The 2022 World Series will feature the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies as the Fall Classic gets underway on Friday night. It’s the Astros’ fourth trip in the last six years, having won it all in 2017 while the Phillies are making their first trip since 2009 when they fell to the Yankees.
The Astros will feature designated hitter [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] who was dealt from the Orioles at this year’s trade deadline. In 51 games with Houston this regular season, Mancini struggled to a .176 batting average, .622 OPS, and hit eight home runs. He’s 0-12 with a walk and hit-by-pitch this postseason.
Phillies outfielder [autotag]Matt Vierling[/autotag] hit .260 this regular season with six homers. He’s 2-10 this postseason with a double and RBI for the National League champions.
Mancini starred at Notre Dame from 2011-2013 while Vierling did so from 2016-18. Whichever wins will become just the third former Notre Dame player to win a World Series crown since [autotag]Brad Lidge[/autotag] did so with the Phillies in 2008, as they’ll join[autotag] A.J. Pollock[/autotag] who did so with the Dodgers in 2020.
The Philadelphia Phillies have started their road trip off right by rocking the FOCO Pinstripe Overalls and you can represent your Phils now.
After a commanding victory over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, the Phillies are only two wins away from the World Series. The “overalls” trend has overtaken the Philadelphia clubhouse leading up to their playoff run, and everyone is catching on.
[afflinkbutton text=”Shop All Philadelphia Phillies Overalls” link=”foco.vegb.net/5gLYV2″]
The team seems to have acquired some major mojo at the perfect time of the year. The Phillies are 7-1 in the playoffs and will look to continue their hot streak on Thursday in Arizona.
The stars have shown up when the lights have been the brightest. Trea Turner is batting .500 this postseason, while Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos have combined to hit nine home runs.
It is tough to say whether or not the overalls have been the difference maker for Philadelphia this October, but if you are not on board yet, it is time to get your pair before the Phillies are hoisting the trophy and getting fitted for rings.
The FOCO overalls come in different colors and styles. These are the same overalls the players wore during their Divisional Series celebration.
[afflinkbutton text=”Shop All Philadelphia Phillies Overalls” link=”foco.vegb.net/5gLYV2″]
[afflinkbutton text=”Shop All Philadelphia Phillies Overalls” link=”foco.vegb.net/5gLYV2″]
[afflinkbutton text=”Shop All Philadelphia Phillies Overalls” link=”foco.vegb.net/5gLYV2″]
[afflinkbutton text=”Shop All Philadelphia Phillies Overalls” link=”foco.vegb.net/5gLYV2″]
We recommend interesting sports products. If you purchase a product by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.
Gooood morning, Winners. It’s probably not so good of a morning for the Atlanta Braves who became the third 100-plus win team to fumble an entire season away in as many days.
Braves fans, it’s OK if you don’t want to do this anymore. I mean, we get it. Trust me. We do.
When Ronald Acuña hit what we all for sure thought was a grand slam on Johan Rojas only for it to miraculously start dropping right into the outfield, I knew it was over. The Braves were cooked, man. There was nothing anyone could do about it.
This was shocking because Atlanta is one of the greatest offenses baseball has ever seen. It might be the best Braves team ever.
The only thing we’ll think of when we remember this team in the annals of MLB history is “Atta Boy, Harper.”
Orlando Arcia’s ribbing of Bryce Harper is going to go down in the history books of Major League Baseball as one of those pivotal moments — especially if the Phillies win it all.
To be clear, that’s not why the Phillies won. They shut down Atlanta’s explosive offense with elite pitching and a masterful job of managing the bullpen from Rob Thompson. The Braves don’t hit any better if reporters don’t catch Arcia talking cash.
But you can’t tell me that that moment didn’t change the tone of the series. It gave the Phillies something to rally around. It’s all over media. It’s on t-shirts. It just won’t go away.
Now, it’s what the greatest Braves team ever has been reduced to. What a shame.
Are we sure Sean Payton isn’t stealth-tanking?
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Congratulations, Broncos fans. Sean Payton has graduated to the stage of actively hurting his team with a “boneheaded mistake.” Those are his words — not mine.
Sean Payton on calling a timeout after Wilson was sacked late in the first half: “Boneheaded mistake by me” pic.twitter.com/a0OSwu2DZ0
Payton called a timeout at the end of the first half on Thursday night against the Chiefs after Russell Wilson got sacked. That left the Chiefs with time on the clock once and they were able to kick this field goal.
Is this a stealth tank? That’s the only way I can possibly believe this is happening. Not Sean “Nathaniel Hackett is the worst coach I’ve ever seen” Payton!? He would never. Right? RIGHT?
Let this be a gentle reminder that, after six games, Nathaniel Hackett’s Broncos were 2-4. Sean Payton’s Broncos are now 1-5 after putting up a stinker against the Chiefs on Thursday night. And they gave up 70 points in one of those games.
