall: a concert by R&B group The Manhattans on Oct. 24 and a performance by percussionist Tito Puente Jr. on Nov. 20.

    Tickets and more information are available on the center’s website.

    “Willingboro has a very rich legacy in the entertainment world,” Duckett said. “[The center is] about bringing those people back to be a part of it as we develop the next generation of talented people from this community.”

  • Don Mattingly puts his future with the Phillies in peril as his strategy with Jhoan Duran backfires

    Don Mattingly puts his future with the Phillies in peril as his strategy with Jhoan Duran backfires

    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.

    The Braves slayed their demon in Game 1. The Phillies still have theirs in an overworked and shaky bullpen

    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.

    Yes.

    Well.

    Sale has pitched against teams Mattingly coached and managed. He respects Mattingly. So do I. Pretty much everybody associated with baseball respects Mattingly, both as a player and a manager. Sale one day will be in the Hall of Fame. It’s an injustice that Mattingly isn’t there already. He served as the face of the most important sports franchise in American history during some of its leanest years. From 1984-94, Mattingly was the soul of the New York Yankees. People have named their children after Donnie Baseball, including their daughters: no, not “Donna,” but, rather, “Mattingly” as a first name.

    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 Photographer
    Philadelphia 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 Photographer
    Atlanta Braves Austin Riley celebrates his three-run homer in the eighth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia 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 Photographer
    Philadelphia 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 Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Bryson Stott celebrates after he scores in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia 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 Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto knocks in two runs in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Bryson Stott singles in the seventh inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Derek Hill reaches for a ball of the bat of Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Alex McFarlane pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Bryce Harper strikes out in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber singles in the sixth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto strikes out to end the fifth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Edmundo Sosa celebrates his fifth inning double.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo reacts to the third out in the third inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Atlanta Braves Ha-Seong Kim tags Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner as he tries to steal second base in the third inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia 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 Photographer
    Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale pitches in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber and Derek Hill (right) celebrate after Schwarber scores on an Alec Bohm double in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Alec Bohm hits a RBI double in the first inning.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Philadelphia Phillies Bryce Harper (right) and Trea Turner greet each other before the start of game 1.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The Hit Man is a legend. That doesn’t mean he is infallible. He hit .307 in his 14-year career, but he also struck out 444 times. He struck out again Tuesday.

    With a 3-2 lead, Mattingly asked Duran to pitch the seventh and eighth innings. Duran has pitched in the seventh inning just three times in the past four seasons, and zero times in 2026.

    Mattingly asked Duran to get him six outs, which requires Duran to pitch, sit, and pitch — an up-down. Duran has done that once this year, on Aug. 29, against the Angels, the second-worst team in baseball. He did it on two days’ rest; he’d had just one day off before Tuesday. That also was 10 appearances ago.

    Duran dominated the seventh.

    He fell apart in the eighth.

    Predictably.

    At second base, Queen Latifah? John Kruk’s revelation, broadcast magic highlight Phillies-Braves broadcast

    With two outs, Michael Harris II nubbed an infield single. Duran then hit Ozzie Albies with a 3-2 pitch. Duran looked tired.

    “After the infield single, that at-bat to Albies was a little uncharacteristic of him, just not being able to find the zone there and the curveball, being that wild with a 3-2 count,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto. “I thought maybe he looked a little tired.”

    The first thing that goes when a pitcher is tired? Command.

    First, the wild curveball.

    Then, disaster.

    Austin Riley came to bat. Realmuto set up outside. Duran missed by a foot-and-a-half.

    Riley turned Duran’s pitch, a 99.9 mph fastball, into a 104.6 mph missile over the right-center field wall. That was Duran’s 25th pitch, the third-most he’s thrown this season and the most he’s thrown in 15 appearances.

    Mattingly has been dealt a bad hand from a stacked deck. He is plagued with a thin bullpen. He had to use No. 1 starter Zack Wheeler in Game 162 on Sunday because his hitters stunk down the stretch and couldn’t lock up a playoff spot. That meant using Jesús Luzardo on Tuesday, but Luzardo had just come off the injured list, and he was limited to 75 pitches or so: He gave them 77 in five innings of one-run ball.

    Mattingly’s plan: Use Duran until his arm fell off.

    It failed.

    “We talked about it before the game … he’d go the seventh, eighth,” Mattingly said. The Braves’ best hitters were due up in that span, but Mattingly said that was his plan regardless of where the Braves were in the lineup … and, incredibly, beyond.

