Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I spent yesterday afternoon at the Texas State Fair, which should be on everyone’s bucket list.
In today’s SI:AM:
🏈 The NFL’s new most popular team
🏀 The NBA’s five best two-guards
They look unbeatable
The Phillies are on a tear. After last night’s 10–0 win, Philadelphia holds a commanding 2–0 lead over the Diamondbacks in the NLCS as the series shifts to Arizona tomorrow.
The Phillies scored their first three runs last night via solo homers (one by Trea Turner and two by Kyle Schwarber), continuing the relentless power display that has propelled them through the postseason. Philadelphia has now hit 19 home runs in eight postseason games, the most of any team this year. (The D-Backs are second with 14.) Oddly, the last 13 of those homers were all solo shots, the longest such streak in postseason history, according to MLB.com. After hitting three homers in their first three games of the postseason, the Phillies have 16 in their last five, the most in a five-game stretch in playoff history.
The Phils are 7–1 thus far in the postseason, but even that might be underselling just how dominant they’ve been. As The Athletic’s Jayson Stark points out, Philadelphia batters have had only six plate appearances this postseason while their team has been trailing. That’s the fewest of any team through its first eight postseason games. (The Rangers have had only three plate appearances while trailing in their seven playoff games this year.)
The bad news for the Diamondbacks is that the Phillies cruised to victory while facing Arizona’s two best pitchers. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly have been the D-Backs’ two most reliable starters this season, but Gallen gave up five runs on eight hits in five innings in Game 1, and Kelly gave up four runs on three hits (all solo homers) in 5⅔ innings in Game 2. Arizona will rely on rookie Brandon Pfaadt, who recorded a 5.72 ERA in 18 regular-season starts, as their starting pitcher for Game 3.
The Phillies’ smooth journey through the postseason can be attributed to the fusion of an onslaught of home runs and superb pitching. Starter Aaron Nola was lights-out last night, pitching six shutout innings. He allowed just three hits and struck out seven before giving way to a trio of relievers (Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering) who finished off the shutout.
The Philadelphia bullpen has played an equally pivotal role in the team’s success alongside the impressive starting performances of Nola and Zack Wheeler. Philly’s relievers have an ERA of just 1.09 this postseason and have allowed only one home run. They’ve stranded more than 90% of runners on base.
With the Phillies firing on all cylinders, it’s difficult to envision the D-Backs mounting a comeback, even as the series moves to Phoenix. In fact, even considering how great the Rangers have looked thus far, the Phillies are so hot that they have to be considered the favorite to lift the Commissioner’s Trophy in a couple of weeks.
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The best of Sports Illustrated
Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports
- Thanks to their association with Taylor Swift, the Chiefs have “become a pop culture phenomenon unlike anything American sports have seen in decades,” Matt Verderame writes.
- Stephanie Apstein has the story of the garish shorts that Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte turned into a clubhouse-wide sensation.
- Even after just two preseason games, Chris Herring believes Victor Wembanyama is ready to live up to his lofty expectations.
- Rohan Nadkarni ranked the five best shooting guards in the NBA.
- Here are Michael Fabiano’s fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em recommendations for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and defenses.
- Richard Johnson took a closer look at the most intriguing results from Week 7 in college football.
- With Game 4 of the WNBA Finals tonight, Clare Brennan explains why the Aces need to lean on Kelsey Plum more than ever.
- The Eagles have signed Julio Jones.
- South Carolina coach Shane Beamer broke his foot in a tantrum after his team’s loss to Florida.
The top five...
… things I saw last night:
5. The Hurricanes’ two goals in a 16-second span.
4. Zion Williamson’s steal and thunderous dunk.
3. The Diamondbacks’ radio call of Kyle Schwarber’s leadoff homer.
2. Eagles players D’Andre Swift and Terrell Edmunds mic’d up during the Phillies game.
1. Connor McDavid’s spin move on his knees before scoring a goal.
SIQ
Who recorded the first official quadruple double in NBA history? (Today is the anniversary of the achievement.)
- Scottie Pippen
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Nate Thurmond
- Draymond Green
Yesterday’s SIQ: Which city hosted the first indoor World Series game?
- Minneapolis
- Seattle
- Houston
- Toronto
Though they play outdoors now, the Twins were at the time one of five MLB teams that played under a roof. The Blue Jays had gotten close to the World Series two years earlier, losing the ALCS in seven games to the Royals. The Astros, MLB’s longest-tenured indoor team, reached the NLCS twice (1980 and ’86). The Expos made their lone playoff appearance in ’81, losing in the NLCS to the Dodgers. The Mariners had never won more than 78 games by that point in their history and remain the only team in MLB history not to appear in a World Series.
