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Now, that’s how you clinch the bye. Eight homers, a new franchise record! Lots of good stories…

Edmundo Sosa played for the first time in 12 days, and all Mundito did was hit three homers. Love Sosa. Here is your Trivia Thursday: In the last five years, three different Phillies have pulled off that three-homer trick. Name them. Answer at the bottom of this section.

Bryson Stott absolutely crushed a ball. Even when Bryson is going good, he is not exactly driving the ball. Well, he hit a baseball into the visitor’s bullpen, and I immediately thought to myself, “That’s gotta be the longest homer of his career!” And, in fact, it was: 441 feet. Love when that happens.

Alec Bohm hit one, too. Like Mundito, some time on the shelf clearly has done Bohmer good. He is 12-24 since returning, and after resting up that shoulder, is clearly driving the ball a good bit better.

Otto Kemp went deep, too. I enjoy that young man, the Kempire has done a decent job filling in these last few weeks when the Phillies infield was so depleted. More than anything, a lengthy lineup is gonna be key for these guys in the postseason.

But, of course, Kyle Schwarber stole the show. He did exactly what I asked of him and hit a bunch of homers early this week. The Race to Ryan is fully on!

That bomb set the record for homers by a lefty hitter off lefty pitching in a single season, with 23. Seriously, Barry Bonds never did that. This comes after last season, when Schwarber set the record for leadoff homers. I cannot believe how he is getting better in his mid-30s.

And this one? It did not set any records, but man, what a tank.

The Phillies might have nothing to play for over the last four games — J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner all getting back on the field would be nice — but we are all gonna be locked into every Schwarbs at-bat. He deserves nothing less.

And oh yeah, the three-homer games in the last five years: Schwarber (3x), Harper, and my favorite one, Bamboo Brad Miller

Nolan Smith: Man, this is a humdinger of a tweet.

Sneaking in Quez at the end there was nasty work.

Nolan Smith is the big news (unless you’re, like, a Quez fan), which EJ wrote about here. If you will recall, Smith had offseason surgery for a torn triceps that he suffered in the Super Bowl. Smith has worn a brace on his left arm all this season, and I guess that brace did not do all that much. Smith does not have a sack yet, but he was doing some Nolan Smith Stuff in the early going. Flexing/taunting against Dallas, destroying some poor guy on the Chiefs trying to run block him, etc. But at some point, he strained that triceps.

That is the major concern I have with Smith. The same reason we love him — an undersized edge-rusher that plays with an incredible motor and physicality — is the same reason I worry about him long-term. It’s hard to stay healthy when someone his size plays such a violent style!

The good news is that Smith’s season is not over. Injured reserve means 4-7 weeks, and it seems like the Eagles are shooting for six: Five games, and then the bye week in early November. If that happens, Smith will return November 10th against the juggernaut Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.

So, what do the Eagles do in the meantime? They only have three sacks as a team, which is not great.

Smith is not one of the Eagles’ very best players, but since he leads an edge-rusher group that is unproven and has questionable depth, he is probably one of the more important players. He has played 76 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps through three weeks. Jalyx Hunt will have to play more. Za’Darius Smith, buddy, I hope you caught your wind in your first two games. He will have to play more. Josh Uche, get ready for more reps. And then the Eagles have two edge-rushers (Azeez Ojulari and Ogbo Okoronkwo) who have weirdly been inactive in all three games. Can either of those guys get some burn?

Uncle Vic is blitzing more early on this year. He might have to get creative with all of those sim pressures he can cook up. Zack Baun’s pick last week came on one, with both Nolan and Jalyx dropping. Speaking of Baun…

Injury report: Don’t like that, don’t like that one bit.

Baun and Campbell and Adoree’ Jackson were all listed as DNPs on the injury report. Baun said he’s “good,” but not ideal.

