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  • The Mike Gansey era has begun. Where do the Sixers go from here?

    The Mike Gansey era has begun. Where do the Sixers go from here?

    Really, there wasn’t anything that Mike Gansey could have said that would have changed the expectations for the 76ers.

    Which is good, because he didn’t say much.

    Gansey’s first news conference as the 76ers’ president of basketball operations offered little in the way of detail about the team’s path forward. He acknowledged that Joel Embiid and Paul George are players who are currently on the Sixers roster. He noted that Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are, too. He explained that he and his front office will attempt to select the best possible player with the No. 22 pick in the NBA draft later this month. You could say Gansey’s plan was short on specifics, except there weren’t many generalities, either.

    “I just got here,” the 43-year-old Ohio native and longtime Cleveland Cavaliers personnel man said at one point while prefacing one of his comments.

    All of this was to be expected. Smart, even. There is some short-term value a new hire can reap from winning the first news conference. But it often is outweighed by potential long-term damage he can sow. Look at Gansey’s three immediate predecessors. Each was haunted, even undone, by the narrative they sold at the outset.

    Sam Hinkie’s biggest problem wasn’t The Process itself. It was his explicit acknowledgment of it. Daryl Morey was ultimately defined by his unabashed and steadfast belief in the power of veteran superstars rather than his draft night successes. In between was Bryan Colangelo, who went all-in for Markelle Fultz as the Sixers launched a Welcome to the Moment marketing campaign.

    There were no slogans from Gansey on Monday. The surest sign that the Sixers have entered a new era is that we have no clue what it will look like. For more than a decade, the team has conducted its day-to-day business within the framework of a grand and easily articulated strategic vision. The Morey/Colangelo years were as well-defined a process as Hinkie’s capital-P Process years. Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, James Harden, George, every veteran backup center who used to be an All-Star. Star hunting, in the mortally immortal words of Brett Brown.

    Gansey, meanwhile, explained his vision only in the broadest, most abstract terms. He spoke of a desire to create “alignment” throughout the organization and remarked that he expected that he and coach Nick Nurse would be “attached at the hip.” On a couple of occasions, Gansey said he wanted to build an organization with people who are “fountains, not drains.”

    “We’ve got to do the work, you know?” Gansey said. “Obviously, draft coming up, for example, you’re talking to plenty of coaches, people that have been around these guys, and you want to bring in good people here. If they don’t want to be here, or you don’t feel they can fit with our culture, then we don’t want it. We want people that want to be in Philadelphia and we want guys that — I want competitiveness. I want toughness. I want guys that hate to lose. Those are the kind of people I’m going to try and target and want to bring onto this roster.”

    Mike Gansey expects to be “attached at the hip” with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The first part of that comment is the important part. The Sixers have no magic bullet to shoot nor rabbit to pull. They likely are going to need to build a team the old-fashioned way. With Embiid and George under contract at roughly $115 million per year combined for the next two seasons, the most the Sixers can spend in free agency is $15 million (via the nontaxpayer mid-level exception) plus minimum-level contracts.

    “I don’t look at it as a timeline,” Gansey said. “I just look at like we have those four and we got to maximize those four. Obviously, VJ and Tyrese are younger, but Paul and Joel can still play at a high level. We were 24-14 when Joel played, and obviously the playoffs coming back from Boston. Like, we got to rely on those four and obviously keep [them] on the floor and then just build around them.”

    The important work over these next couple of seasons could look a lot like the roster grind Gansey helped preside over during his time with the Cavaliers, when he was Cleveland’s point man on the draft and related talent. Two rotation members from this year’s Eastern Conference finals team were Dean Wade, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and Sam Merrill, initially signed to a 10-day contract in 2023. A third, Jaylon Tyson, was selected at No. 20 overall two years ago.

    Mike Gansey plans to build around Sixers’ current core while growing the team’s culture

    One of the shrewder value plays swung by Cavs president Koby Altman during Gansey’s time with the team was the signing of restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen to a four-year, $67 million contract via a three-way sign-and-trade with the Cavs and Chicago Bulls. One year later, the Cavs made Markkenen the centerpiece of a trade package (along with three firsts and two pick swaps) that landed them star guard Donovan Mitchell. Two years later, Markkanen signed a five-year max contract extension with the Jazz.

