Nine Innings of Brilliant Phillies Pitching Ruined by Disastrous 10th

Relief pitcher Yunior Marte walks off the mound after giving up five runs and a home run to Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves during the 10th inning. The Braves defeated the Phillies 5-1. / Photograph by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

No news is good news, they say, and that’s what we’ve got from my colleague Victor today. There is this tidbit: Governor Shapiro announced that the temp lanes on I-95 will reopen today at noon.

We're reopening I-95 earlier than expected because of the hardworking tradesmen and women who are working around the clock.

Thank you @Wawa for dropping off food earlier today to thank these workers for their service to our Commonwealth and country. pic.twitter.com/MJgSGuUqdR

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) June 22, 2023

Oh, and the traffic nightmare we were all expecting? It somehow never materialized. All the other local traffic nightmares? Still here, alas. If you’ve got suggestions on what to livestream next, send them here.

One more tidbit: Yesterday’s ceremonial welcome at the White House for India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, featured Penn Southeast Asian a cappella group Penn Masala. Hear them here.

And from the Woe-Is-Us Sports Desk … 

The Phils got in a home game against the Braves yesterday afternoon, with Aaron Nola on the mound and all eyes on the sky. Bryce Elder was the starter for the Braves. Nobody did much of anything for the first few innings, if you discount Trae Turner getting hit by a pitch and getting a walk and a steal, a Brandon Marsh single with two outs in the third, and singles by Alec Bohm and Marsh again in the fifth. (Kyle Schwarber then struck out.)

Ozzie Albies doubled off Nola with one out in the sixth, but there was no further damage. Harper walked in the sixth, but nothing came of that. The Phils brought in Gregory Soto to pitch the seventh, and he got through it. Elder was still in through the bottom half and went unscathed. In for the eighth, Jose Alvarado gave up a lead-off double to Michael Harris II but nothing more. A.J. Minter came in for Elder in the bottom of the inning and mowed our guys down, one-two-three. Craig Kimbrel held the scoreless tie with three straight K’s through the bottom of the ninth — jeez, was no one ever going to score? It was up to Nick Castellanos, Harper and Realmuto vs. Raisel Iglesias. Nope. Nada.

Yunior Marte in the extra innings! With one out, Harris singled, scoring the runner from second, then stole second to add insult to the injury. Another single by Ronald Acuna Jr. left men on the corners; he stole second, but Ozzie Albies struck out, so … oh, Lord. Austin Riley got on base on an error by Schwarber that also scored two more runs.

https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1671968836453556224

And a Marcell Azuna homer brought home two more. Get me out of here! And a strikeout to end the misery. Nick Anderson in to pitch the bottom. You don’t want to read more about this, do ya? I didn’t think so. Final: 5-1.

There was this news, though:

Bryce Harper has been named an All-Star finalist pic.twitter.com/rz3ZYz17My

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 22, 2023

Good for him. The weekend schedule for the Phils: They play the Mets at home tonight at 7:05, Saturday at 4:05, and Sunday at 1:35. And the Union have a home game against Inter Miami on Satuday at 7:30. No Lionel Messi, though; word is it he won’t be on the field until mid-July.