Since Don Mattingly has taken over the Phillies, they have won 8 of 10 games, and they were briefly tied for second place in the division, still 9.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves. They have been slightly more aggressive on the base paths, and their starting pitchers have performed a lot better in this recent stretch. 

That part has nothing to do with the manager though. The team has to continue performing like this because all of the teams in the NL Central are over .500, so there will be a lot of competition for the Wild Card positions come October. I know it is way too early to really care about that, but it is what baseball fans do.

The 76ers completed their Game 7 comeback against the Boston Celtics to advance to the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks. They are already in a hole, down 2-0 against the Knicks. They have to win Game 3 on Friday in Philly if they want to have a real chance to win the series. As usual, Joel Embiid is hurt again with ankle and hip injuries. Hopefully we will see him out there soon.

The Flyers are in a 3-0 hole in their series against the Carolina Hurricanes – the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes have been playing a very aggressive brand of hockey. The Flyers are a very young team, but they are really trying hard. If they get eliminated from the playoffs, it won’t be a huge disappointment, because I think this Flyers team will continue to improve. 

As I talked about a few weeks ago, the PGA Championship golf tournament will be played next week at Aronimink golf club in Newton Square, Pa. They have redesigned the course a number of times in the past few years to make it more difficult for the modern pro players. The biggest thing I’m hoping for is dry weather, making for fast greens because when there’s a lot of rain during tournament week, it takes some of the drama away. 

The course is a very long par 70, which means there are only two par fives on the course. I expect the winning score to be between eight- and 12-under par. My pick to win is Xander Schauffele.