It’s looking like Caleb Williams season. Broncos country, let’s ride.
The Houston Miracle
(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
You won’t believe what happened in Houston vs. West Virginia on Thursday night. Two touchdowns. Twelve seconds. Yes, really.
West Virginia scores with just 12 seconds left on the clock. Houston gets the ball back. Then we get some magic. Charles Curtis has more here along with this awesome radio call of the play.
These five former Tigers are hoping to make a World Series run this October.
The MLB playoffs begin on Tuesday night and a handful of former LSU players are set to appear.
Last year, we saw [autotag]Aaron Nola[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Bregman[/autotag] both make World Series runs with the Astros eventually winning it all.
According to BetMGM, the Braves are the current title favorites at +250.
The top five is rounded out by the Dodgers, Astros, Orioles and Phillies.
Postseason baseball is nothing new to these guys
Good luck to Aaron, Kevin, Josh, Alex, and Andrew on your opportunity to chase the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Rivalry with the Phillies or not, Ronald Acuña Jr. will keep celebrating as long as the home runs continue piling up.
The Braves are the hottest team in baseball. From top to bottom, their roster is stacked, and all they do is hit dingers. Once the runs start piling up, so do the celebrations.
However, Phillies Manager Rob Thomson is not a fan and took exception to Braves’ star Ronald Acuña Jr.’s actions after he hit his 37th home run of the season on Tuesday.
Acuña flapped his arms like a bird as he rounded the bases and hit Atlanta Hawk’s star Trae Young’s “Ice Cold” celebration as he walked towards home plate.
“I like our guys to act like they’ve been there before,” Thomson said a recent interview with WIP. He eventually explained that he understood baseball has changed and that he can’t control things or let it bother him.
Braves pitcher Tyler Matzek caught wind of Thomson’s comments and had his own thoughts. He quickly clapped back on X and defended his teammate: “If you can’t admire it, keep it down so everyone else can enjoy the show.”
If you don’t like it, stop it. If you can’t stop it, admire it. If you can’t admire it, keep it down so everyone else can enjoy the show. #AcunaMVPpic.twitter.com/xosYsIZe9U
Acuña reposted Matzek’s words, seemingly agreeing and silently thanking his pitcher for backing him up. Also, in true Acuña fashion, he loves his haters, as he showed Phillies fans when the Braves clinched the NL East on Wednesday night.
“IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, STOP IT. IF YOU CAN’T STOP IT, ADMIRE IT. IF YOU CAN’T ADMIRE IT, KEEP IT DOWN SO EVERYONE ELSE CAN ENJOY THE SHOW.” @TYLERMATZEK#FORTHEA
There is no love lost between these rivals, and, frankly, as the best team in baseball, they’ve earned the right to celebrate how they want. In the words of Atlanta rapper Future, ” You do what you want when you poppin’.”
On Wednesday, Phillies pitcher Michael Lorenzen became the newest member of the club.
The Fullerton Union (Calif.) High School baseball team is in the news this week because of a remarkably rare claim to history. The school has produced four major league pitchers, who are the only MLB players to come out of Fullerton.
The twist is that every single one of them has thrown a no-hitter in MLB.
On Wednesday, Phillies pitcher Michael Lorenzen – in just his second start since getting traded from the Tigers – became the newest member of the club, blanking the Nationals 7-0.
Lorenzen is now 7-7 on the season with a 3.23 ERA in 122.2 innings. He joins a long tradition as the first former pitcher from his high school to make the big leagues pulled off a no-hitter over 100 years ago.
Here’s the full list of no-hitters from Fullerton Union:
July 1, 1920: Walter Johnson for Washington Senators vs. Boston Red Sox
April 27, 1973: Steve Busby for Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers
June 19, 1974: Steve Busby for Kansas City Royals vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Sept. 29, 1983: Mike Warren for Oakland A’s vs. Chicago White Sox
Aug. 9, 2023: Michael Lorenzen for Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals
Michael Lorenzen’s no-hitter was an incredible moment for baseball. It was more of the same for the Washington Nationals.
This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Mike Sykes.
There isn’t supposed to be any shame in a team getting absolutely torched by a pitcher in a no-hitter.
Typically, that just means the pitcher is that good on that night. There’s not really anything you can do about it. So, on that note, shoutout to Michael Lorenzen.
His no-hitter against the Nationals was an incredible moment for both him and his family. It’s only the 14th no-hitter in the history of the Philadelphia Phillies and, well, there’s a lot of history behind that team. It’s the first one for the team in nearly a decade since Cole Hamels tossed one back in 2015.
With the niceties out of the way, I can say what I really want to say now. Why do the Washington Nationals have to keep embarrassing me like this?
The better question is probably “Sykes, you’re a Nationals fan? Why on Earth would you do that to yourself?!?” That’s a valid response. I try to keep my Nats fandom on the hush because, well, *gestures at the dumpster fire*. But, yes, I am a Nationals fan.