    Mattingly said he would have used Duran for a third inning, too.

    Things went south for Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth, his second inning of work on Tuesday in Atlanta.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “If the second [inning] went really quick, I would have just checked with him. If not, we would have went to somebody else,” Mattingly said.

    He added that, in the ninth, Duran might have combined with another reliever, such as Jonathan Bowlan, who also just came off the IL.

    What could Mattingly have done differently?

    Mattingly could have left Luzardo in for another inning. Everyone, including Luzardo, was satisfied that, after 21 days off, he lasted five innings and had 77 bullets. But if Duran can be asked to throw three innings, Luzardo, in perhaps his last start of the season, with a garbage bullpen behind him, could have pitched into the sixth.

    Mattingly could either have stitched together a seventh inning with rookie Alex McFarlane, who’d already pitched the sixth, and Bowlan, or just given Bowlan the seventh. He was, most likely, going to pitch in the ninth, anyway. He could have leaned on José Alvarado, who is inconsistent but has good numbers against Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson, two batters he would have likely faced.

    This might seem like unfair second-guessing, but, well, that’s baseball, and the beauty of the game: Its deliberate nature fosters hindsights.

    At any rate, Mattingly won’t face the same backlash that Thomson faced in his four years in the crosshairs and his legacy of woulda-couldas.

    It began with lifting Wheeler for Alvarado in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series. It continued with Craig Kimbrel’s bullpen usage in the 2023 NLCS. It mushroomed when Thomson used 40-year-old reliever David Robertson in multiple innings in Game 1 of the 2025 NLDS, a role Robertson had not filled all year, then asked Bryson Stott to bunt over Nick Castellanos in Game 2 the next night.

    Jesús Luzardo threw 77 pitches in his five innings, allowing one run.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    So, thanks in part to Thomson’s litany of miscues, but thanks much more to Dombrowski’s failure to bolster the bullpen, Mattingly’s mistakes Tuesday won’t resonate as much.

    That won’t make the ice on which Mattingly is skating any thicker.

    In April, the day before he fired Thomson, Dombrowski offered the manager’s job to fired Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who declined … for the moment. Mattingly was Dombrowski’s second choice. Dombrowksi has said he would not consider Mattingly as manager for next season until after this one ends.

    On Tuesday, Cora got one step closer to wearing Phillies pinstripes.

  • Chester County estate with a five-story tower and literary roots is hitting the market for $3.1M

    Chester County estate with a five-story tower and literary roots is hitting the market for $3.1M

    The former Chester County home of a renowned 19th-century author and diplomat is hitting the market this week with an asking price of $3.1 million.

    Known as Cedarcroft, the sprawling Kennett Square brick home spans over 7,100 square feet, sits on 2.4 acres, and has a distinctive five-story, Italianate-style tower overlooking the grounds and surrounding community.

    The tower extends over the home’s covered entryway and is accessible by stairs from the second floor. It has a room with windows on each of the third- and fourth-floor landings. It also has a balcony off the fourth floor and a fifth floor accessible by ladder.

    The home has a five-story, Italianate-style tower.Virtual Vista | Courtesy of Holly Gross Group

    The rooms on the third and fourth floors could serve a number of uses, including as a library, said listing agent Stewart Gross, who is brokering it with Stephen Gross and Holly Gross, all of the Holly Gross Group.

    “It’s breathtaking,” he said of the vantage, where both sunrise and sunset can be seen.

    It’s believed that the home’s original owner, Bayard Taylor, used the tower spaces to write, enjoy cocktails, and survey the surrounding land, Gross added.

    A Kennett Square native, Taylor built the 108 Gatehouse Dr. home between 1859 and 1860. He gained acclaim as a poet and travel writer, publishing a number of works inspired by his global escapades. He also served as the chargé d’affaires of the Russian legation in St. Petersburg.

    One of the living spaces on the first floor.Virtual Vista | Courtesy of Holly Gross Group

    During his tenure at Cedarcroft, Taylor reportedly hosted a number of literary figures, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Horace Greeley, according to a Kennett Library biography.

    Some of the home’s first-floor features include 13-foot ceilings and “grand” spaces including a living room, a dining room, and a library, as well as a billiards room, Gross said.

    The home has seven bedrooms — six on the second floor, with a seventh on the third level — including a primary suite with a fireplace and a walk-in closet.