    The most intriguing variable in the Sixers’ strategic decision-making is a competitive landscape that could be on the verge of shifting dramatically in the favor of teams such as theirs. In the new framework, a team that narrowly misses the playoffs would have better lottery odds than the four worst teams in the league, meaning the Sixers won’t have much of an incentive to bottom out or blow it up to maximize their chances of a successful rebuild.

    Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers (right) helped hire Mike Gansey and will work closely with him. At left is Sixers managing partner Josh Harris.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The dominant operating strategy for the next few years would seem to be playing it smart but honest: prioritize the three-to-five-year-plan while making this year’s team as good as possible within the constraints. The Eastern Conference landscape likely will get a lot tougher next season. With Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton returning to the 2024-25 Eastern Conference champs and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum fully recovered from Achilles surgery, the East should have at least three teams (including the New York Knicks) well out of reach of the Sixers.

    That doesn’t include the Detroit Pistons or the Cavs, both of whom have a 60-win season within the last two years. Nor does it include the Miami Heat, who are a perpetual threat to shake up the offseason, especially with a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade lurking. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets ended the season on runs of 26-11 and 28-12. Factor in a talented Orlando Magic roster that underperformed in 2026, and the Sixers easily could enter the season as the eighth- or ninth-best team on paper, regardless of what they do this offseason.

    “We’ve got to find an identity,” said Bob Myers, the longtime Golden State Warriors executive who hired Gansey and will work in conjunction with him as president of sports at Sixers parent company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. “We just don’t have one.”

    At this point, there isn’t much else to say.

  • 🧱 Building block | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🧱 Building block | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Forget trust the process. For the Sixers, it’s about finding a solution, and Jameer Nelson wants to be part of it.

    Nelson reportedly was the primary internal candidate for the president of basketball operations job that went to Mike Gansey. Instead, the Chester native and former St. Joseph’s star was promoted from assistant general manager to executive vice president of basketball operations.

    Nelson’s understanding of the current roster, city’s passionate fan base, and media scrutiny is valuable. In past years, he has received job interest from other teams, but he feels “responsibility to help this organization move forward.”

    Gansey intends to do the same.

    He doesn’t plan on undertaking a major roster overhaul, but rather maximize Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Paul George in the short term. However, it’s no secret that getting those stars on the floor at the same time is easier said than done.

    Gansey said the Sixers are not championship caliber as it stands, but he’s looking to bring in players to build that roster.

    Maybe he’ll be tapping into his previous experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers to get there.

    — Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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

    ❓The Phillies have several candidates who could make the All-Star team, who do you hope to see get picked and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Back in Toronto

    Don Mattingly was the Blue Jays’ bench coach for three years and took the same role with the Phillies this offseason. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Don Mattingly was back in Rogers Centre for the first time since the Blue Jay’s 5-4 loss that cemented the Dodgers as back-to-back World Series champions.

    With more than four decades in baseball as a player, manager, and coach, 2025 was Mattingly’s first time being involved in a World Series. He initially planned to retire after stepping away from the Blue Jays as their bench coach this past offseason.

    But his path has brought him back to Toronto, this time as the Phillies’ interim manager.

    Mattingly trusted ace Cristopher Sánchez, and he delivered in a 5-2 Phillies win.

    What we’re …

    🤔 Wondering: Why did Daryl Morey attend Rittenhouse Chess Club’s Charity Blitz tournament after parting ways with the Sixers?

    ⚾ Reminiscing: About Larry Bowa recalls Philly’s 1976 All-Star Game at Veterans Stadium on the Phillies Extra podcast with Scott Lauber.

    🏈 Learning: How Chris Kuper plans to lead the Eagles offensive line after replacing Jeff Stoutland as offensive line coach.

    📖 Reading: The NCAA outdoor track and field championship begins this week. Here’s what to know about Penn’s four qualifiers.

    Latest rumblings

    The Flyers draft at No. 21 in the first round and only have five draft picks, so they were busy evaluating prospects at last week’s combine.Jeffrey T. Barnes

    General manager Danny Brière met with 50 players at the NHL scouting combine, including Blake Zielinski, a native of Berlin, Camden County, who grew up a diehard Flyers fan.

    The Flyers have just five picks over seven rounds in the draft, and while the prospects met with front office staff and went through the gauntlet of fitness testing, the week in Western New York also is a chance for general managers to chat with each other and agents.

    Here’s some key notes to know about the Flyers’ free agency, who they met, and more.

