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The Philadelphia Phillies are no stranger to big MLB free agency moves, but the franchise was notably absent from the hot stove headlines this offseason — and there was a reason for the quiet winter.

The Phillies believe they have a core in place that can compete with anyone this season, even without a splashy free agent addition, because they had already done the bulk of their star hunting over the course of several offseasons by signing Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to long-term deals.

The results since that group’s arrival have been impressive: three straight postseason appearances, including a run to the World Series in 2022. But the Phillies have not held a parade at the end of any of those campaigns — most recently coming up short in last year’s NLDS against the New York Mets — and the competition is only going to be tougher this season in the National League East and beyond.

“I looked at the power rankings … 2 through 4 are in the NL East,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said of ESPN’s preseason list. “I talked to a GM in the American League, and I told him, ‘You have a good club,’ but he recognized that there were four to five teams in the National League better than his.”

Yet instead of overhauling a team that keeps coming up just short for the ultimate prize, the Phillies front office chose to retool with smaller moves. As the division-rival Mets signed — or re-signed — Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, A.J. Minter, Jesse Winker, Ryne Stanek and Griffin Canning and the reigning champion Dodgers added Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott, the Phillies were content in adding depth in the form of outfielder Max Kepler, pitcher Jesus Luzardo and reliever Jordan Romano.

Although they didn’t win the winter, the Phillies are right where they have been over the past several seasons: at the top of a tough NL East division. Their hot start included a weekend series win over the Dodgers in what could be an early playoff preview. In helping the team get to 7-2 to start the season.

The Phillies’ top players have led the way early on with Schwarber, Wheeler, Harper and Castellanos all powering early wins, but the rest of the team is also already demonstrating Philadelphia is about more than just star power. Luzardo has shown he could be much more than a depth piece by allowing just two earned runs while striking out 19 hitters over his first twelve innings and Orion Kerkering has appeared ready to step into a larger role in the bullpen.

“When you look at our team on paper, you’re still going to put us up there with some of the best teams in baseball,” designated hitter Schwarber told ESPN recently. “We’ve got the talent. We’re in the position every year, we just haven’t got there. It’s not for lack of talent. It’s just the way the game works sometimes.”


When the MLB general manager meetings began in early November, it seemed quite possible the Phillies could have a new look when they arrived at spring training a few months later. Fresh off that division series loss to the Mets, Dombrowski made it clear that the front office was going to look through every aspect of the defeat, refusing to let the idea that anything can happen in baseball keep the team from finding any potential areas to improve.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” Dombrowski said. “If you do, you won’t make it. It’s tough but if you get through it all — and then October — you’ll deserve it.”

But as the front office examined its options as the offseason unfolded, it came to a conclusion: It was difficult to find many positions where the roster could be improved. The same feeling was evident in the clubhouse when the team reported to spring training ready to make another run with a group that believes it can get a step further than it has in any of the past three postseasons.

“When you look around a locker room, you try to get better at every position,” catcher Garrett Stubbs said near the end of spring training. “But when you look at this locker room and look at the guys that we have, you say, ‘How do we even get better?’ There’s really a slim chance of getting any better in this locker room.”

Though the Phillies are confident in their talent, they are also aware that many of their core players are already in their 30s and that contention windows don’t stay open forever.

“I think the Dodgers have the oldest team [of hitters], so it’s not like you can’t win with older guys, but we’ve all seen how quickly things change for players in their 30s,” Dombrowski said. “Philadelphia should have some urgency because the future is never promised.”

Compounding the pressure to win now is the fact that some of the star additions of recent offseasons are nearing the end of their contracts. Clubhouse leaders and star players Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto are scheduled to hit free agency whenever the Phillies play their last game of 2025, giving this season a one-last-run feel for a group that has made Philadelphia an October mainstay for the first time in more than a decade.

“We don’t know who is going to be here next year, so who knows — this might be the last chance for us to win with this group,” Harper said. “We have another great opportunity to do this.

“Just trying to win that last game.”

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

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