This is my hometown team. And, while I’m not the biggest baseball nerd around, I feel like I should root for the squad and give my support. It’s a D.C. thing. If you know, you know.
If you don’t know, you’re blessed. Because, whew boy. Talk about being on the wrong side of history. It’s always cool to see those moments in sports where something nice happens for a player you weren’t necessarily rooting for. But when your team is on the other end of it? Man. It’s time to pull out the paper bags.
This is what happens when you completely blow up a championship team within three years after winning a title. You’re cursed now. There’s no turning back.
Now we’re here. The team had a 107-loss season last year. The Nats are the worst team in the NL East again and they’ve had multiple games where you look at the ticker on SportsCenter and say “Wow, I didn’t know football was back … Oh, wait. No. That’s the Nationals score.” In fact, they’re so bad the team also became the owners of a century-old record of not having a sweep in over 90 straight series at one point this season. The team finally got its first sweep since 2021 in late July, but still. The damage was done.
Now, you add Michael Lorenzen’s glorious no-hitter to that list of L’s for the Nats. To be clear, this isn’t on the players. It’s happening because of the organizational teardown that seems to have no end. The team isn’t willing to spend to keep talent and when the talent blossoms the team is just totally willing to let it leave. Just ask Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. It’s bad. Really bad.
That’s where this team is. And it’s probably where they’ll be for the next few years, too.
D.C. sports, man. You got to love it.
Quick Hits: Paul George says it’s ‘bully’ season … The White Sox can’t take criticism … and more
. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Many fans and players around baseball are still rightfully worked up over the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal in 2017 and 2018. Especially since the Astros won the World Series at the height of the scheme.
Lucas Giolito has a bit of a tougher time with that line of thinking. And he doesn’t believe Houston winning the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies this year is required to legitimize the Astros’ previous title run.
Speaking to Chris Rose Rotation show via Jomboy Media, the White Sox starter said he believes every team in the 2017 postseason was cheating—the Astros were just the only ones who got caught red-handed.
“Based on everything I’ve heard, it was like all the teams that were in the postseason that year were doing the same [expletive],” Giolito told Rose. “I think that’s also kinda why the players kinda had that half-apology energy when they were apologizing for all this stuff, because they probably knew like ‘Man we got caught, but everyone was kinda doing this stuff.'”
The 2017 postseason featured the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, Guardians, Diamondbacks and Rockies with the Astros defeating New York in the ALCS before taking down the Dodgers in seven games to claim the World Series.
This is not an entirely new line of thinking from Giolito. In 2017, the Yankees and Red Sox accused each other of using technology to decode and transmit signs. The Brewers accused the Dodgers of doing the same during the 2018 NLCS and former Houston bench coach and Red Sox manager Alex Cora is implicated in commissioner Rob Manfred’s final report on the matter.
Again, Houston has rightfully grabbed the majority of the headlines for its use of sign stealing technology, but it certainly seems as though players around the sport have a bit more trouble determining who the real villains are here.
A couple of Philadelphia 76ers joined Jason Kelce in attendance of a Game 3 win for the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Diego Padres.
The Philadelphia Phillies are on an incredible run in the playoffs. They are in the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2010 even though there were times during the season it looked as though they wouldn’t even be in the playoffs and they made it as the lowest seed in the National League.
The Philadelphia 76ers have supported their pro sports neighbors all season. With the series shifting to Citizens Bank Park on Friday for Game 3 with the San Diego Padres, a couple of Sixers enjoyed the game.
Tobias Harris and Georges Niang joined Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce at the game. They saw a good one. The Phillies came away with a 4-2 win to take a 2-1 series lead over the Padres.
The Sixers look to take a cue from the Phillies and get in the win column on Saturday. After an 0-2 start against two of the tougher teams in the NBA, they will take on the San Antonio Spurs at home.
Never put a camera on somebody while they’re taking a selfie. Never.
Ban celebrity camera shots at sporting events. Just ban them.
OK. Maybe don’t completely ban them. They’re fun sometimes, but mostly when the people the cameras are pointing to are actually expecting it. Otherwise, we tend to run up on some pretty awkward moments.
Josh Allen just found that out the hard way at the Padres-Phillies game on Wednesday night.
Allen and his girlfriend, Brittany Williams, were taking a regular ol’ selfie in their suite at the game. Williams is making the classic duckface. Allen is just cheesing because, duh, that’s what you have to do as the spouse. Allen knows that. He’s a selfie pro. Gotta make it nice for Instagram.
Anyway, they’re taking their picture. Then, BOOM. Just like that, FOX has a camera on them mid-selfie. We got this shot from it.
It’s fine. It’s cool. They didn’t even really know this happened. But y’all know how it gets when someone walks in on you taking a selfie. It’s awkward. Nobody likes that. The picture is literally ruined even if it’s not.
This time, though, it’s literally a national broadcast just peeking in on the extremely vulnerable mid-selfie moment. RUDE.