    Long-cherished dream

    Christian Pulisic made his United States men’s national team debut about ten years ago.Scott Kinser

    Ten years ago, Christian Pulisic, who was born in Hershey, came to Philadelphia as a U.S. men’s national team player during the Copa América Centenario. He’s now on the cusp of one of soccer’s rarest privileges: playing in a World Cup on home soil.

    The 27-year-old star is still very much an American poster boy — even as the sport has grown so much that he’s no longer the only one. Though, his age is a soccer player’s prime, and it’s right on time for the biggest stage of his life.

    David Murphy’s take

    Mike Gansey helped oversee some good, old-fashioned roster building in Cleveland. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Gansey’s first news conference as the Sixers president of basketball operations offered little detail about the team’s path forward. All of this was to be expected.

    Sam Hinkie’s biggest problem wasn’t The Process itself. It was his explicit acknowledgment of it. Daryl Morey was ultimately defined by his unabashed and steadfast belief in the power of veteran superstars rather than his draft night successes.

    Gansey, meanwhile, didn’t say much. That might be for the best, writes columnist David Murphy.

    What you’re saying about the World Cup

    We asked: What game or team are you looking forward to watching in the World Cup? Among your responses:

    Spain — if Lamine Yamal is healthy, this is their year. — Richard V.

    Of course, it’ll be Team USA, with its four Union homeboys, but I’ll also be following Harry Kane and England, as well as France, the team I think will win, and Curaçao, because why not? — Joel G.

    USA all the way. The deepest run they have made in the modern era was the quarterfinals in 2002 24 years ago. Can they do it? I will have to ask my Jr. College Hall of Fame soccer coach friend Mike. — Everett S.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gina Mizell, Gabriela Carroll, David Murphy, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Ryan Novozinsky, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jackie Spiegel, Conor Smith, and Owen Hewitt.

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

    Thanks for spending another morning with me. Have a terrific Tuesday. — Bella

  • I was the first Princeton valedictorian to major in African American studies. Strangers ridiculed my selection.

    I was the first Princeton valedictorian to major in African American studies. Strangers ridiculed my selection.

    Several weeks ago, I took the stage at Princeton University’s 2026 commencement as this year’s valedictorian. My selection marked an institutional milestone: I am the university’s first valedictorian to major in African American studies since the department’s founding in 2015. In my remarks, I emphasized the importance of the critical humanities and celebrated my classmates’ achievements.

    What I can share now, however, is that the occasion was not entirely celebratory.

    The weeks leading up to my selection had been some of the most difficult of my life, as thousands of strangers across social media platforms wrote, liked, and reposted comments ridiculing my selection. Their anger centered on my choice of major. Recapitulating virulently racist tropes about both Asian and Black communities, they mocked my Asian appearance and heritage while deriding my Black colleagues and mentors.

    Throughout my time at Princeton, I had observed similar — and sometimes much more aggressive — campaigns against my professors and peers across the field of African American studies.

    Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton, author, and finalist for a 2020 Pulitzer Prize in history, is one of the African American studies professors who have faced derision and even death threats related to their work.Matthew Alan Lang / MCT

    The logic of these attacks is familiar to any student of ethnic studies, gender studies, or any of the critical disciplines deemed “radical indoctrination” by the Trump administration. African American studies, these commenters argued, lacks genuine intellectual rigor. It does not belong in the same sentence as academic excellence.

    In recent years, university administrators and faculty have claimed that the contemporary university is suffering from a crisis of academic rigor, accelerated by the prevalence of grade inflation and generative AI.

    Nassau Hall at Princeton University. Daniel Yu writes that in recent years, university administrators and faculty have claimed that the contemporary university is suffering from a crisis of academic rigor.Ted Shaffrey

    Combined with shrinking university budgets, these claims have increased the burden on disciplines like African American studies — already maligned as unserious and unscientific — to prove their intellectual seriousness to administrators, funders, politicians, and the public.

    This is the paradox of the backlash to African American studies: The field is villainized by the far-right as dangerous, radical indoctrination, while simultaneously, it is maligned for shallowness, insularity, and frivolousness.

    In rebuttal to the latter proposition, many have compellingly argued that Black studies has all the components of a rigorous academic field. Though correct, these defenses concede an assumption that deserves greater scrutiny — that rigor itself is the central criterion by which a field ought to justify its place in the university.

