- Another win for the streaking Phillies, who swept another four-game series, this time from the San Francisco Giants. The team has swept two home four-game series already this young season, whereas they only swept a total of two four-game series between 2012-17.
The Phils are now 22-15, in second place in NL East, 1/2 game behind the Atlanta Braves. Philadelphia is two games ahead of Washington (who won last night in tough Arizona)and three games in front of the Mets. Building a lead over the Nationals is key, as they still loom as the team to beat in the division.
- Everyone is a different hero now, with Santana and Franco hot. But the player most sizzling continues to be Herrera, who leads the league in hitting. Odubel is playing like an All-Star, with only occasional lapses in the field and on the base paths. He seems to have matured- on and off the field- and is turning into a superstar.
- It seems reliever Pat Neshek, a real veteran, had a heart-to-heart two-hour talk with then struggling new manager Gabe Kapler back in early April. Since then he hasn't killed the bullpen, a she did in the first five games of the year, and hasn't made strange double-moves or all-too-apparent bad pitching changes ( like taking Aaron Nola, now 5-1) out of the first game of the season against Atlanta when Nola was leading 5-1 in the 6th inning). Whether it was Neshek's chat, so Kapler wouldn't lose the clubhouse, or the booing from the home fans, or criticism by the media, something got to Kapler to settle him down.
- The Giants came into Citizens bank Park as a hot team, coming off a weekend sweep of the braves. They limped out of Philly four games to the worst, in third place in NL West. With Cueto and Baumgartener still out, lack of solid pitching is killing the Giants.
- The Mets are struggling big-time after an 11-1 start, but the Phils can never take New York lightly. For several years now, the Mets have had the Pihllies' number, especially at CBP, where New York scores ton a of runs. This weekend, the Phillies throw Arrieta and Nola at New York, but the Mets counter with Syndergard and deGrome.
- Per my question to Extra Innings, the writers feel the following two names in next month's June MLB Draft should be kept an eye on when the Phillies pick 3rd. Nick Madrigal is an infielder out of Oregon State.He is on the smallish side ( 5'8) but can hit and has the passion and desire to make it. Alec Bohm is a power-hitting third baseman from Wichita St.
- After the weekend series with New York, the team hits the road with two games with the lowly Orioles and then four games in St. Louis vs. the Cardinals. Looking forward to seeing OF Tommy Pham, who is battling for supremacy in NL East with Herrera.The next home stand features a return of the Braves and the Blue Jays.
- If confidence is part of Sixers' Markelle Fultz' problems, maybe he should talk to Eagles' wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who was once deemed a head-case who dropped too many passes, to a big reason why the Birds won the Super Bowl.
-Sounds like, from Brett brown's exit interview with the media this morning, he wants a significant free agent signed this summer. Even GM Colangelo admit the 76ers "need something' to get them over the hump. We will see if that means LeBron James or not.
- I got my Eagles tickets for the fall. The opener- Atlanta ( with the raising of the championship banner) sold-out quickly. Minnesota in October- a rematch of the NFC Championship game- and Dallas on Sunday Night Football in November, should both be good games. The Vikings will be dangerous challengers with the Birds in the NFC, with new QB Kirk Cousins and their stout defense. Dallas is Dallas, and for the first time in a while, this game at the Linc should mean something.
I'm happy to get tickets, as many fans were shut-out on-line. Seems the growing trend is, in a matter of seconds, tickets go form being available to the general public to the secondary market, like StubHub, where they are often sold for double or even triple face-value. I'm sure tickets to see the Sixers next season will be crazy to find, tickets that are affordable, that is.
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