Phillies riding high | Sports Daily Newsletter

The first day of fall is not until Sept. 22, but it sure has that feel around here. The Phillies are oozing with playoff vibes and the Eagles are set for their home debut on Monday Night Football, although they’ll be without a key player (more on that below).

The Phillies whacked their magic number for clinching the NL East down to six with a dramatic 2-1 victory against the Mets, their second straight comeback win against the New Yorkers. J.T. Realmuto did the honors with a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning at a rocking Citizens Bank Park.

Nick Castellanos, not known as a threat on the bases, set up Realmuto’s winning hit by stealing second base. It is the sort of thing that winning ballclubs do.

“I think finding ways to win is something we’ve been doing a really good job of,” Realmuto said. “It’s not necessarily the long ball every game. We’re just finding ways to get it done.”

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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The Eagles play in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.

Amid the Monday night hoopla in the Eagles’ home opener at the Linc, the team will honor Nick Foles before the game against the Atlanta Falcons. Foles will officially retire as an Eagle and serve as an honorary captain.

He will forever be remembered for the “Philly Special” and the remarkable Super Bowl win for the Eagles in 2018. Foles’ father, Larry, says his son has moved on to the next chapter in his life: as a father and children’s flag football coach. Tonight, though, Foles will get to take a final bow.

About tonight’s game: The Eagles revealed Sunday that top receiver A.J. Brown will sit out with a hamstring injury. Can the offense overcome the loss? With Saquon Barkley churning out yards and DeVonta Smith as dangerous as ever, this offense is loaded, Marcus Hayes writes.

The game will feature an intriguing matchup at quarterback between Jalen Hurts and Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins, two players with something to prove.

On the defensive side of the ball, Zack Baun had by far the best game of his NFL career as the Eagles beat the Packers in Brazil. Olivia Reiner profiles Baun, a “superstar mega-athlete” who is still developing as a linebacker in the NFL.

Next: The Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons tonight at 8:15 (ESPN).

Good news for the Phillies as they make their push to wrap up a playoff bye: All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm is back in the lineup. Bohm returned Sunday after he missed 14 games with a strained left hand. He went 1-for-4 in the victory against the Mets.

Outfielder Cal Stevenson played a role in the series victory, making a leaping catch and stroking a two-run double in a comeback win Saturday. Not long ago, Stevenson pondered giving up the game altogether, Alex Coffey writes.

Next: The Phillies open a three-game series against the Brewers in Milwaukee tonight at 7:40 (NBCSP).

Of course, Matvei Michkov made a splash as he debuted with the Flyers in their rookie camp and two games against their New York Rangers counterparts. He wasn’t the only Flyers prospect to make an impression, Jackie Spiegel writes.

Denver Barkey has been held out of the action as he recovers from mononucleosis.

Jim Curtin’s Union played well against Inter Miami on Saturday, even if the 3-1 score did not reflect it. With just six games left, the Union are running out of time to get the wins they need to make the MLS playoffs.

Next: The Union visit New York City FC at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. (Apple TV).

Sept. 16, 1960: Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves pitched a no-hitter in a 4-0 victory against the Phillies, marking a dubious achievement for the Phils. Milwaukee’s Lew Burdette also pitched a no-hitter against them on Aug. 18, 1960.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Marcus Hayes, Mike Sielski, Olivia Reiner, David Murphy, EJ Smith, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jackie Spiegel, Katie Lewis, and Gabriela Carroll.

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Thanks for reading. See you in Tuesday’s Sports Daily after Monday Night Football at the Linc. — Jim