    Difficult and valuable are not synonymous. A challenging task is not necessarily a worthwhile one. Consider, for instance, the large introductory engineering courses at many universities, including my own alma mater. These courses are considered to be difficult, and they demand excellent technical skills.

    But technical skill is not the same as moral judgment, and such courses rarely ask students to reckon with how the skill they are developing will be used. What of the aerospace engineers who will deploy that skill in the service of defense contractors, whose problem sets will prepare them to destroy countries from afar?

    Disciplines like African American studies expand “rigor” to include forms of intellectual excellence not reducible to grades. Forget percentiles and curves — this vision of rigor requires sustained, critical engagement with power and inequality, which forces the thinker to reconsider their most fundamental assumptions about culture and society. A definition of rigor that considers the former without the latter is incomplete; it may make skilled engineers/bankers/doctors/lawyers, but perhaps not ethical ones.

    Both the rising supremacy of the quantitative disciplines in higher education and universities’ insistence on “institutional neutrality” have helped reinforce this restrictive notion of excellence, defined by technical expertise and grading distributions.

    In the process, elite universities have lost sight of their ultimate obligation — to shape not just learners but citizens, people, and leaders. Student activists recognize what their administrations cannot: that the university cannot escape our most pressing political questions, and that intellectual inquiry and civic engagement are inseparable.

    Thus, my final remark as Princeton’s 2026 valedictorian, to administrators, students, and all Americans alike: Take an African American studies class.

    Amid threats to civil liberties and free expression, growing budgetary pressure from the federal government, and endowments that continue to profit from global injustice, elite universities cannot afford to indulge a narrow definition of academic excellence or intellectual challenge.

    They must learn from the Black radical tradition that a truly rigorous education forces us not just to do but to question — and, always, to keep a more just world in our sights.

    Daniel Yu is a recent graduate of Princeton University, where he was named the 2026 valedictorian — the first from the department of African American studies.

  • Letters to the Editor | June 9, 2026

    The Iran war

    As our administration wages war against Iran, we are reminded daily that Iran is a nation defined by religious nationalism — a system where political authority is fused with a single religious ideology, and dissent is treated as a threat to the nation’s spiritual purity. We are told this is dangerous, destabilizing, and incompatible with democratic values. On that point, I agree.

    What’s harder to ignore is the irony that, while condemning Iran’s model abroad, we are watching a homegrown version of Christian nationalism gain traction here. This ideology insists that America was founded as a Christian nation, that government should enforce a particular religious doctrine, and that political authority can be divinely sanctioned. These are not expressions of personal faith. They are political claims dressed in theological language.

    The consequences are already visible. FBI data show that in recent years, hate crimes have surged to their highest levels in decades, with sharp increases in incidents targeting religious minorities, LGBTQ Americans, and racial and ethnic communities. When leaders describe opponents as ungodly, when groups are cast as existential threats to the nation’s spiritual identity, and when political conflict is framed as “spiritual warfare,” it creates a permission structure for real‑world harm.

    In other words, we are condemning Iran for the very dynamic we are beginning to tolerate at home: a fusion of religion, nationalism, and grievance that inevitably produces intolerance and, too often, violence. It is difficult to claim we are defending democracy abroad if we are quietly eroding it within our own borders.

    Steve Abramovitz, Cherry Hill

    . . .

    Remember when Barack Obama was president and negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran? Former Sen. Pat Toomey and other Republican senators wrote directly to Iran to try to kill the deal. Why not have Democrats do the same, but in this case, end the war and reinstate the Obama deal that was working?

    George Magakis Jr., Norristown

    Protect peaceful protests

    I’ve visited Delaney Hall twice since late April. The stories that detainees shared with me about the poor conditions inside were heartbreaking, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) track record hasn’t earned the agency any benefit of the doubt.

    I’m proud of New Jersey’s delegation for its continual in-person oversight, especially since congressional visits are about the only access the outside world can get to Delaney Hall right now. I’m also grateful to Gov. Mikie Sherrill for fighting to change that, and for her balancing act to sustain pressure on those running Delaney Hall while maintaining public safety.

    Across the country, we have witnessed heavy-handed tactics by federal immigration agents who repeatedly turn tense situations into dangerous — and even fatal — encounters. Sherrill’s decisiveness to get ICE out of the protests and reestablish local control potentially saved lives — and will make it safer for demonstrators to peacefully organize.

    And the peacefulness of those demonstrations is critical. When my dear, late friend John Lewis promoted “good trouble,” he specifically called for nonviolent civil disobedience — not assaulting law enforcement or destroying property.