The Adoree’ injury makes me recall something that Uncle Vic said at his presser yesterday about one Kelee Ringo: “He’s gonna get his opportunity at some point, and he’s gotta be ready.” Did Uncle Vic know something? If Jakorian Bennett is on IR and Adoree’ might not play, well, that would leave Kelee.

And on the positive side, Lane Johnson was a limited participant. EJ said on the show that he was moving his neck pretty well, so that’s nice.

And oh, a C.J. Gardner-Johnson update: Seems like the Eagles can sign CJGJ. But seems like the Eagles do not want to sign CJGJ. Nick Sirianni got asked about it: “I’m really excited about the room that we have. They’ve done a nice job to date.”

Hockey nicknames: I recommend catching up with Charlie’s video practice notes, they are just a good way to keep up with the team. And in doing so, I caught a couple of nicknames from the first line of the practice group that will likely not play in Washington later tonight.

Rick Tocchet called Christan Dvorak “Devo,” and the Flyers signed Dvorak to that balloon contract to be center insurance. But the Orange and Black might have a center logjam, depending on what happens with Jett Luchanko. And Dvorak, who is not a very flashy player, is good at defense and faceoffs. That makes him at least a somewhat interesting fit with Trevor Zegras, an extremely flashy player who is not very good at defense and faceoffs.

Probably not the line we will see at the beginning of the season, but something Rick Tocchet wanted to see. Or should I say, something “Taco” wanted to see.

Yes, the new guy called his coach who he’s known for like two weeks 🌮. Zegras seems like the quite the personality.

We are getting to the time of year when all five teams are going at once, aka #NewsletterSZN. The Sixers have media day on Friday, a few practices over the weekend and then are flying to freaking Abu Dhabi for two preseason games.

At media day, I first and foremost want to hear what Skinny Joel has to say. But you know who is not gonna be in Camden?

Quentin Grimes: OK, now I am officially annoyed. Shams offered the following update on Wednesday:

Deadlines create action, and Grimes has until October 1st (so, next week) to decide on whether or not to take the $8.9 qualifying offer that would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. As Derek wrote last month, this is the “mutually assured destruction” option. Grimes can threaten to take it as part of this game of chicken, sure, but once he does….

Tony Jones reported that Grimes and his camp want to move the qualifying offer deadline back a week. In what is an undoubtedly dated reference, “That’s gonna be a no from me, dog.” You had all summer to get this done! And to the idea that there was no “formal offer,” semantics! Daryl Morey said this was this was the Sixers’ No. 1 priority all summer. It’s why Guerschon Yabusele plays for the Knicks!

Maybe the (still unsatisfactory) move is that the Sixers sign Grimes to a one-year, $17-ish million deal so they can trade his Bird rights away. I do not know the exact contract offers here, but if I had to guess? Grimes wants the type of money that it’s unclear he would get on the open market next season.

The black unis: Here is your order of nostalgia. Check out the store.

The Sixers also promoted Mike Longabardi to assistant coach, per HoopsHype. Longtime NBA assistant that won titles in Boston and Cleveland, defensive coordinator type. Longabardi was the Blue Coats head coach the last two years.

The Race to Ryan continues for Kyle Schwarber against Marlins righty Janson Junk (6:05 p.m., NBC Sports Philly). What a name for a pitcher, Janson Junk. I checked on StatMuse, it does not look like Schwarber has faced Mr. Junk before. Walker Buehler and his tight pants get the ball for the Phils.

The Flyers are in Washington for another preseason game (7:00 p.m., NBC Sports Philly Plus), and they are still rolling a split-squad type of deal. Charlie tweeted that this is probably the lineup you will see tonight. Nice to see Bumpy and The Jett get another chance, those guys are getting a nice, long look.

And I will also be interested to hear from Nolan Smith tomorrow. What’s going on with those triceps, man?

Your tentative Thursday schedule at PHLY:

Let's make it a good one.

Rich Hofmann
Daily Newsletter Editor
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