    The home has a new kitchen.Virtual Vista | Courtesy of Holly Gross Group

    The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It retains many elements of its early roots, such as hardwood flooring, milling, and molding details, while having undergone a number of updates by its current owners. Those include overhauling household systems and bathrooms, updating the roof, and adding a new kitchen, which has stainless steel appliances and Italian quartzite countertops.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • How to find a best-in-show groomer for your pets

    How to find a best-in-show groomer for your pets

    A good groomer can save you time and hassle, whether you’ve got a pup with an easy-to-maintain flat coat like beagles and pugs, or a fuzzy breed that requires a pro to maintain its ’do, such as Afghan hounds and standard poodles. Some pros also take care of cats.

    A grooming session typically includes bath and blow dry, brushing, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and a hair trim or cut. Time and effort required depends on the breed and the pet’s temperament. Your pet’s ideal grooming frequency depends on breed, size, coat type, and your standards.

    Consistent grooming improves hygiene, and having someone familiar with dogs periodically inspect your pet can help you spot potential health problems. Also, frequent grooming helps keep your pet’s coat in good condition, resulting in easier and less expensive appointments. With some breeds, waiting too long between grooming sessions can result in the coat becoming too matted, requiring a full shave.

    Groomers work in dedicated pet salons, as well as pet stores, boarding kennels, and at some veterinary practices. Some have mobile operations that come to your home and do the work in specially equipped trucks or vans.

    Here are tips on how to find the right groomer at the right price.

    Get referrals

    Good sources of intel are your vet, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

    You can also use online reviews. Until Nov. 5, Inquirer readers can view nonprofit Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook’s ratings of local groomers via Checkbook.org/Inquirer/groomers. The majority of these ratings are positive, but we also receive comments that warn of rough treatment, sloppy work, and rude service.

    Compare prices

    Even among highly recommended groomers, you’ll find a wide range of pricing.

    To cut hair and groom a cocker spaniel and a golden retriever, Checkbook’s undercover shoppers were quoted prices ranging from $65 or less to $135 for the cocker spaniel and from $85 or less to $156 for the golden retriever.

    Don’t assume that low prices signify lousy work—several of the least expensive groomers received high marks from their surveyed customers.

    Experience counts

    A veteran groomer has had time to perfect the craft and become expert at assessing dogs’ behavior so they can respond appropriately to nervousness and agitation.

    Also ask whether the groomer is familiar with your breed — even highly experienced pet pros won’t have extensive experience with all of them. The best groomers will be upfront about their limitations and, if necessary, direct you to another pro who knows the breed better.

    Check training and credentials

    Several organizations certify dog groomers, including the National Dog Groomers Association of America and the International Society of Canine Cosmetologists. Since the time and effort required for certification are substantial, certification indicates a groomer is serious about their profession and possesses at least basic skills.

    Still, many skilled groomers haven’t bothered to take the time or pay the fees to become certified.

    Pet groomers should also be certified in cat and dog first aid and CPR to quickly handle salon emergencies like lacerations, heatstroke, or choking. The American Red Cross offers this certification.

    Discuss your expectations

    Do you want basic grooming services, with no concern that your dog’s trim meets exacting breed-specific standards? Or do you have much higher expectations — a scissored haircut, a sculpted trim, or hand stripping for a terrier?

    If you have a certain look in mind, share photos.

    Consider your preference for mobile service or drop-off arrangements

    Most groomers require appointments. You can usually drop off pets in the morning and pick them up either just after grooming or anytime before the shop closes.

    If your pet becomes very upset when visiting a groomer, or it’s difficult to transport them due to age, an injury, or another reason, consider using a mobile grooming operation. They generally offer one-on-one service, minimizing exposure to other animals and keeping the process shorter.

    Tour the grooming facility and assess safety

    At a groomer’s shop, each pet should have its own space and access to clean water.

    Assess how dogs are handled. If dogs are positioned under blow dryers and left to dry instead of hand-dried, staff should be able to easily monitor them. Some breeds must not be left to dry using blow dryers at all, for safety reasons.

    Avoid groomers that sedate animals.

    While touring the facility, also size up the staff. Does everyone seem to be knowledgeable and caring? Are they willing and able to answer any questions you have?

    Make sure the facility requires vaccination records, to prevent disease spread.

    And be sure to ask about insurance. The grooming company should have liability insurance to cover veterinary costs should your pet get injured while in its care.

    Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. It is supported by consumers and takes no money from the service providers it evaluates.