    With the ability to peacefully demonstrate no longer threatened by ICE, the opportunity is now to put the focus back on the core issue: The need to stop the Trump administration’s gross mistreatment of detainees at Delaney Hall.

    Donald Norcross, U.S. House of Representatives, New Jersey’s 1st Congressional District

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Dear Abby | Impromptu family reunion becomes source of contention

    DEAR ABBY: I recently hosted a family gathering that included my adult cousin and his wife, who live locally, and my son, daughter-in-law, and their son, who traveled from Georgia to Pennsylvania to visit.

    Since my son and family rarely see relatives, I thought it would be great to get everyone together. At the gathering, my son barely acknowledged our cousins. He and his wife didn’t participate in the conversation — instead, they pulled out their phones and generally looked bored and anxious for the company to leave.

    My son is a neurosurgeon. His wife is a nurse-practitioner. They are in their early 40s. I was so embarrassed.

    The next day, I sent a message to them, telling them how upset I was. My message was ignored. I followed up with another message, asking if they received the previous communication. Again, no response.

    I’m embarrassed for my cousins and disappointed in my son and daughter-in-law. I have no outlet for these emotions because they will not respond to me. I am physically sick over the situation since I have no way to resolve it. Help!

    — BEST OF INTENTIONS

    DEAR BEST: How socially aware are your son and daughter-in-law? Were they on their phones because of some medical problem that sprang up in their absence? Could they have been uncomfortable because you foisted these relatives on them with no warning?

    I keep looking for excuses that might explain their rudeness to the relatives. But I can find none for their ignoring your messages other than that they simply do not care. You should be furious. But please, don’t turn it inward, because that is what is making you ill.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I am a mature female who hasn’t been in any kind of relationship for 25 years. When I realized I needed and wanted a relationship with someone compatible, I went on a dating site and found someone. But I messed up because I was insecure.

    I wanted more communication, and he is involved in many activities, which I understood. I tried to call him twice, but he didn’t pick up. I thought he was still communicating with other women on the dating site. I went to his house and told him that I had moved on because I hadn’t heard from him and he didn’t answer my calls. He said he broke his phone and was dealing with a son in jail and a sick mother.

    I don’t know if he was telling the truth, but if it’s true, that’s a lot of things to deal with. I felt awful and knew I had ruined things because of my impatience. I texted him, and I’m waiting to hear back. I really like him. We had been intimate, but I’m afraid I’ve lost him. What do I do?

    — ANXIOUS IN INDIANA

    DEAR ANXIOUS: Sometimes mature people can react immaturely. Once your insecurities took over, you came on a little too strong. Apologize for it and tell him that you have not “moved on.” But realize that the ball will be in his court, and if you don’t hear from him in a reasonable amount of time, you will have to look elsewhere for companionship.

  • Horoscopes: Tuesday, June 9, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). The gift that would make the biggest difference at home these days is organization. A good logistical flow is the mood-lifter that lends a sense of progress, ease, and accomplishment. Even one cleaner drawer is enough to start luck rolling in.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Hope wafts in like a fresh breeze to delight the senses, especially the olfactory realm. The scents you love will relax your nervous system and convey signals of safety, luxury and goodness. Getting these feeling right leads to more luck.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). What contributes most to a lovely home life is clear communication with everyone and everything that lives there. Relationships need the lines open, but so do pets, plants, and the inanimate world that is always “talking” to you.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). More than decor or upgrades, what changes everything now is tenderness. Because your home thrives on emotional atmosphere. A kind tone, a shared meal, a softer landing after hard days — comfort multiplies when people feel genuinely cared for.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Beauty is the blessing that transforms your environment now. A home should feel expressive, alive, and welcoming to the senses. Art, color, music, lighting — every dramatic flourish is a reminder that life is supposed to feel enjoyable.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Functionality can be the greatest luxury. Tiny inefficiencies have a way of draining psychic energy over time. A repaired system, useful tool, or cleaner routine restores peace of mind and frees up attention for more creative and fulfilling pursuits.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Harmony is the true wealth of a household. You’ll notice how much easier everything becomes when everyone or everything is included and respected in the picture. To consider the physical balances in play, as well as labor, emotion, and design elements, is to live in grace.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). A restorative home contains spaces where secrets, feelings, and unfinished thoughts can exist without intrusion. You’ll have the privacy and protection that matter now. Creating more emotional safety will strengthen every relationship, including the relationship to self.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Fresh energy is the blessing your home life craves. Open the windows, rearrange the furniture, invite fascinating people over, or bring symbols of possibility into your environment. A household grows luckier where there’s movement, humor, and room to dream bigger.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Reliability is the cosmic gift that keeps good stuff flowing your way. When the practical foundations are handled well, everyone relaxes. Timely tending to maintenance creates a secure and sustaining home environment from which to build your beautiful life.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Freedom is essential to domestic happiness and abundance. It’s having room to think, create, and exist without excessive scrutiny that allows for flourishing. Small adjustments toward more individual expression within the household will lighten and improve the mood.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your home absorbs emotional and spiritual tone like a sponge. What you actually do at home makes your place an auspicious environment. Music, prayer, laughter, imagination, study, and embodied expressions of health and joy infuse the space with inspired compassion.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (June 9). It’s your Year of the Labyrinth. Unlike a maze, your path does not contain tricks, dead ends or wrong turns. There is only one path — a creative and magical winding way, which you’ll follow in grace and certainty. More highlights: Sweet, funny company when you want it. Tickets of all kinds open the door to fantastic and thrilling experiences. You’ll share what you have in abundance and be provided for in kind. Leo and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 16, 8, 11, and 19.

