Philly Today: Death by Cheese, SEPTA Called on the Carpet, and Some Pretzel Pizza

Dipping into some international news for a sad, cheesy story

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My hardworking colleague Victor has summer Fridays off, so I’m all you got. I’m also all you need. First up, a bit of international news regarding a cheesy Italian tragedy. Man, that’s wheelie a lot of cheese. In case you feel like these United States are going to hell in a handbasket, honey, there’s this:

https://twitter.com/KeithNHumphreys/status/1689690824777576448

Don’t you feel better now? Don’t feel too great: Federal regulators are just as fed up with the recent string of 10 — count ’em, 10 — SEPTA misadventures as we are. And ye gads, are we still doing this?

Diner En Blanc Begins @DEBphl pic.twitter.com/UsvUW0XiUj

— PhillyChitChat (@HughE_Dillon) August 10, 2023

In much better news: Excuse me, did you say “pretzel pizzas”? Pretzel pizzas! The New York Times, the Washington Post, and a bunch of other cognoscenti are all just wild about the new novel by National Book Award winner James McBride, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which just so happens to star Pottstown’s very own Chicken Hill, which, ahem, is two blocks from where we live and is a popular (if dangerous) sledding venue in snowy winters. Viva Chicken Hill! And here, just for Friday Funday:

This is Vela. She doesn’t know why more people aren’t in this swimming pool. Loves having it to herself though. 13/10 pic.twitter.com/CdQCyPEqEZ

— WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) August 10, 2023

And from the Homer-Heaven Sports Desk …

There was a whole lotta nothin’ but pitching out of trouble in the early innings of the Phils’ last in their four-game series with the Nats. Aaron Nola was the starter for us, and Patrick Corbin for the Nats. We left men on second and third in the second and had the bases loaded in the third with no outs but couldn’t get on the board either time. Bryce Harper did something to his back in the fifth and came out for Rodolpho Castro at third, with Alec Bohm moving to first. In the sixth, Nola dished out successive singles and came out with men on the corners in favor of Matt Strahm; not a bad outing for him, if Strahm could get three. He got ’em, but Ildemaro Vargas doubled in one run. Hey, you can’t please everybody, can you?

This game isn’t as exciting as last nights game!!! Let’s go @Phillies

— John Kruk (@JohnKruk) August 11, 2023

But in the bottom half, Bryson Stott reached first on an error, and after Andres Machado came in for Corbin, Trea Turner brought Stott around with a two-run homer. Stand up for that man!

Trea gives the @Phillies the lead! pic.twitter.com/TroDh44RDS

— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2023

Joe La Sorsa came in to pitch after Machado gave up a J.T. Realmuto single and a Jake Cave walk, and Bohm came up with two outs and lined out. Pooh. Castellanos just missed a homer with a foul in the seventh after Castro walked, fouled off seven pitches, and then smacked it out anyway: 4-1. La Sorsa smacked back — hitting Stott with a pitch — and got double-smacked, with a J.T. homer. Try that with us, will ya? 6-1 Phils.

It was Yunior Marte for the eighth, and he gave up back-to-back singles and got a mound talking-to from J.T. He then got a strikeout and served up a Vargas double — and two more strikeouts. 6-2 Phils. The ninth was Kimbrel Time. He gave out a rare one-out double, then got a fly out. The crowd stood and did the goofy arm thing, and … strikeout! That’s a wrap, and the series win, 3-1. Next game’s tonight here at home with the Twins, at 7:05. They’ll then play Saturday at 6:05 and Sunday at 1:35.

And for Your Weekend Consideration …

In other weekend news, the Union play Querétaro tonight at 8 p.m. in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, and they’re got that Subaru Park advantage. Get to it, Sons of Ben! And the Eagles have their pre-season game on Saturday vs. the Ravens, in Baltimore at 7 p.m. Go Birds! Still. Pre-season games …