Currently, the Phillies have a 2 1/2 game lead over the New York Mets in the division. The Phillies are going on a 10-game road trip to Texas and then Cincinnati, finishing in Washington. The Rangers and Reds are good teams, so it’s going to be important for the Phillies to try and win those two series and then try to sweep the Nationals to end the road trip.
There are some concerning signs for the team. Specifically, Zack Wheeler‘s next start was pushed back to Sunday because he has a sore shoulder. I hope that is all it is because they can't afford to miss him for any significant time. That would put a lot of pressure on Cristopher Sanchez to be the ace of the staff going forward. I know everyone is happy with new closer, Jhoan Duran, but I’m a bit nervous about him because he is constantly trying to throw the ball as hard as possible. He has gone as high as 103 mph. I don’t know how sustainable that is over the rest of the season without him getting hurt at some point.
Enough bad stuff. Kyle Schwarber is definitely having a MVP-like season so far, and if he hits over 50 home runs, I think it is possible for him to win the MVP over Shohei Ohtani, who is not having his typical amazing season so far.
The NFL preseason is going to be in full swing this weekend. The Eagles played their first game against the Bengals. It doesn’t really matter who won, but it is important for the players to play in some live snaps before the season starts. The Eagles play the first game of the regular season Sept. 4, only three-and-a-half weeks away, against the Cowboys. The Cowboys have a significant controversy in their training camp because their best player on defense, Micah Parsons, is unhappy with his contract negotiations with the Cowboys. He actually asked for a trade last week. I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think that is just a leverage play against the front office. As an Eagles fan, I hope it lasts a pretty long time so he has minimal live game practice before opening night. The Eagles will be under some pressure to perform well in the opener, as they will raise the banner to celebrate their Super Bowl championship.
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A 2002 Cape grad and 2007 UD grad, Lewes resident Sumner Spence is one of the Cape area's biggest sports fans. Although he’s used a wheelchair his entire life, he has lived vicariously through his sports-playing father, brother, and friends, who gave him his love of sports. He hopes to provide new and interesting perspectives on the sports stories and issues of the day. Email Sumner at sumspence@gmail.com.