  • Cristopher Sánchez strikes out 10 as the Phillies top the Blue Jays

    TORONTO — Cristopher Sánchez glanced toward the Phillies dugout and signaled, one more.

    He was already at 101 pitches in the seventh inning, and Orion Kerkering had already warmed up in the bullpen. The Blue Jays had just brought switch-hitting catcher Brandon Valenzuela in the game as a pinch-hitter with two runners on.

    But interim manager Don Mattingly nodded, deciding to grant Sánchez’s request. Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham headed out for a mound visit to check in and discuss how to attack Valenzuela, but the ball stayed in Sánchez’s hand.

    “Sánchy’s easy to trust,” Mattingly said.

    And the Phillies lefty made sure that trust wasn’t misplaced. Like he had all night in the 5-2 win over the Blue Jays, Sánchez rebounded from adversity to induce a groundout from Valenzuela to end the inning.

    Back in Toronto as Phillies interim manager, Don Mattingly reflects on Blue Jays’ run to the World Series

    “I don’t like leaving guys on base,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “I felt great today. … Obviously a big thank-you to the manager for trusting me with that. And I told him that after the game.”

    An early offensive outburst was just enough for the Phillies to take the first game of the series. Sánchez gave up two runs, including his first homer allowed since April 23.

    He had cruised early in his start, retiring the first six Blue Jays he faced. But after a long top of the third while the Phillies worked long at-bats against lefty Patrick Corbin, Sánchez’s command initially wasn’t as sharp.

    He allowed his first hit of the day, a leadoff double to Myles Straw, and then fell behind in the count to Tyler Heineman. But he battled back to induce consecutive groundouts, conceding one run, and then struck out George Springer.

    Ernie Clement led off fifth inning with a homer — the first Sánchez had allowed since April 23 — but he responded right away by retiring the next three Blue Jays. He helped himself out with a strong defensive play on a grounder hit back to him. Sánchez bobbled the ball, but recovered, barehanded it, and fired it to Harper who picked it for the out.

    “I’m laughing a little bit because [Alec Bohm] at the time told me, ‘Don’t throw it, don’t throw it.’ I threw it anyway,” Sánchez said.

    Sánchez also picked up right fielder Adolis García in the sixth inning. Yohendrick Piñango, the Blue Jays’ nine-hole hitter, doubled and then advanced to third when García misplayed the ball off the wall. The ball deflected off García’s foot, and he was charged with his third error of the season.

    “I talked to him after the inning, right away, and he told me just to stay calm because he was there for us,” García said. “I think it’s really important for us to have that type of communication because it allows us to be aggressive and just go after the ball.”

    Sánchez struck out the top of the Blue Jays order — Springer, Nathan Lukes, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — to leave Piñango at third base.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Larry Bowa on Philly’s 1976 All-Star Game, a Trea Turner rebound, and more

    “I think the sixth is huge. It kind of shows who he is, right?” Mattingly said.

    Sánchez struck out 10, five of which came in the sixth and seventh inning as he seemed to get sharper as his outing progressed.

    The Phillies had seven hits and drew five walks. They jumped out to an early lead in the second inning. Bryson Stott won a nine-pitch battle against Corbin with a double to center field and García blasted his third homer in the last five games to put the Phillies up, 2-0.

    García has continued to hit early before each game with the hitting coaches. He said he focuses on getting his timing down in those extra sessions. It’s paying off: After posting a .125 average and .182 slugging percentage in May, he is hitting .269 and slugging .654 in June.

    “I feel good, and I feel comfortable at the plate. I think it’s about making the adjustments,” García said.

    Patience against Corbin paid off for the Phillies in the third. After Kyle Schwarber flew out to center field to start the inning, the next seven Phillies reached base — walk, walk, hit by pitch, single, single, walk, and fielder’s choice — and they scored three more runs.

    What if the Phillies’ most impactful addition was a resurgent Trea Turner? He’s working to make it happen.

    They couldn’t get much going against the Jays bullpen, which took over in the fourth, but the early cushion was enough with Sánchez on the mound for seven.

    “Whenever we have him on the mound, the type of pitcher that he is, it’s almost a sure win if we get him run support,” García said.

    Brad Keller took over in the eighth and sidestepped a walk and a single for a scoreless frame, while Jhoan Duran picked up his 16th save of the season in the ninth to seal the win.

  • Trump crashes the NBA Finals and creates chaos at Madison Square Garden

    NEW YORK — There were 66 New York Police Department vehicles and two garbage trucks acting as barriers parked around the corner of 33rd Street and 8th Avenue. Forty-three of the vehicles, including 35 motorcycles, were lined up on 33rd alone.

    Both streets were locked down, and it wasn’t because John Turturro was inside Madison Square Garden.

    Trump was coming.

    President Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game. He did so in the worst possible setting: the middle of the biggest, most congested city in the United States.

    Trump, a native New Yorker, said he was invited by Knicks owner James Dolan. He choppered into the city and took a limo to the arena, but did not sit courtside as planned.

    With the best seats auctioning off for more than $500,000 and the worst seats going for more than $6,000, maybe he couldn’t afford it.

    During the national anthem, he was shown in a suite, saluting.

    The boos were absolutely monumental, long and sustained, drowning out the hearty singer, Avery Wilson, and whatever cheers there might have been.

    Knicks guard Josh Hart expressed regret that ticket prices were so high that many long-suffering Knicks fans, whose team last won a title 53 years ago, would have to watch on TV.

    “I kind of wish ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are. I feel like a lot of people have been waiting for this moment for a very long time,” Hart said. “Unfortunately, they’re not able to get into the building with the cheapest ticket $7,000 or $8,000. That’s ridiculous.”

    You wondered what, then, Hart thought of Trump and his entourage taking up so much space in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Hart has been a frequent critic of Trump’s, celebrating on X, then known as Twitter, when Trump lost the 2020 election.

    Hart has not issued any comment on Trump attending Monday night.

    Trump’s presence only amplified what you knew would be a frenetic, eclectic, and electric atmosphere.

    There was Spike Lee mugging courtside in a signed Pope Leo jersey. Signed.

    Comedian Larry David and Patriots owner Robert Kraft were hugging and texting courtside.

    Ben Stiller arrived four hours early, game face on, and was rubbing elbows with Pat McAfee, Stephen A. Smith, and what seemed like the rest of the ESPN staff that isn’t covering the College World Series.

    Jeremy Lin was in a leather Knicks jacket, and, for some reason, was stretching his Achilles tendons backstage. He looked fit. Secret weapon?

    Long before tipoff, thousands of folks outside were being misdirected by confused cops for an hour, then standing in lines another 90 minutes to get through security. There didn’t seem to be an empty seat by game time.

    New Yorkers knew what was up. They’re used to Trump messing up Manhattan traffic.

    ESPN studio host Ernie Johnson, his bow tie undone, was getting wanded by Secret Service as he entered the arena 4½ hours early, then waited among a herd of press types for 20 minutes to be let in 30 minutes early, then waited 15 minutes for the only accessible elevator before they turned on the escalators around the corner.

    Spurs center Victor Wembanyama went through the same process two hours later.

    Both coaches said Trump’s presence and the resulting complications affected neither them nor their teams.

    We’ll see.

  • Somali referee won’t officiate in World Cup after being denied entry into the United States

    Somali referee won’t officiate in World Cup after being denied entry into the United States

    Somali referee Omar Artan won’t officiate in the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that a Somali national who was planning to referee in the World Cup had been denied entry after arriving to Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday. While the CBP statement didn’t mention the person by name, Artan is the only World Cup referee from Somalia.

    FIFA confirmed later Monday that Artan wouldn’t be able to train and officiate at the World Cup.

    “FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr. Artan’s status will not be changed at present,” soccer’s governing body said in a statement. “In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino (right) with U.S. president Donald Trump, vice president J.D. Vance, and the World Cup trophy in the Oval Office last year.Jacquelyn Martin

    CBP issued a release explaining why Artan was denied entry.

    “During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility,” CBP said in its statement. “Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”

    The World Cup has always been political, but it feels even more so now

    CBP said all travelers seeking entry into the U.S. — including athletes, coaches, and staff — are subject to CBP inspection and vetting.

    “Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” the CBP statement said. “CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.”

  • Back in Toronto as Phillies interim manager, Don Mattingly reflects on Blue Jays’ run to the World Series

    Back in Toronto as Phillies interim manager, Don Mattingly reflects on Blue Jays’ run to the World Series

    TORONTO — Moments after the Blue Jays’ World Series hopes dwindled away in Game 7 against the Dodgers last November, Don Mattingly sat in Toronto’s dugout and looked out at the field at Rogers Centre.

    Bo Bichette, who departed the Jays for the Mets in free agency a few months later, shared a hug with his bench coach before they disappeared into the clubhouse.

    “I was just kind of watching the end of it, and taking it in,” Mattingly said. “I usually get out of the dugout after a game, but that one I just kind of watched, took it in, and then Bo came over.”

    On Monday, Mattingly was sitting at that ballpark but in the opposite dugout, now as the Phillies’ interim manager. It marked his first visit to the Rogers Centre since the 11-inning, 5-4 loss that cemented the Dodgers as back-to-back champions.

    Over his more than four decades in baseball as a player, manager, and coach, 2025 was Mattingly’s first time being involved in a World Series.

    “What I learned: It’s hard to get there; it’s hard to move through each round,” he said. “Just emotional, right? If you’re the team that doesn’t get the last out, it’s a crash. No matter if it’s at that level or it’s the first round. That feeling is the same.

    “But once you get away from that, from last year’s standpoint, you really are proud of the team, right? What they were able to accomplish, the guys that are in there, and you feel for those guys, and they kind of laid their hearts out there.”

    Don Mattingly has plenty of familiarity with the Blue Jays’ roster.Lynne Sladky

    Mattingly spent three years as bench coach for Blue Jays manager John Schneider. He stepped down after the World Series, as he felt like he had accomplished his goal of helping Schneider, a younger manager, establish himself.

    He couldn’t have predicted that five months later, he would be managing again. Mattingly initially planned to retire but changed his mind after he was approached by the Phillies in the offseason for their open bench coach job. And after Rob Thomson was fired following the Phillies’ slow start, Mattingly was back at the helm.

    He said he’s taken many lessons from his previous stops into his position.

    “I think a lot, the way Schneids does things, and the way Toronto actually does things,” Mattingly said. “But I can say the same from everywhere. From Miami, I can say the same from LA, I could say the same from being around Joe Torre with his staff. So you’re always taking. I always try to take from everyone, good or bad. Take the bad, and know that that’s not what you want to do, right? So I’m taking all the time.”

    Don’t blame Rob Thomson for the Phillies’ flawed roster | Marcus Hayes

    With this series against Toronto, Mattingly’s familiarity also gives him a leg up with game-planning.

    “It’s a little less having to totally go through a club you don’t know anything about,” he said. “Like a lot of the White Sox guys we just got done playing, there was a lot of new faces that I hadn’t seen play before. It makes me more comfortable. I don’t know if it makes it easier, but I definitely kind of know who these guys are, in a sense, and how they use them. But you still got to get outs, and make plays, and all that kind of thing.”

    Brandon Marsh slid over to center field on Monday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Extra bases

    Justin Crawford sat against Blue Jays left-hander Patrick Corbin on Monday, with Edmundo Sosa drawing into the lineup at left field and Brandon Marsh sliding to center. … Zack Wheeler (5-1, 2.31 ERA) is scheduled to start against Blue Jays righty Dylan Cease (3-3, 3.05) on Tuesday. Cease will be making his first start since he was placed on the injured list on May 25 with a left hamstring strain.