Actors Strike in LOVE Park, Joe Biden Visits South Philly

Sheryl Lee Ralph, who came to Love Park for the actors strike, and Joe Biden, who came to South Philadelphia to talk economics / Photographs via Getty Images

Check phillymag.com each morning Monday through Friday for the latest edition of Philly Today. And if you have a news tip for our hardworking Philly Mag reporters, please direct it here. You can also use that form to send us reader mail. We love reader mail!

Actors Strike in Philadelphia’s LOVE Park

Philly-based actors like David Morse (The Hurt Locker, St. Elsewhere) and Brian Anthony Wilson (The Wire, The Postman) joined Abbott Elementary stars Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter on Thursday in LOVE Park to speak out in support of the actors’ strike that has Hollywood on red alert. Also speaking out was State Senator Vincent Hughes, who just so happens to be married to Ralph.

Walter, who isn’t from Philadelphia at all but does a remarkable job of nailing South Philly in her role on the hit show, is in town for a special appearance at Helium Comedy Club this weekend (tickets available here).

Joe Biden Comes to South Philadelphia

You know your approval rating isn’t great when the President of the United States gets, well, trumped by the aforementioned actors. Sorry, Joe.

Joe Biden at the Philly Shipyard in South Philadelphia (Getty Images)

Anyway, Joe Biden flew into Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday and made a beeline for what I will forever call the Navy Yard, where he spoke out against trickle-down economics and in favor of unions and his own economics plan, which he calls Bidenomics. Biden drew some of his biggest applause when he praised the folks who got I-95 reopened in less than two weeks. No arguments there.

By the Numbers

63: Years South Jersey’s Atco Dragway was in business before announcing its sudden closure this week. True story: I raced cars there in my teens. Also true story: I never won.

180: Number of Rita’s locations in the region, making Rita’s the most popular frozen dessert chain in the area by far. Dairy Queen comes in second, with 71 locations. I guess they’re not counting McDonald’s because the stupid ice-cream machine is always broken.

13: Number of brick-and-mortar “cooling centers” city emergency management officials have in the works in Philadelphia amid this sweltering heat and humidity.

And from the Oh-Well Sports Desk …

The Phils had Cristopher Sánchez on the mound last night in Game 2 of the Brewers series, and things were already complicated by the second inning, after another Phillie error, this one on Edmundo Sosa, a single by Andruw Monasterio, and a double by Blake Perkins gave the Beer Guys a 2-0 lead. That was followed by a Christian Yelich double: Make that 3-0. The Phils got one back on a Nick Castellanos homer off right-hander Colin Rea in the fourth.

Nick Castellanos celebrating home runs with his son is so awesome 🥹🫶

(via @Phillies)pic.twitter.com/SQ2jmevvBX

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 19, 2023

Also? We need one of these at CBP for mustard on cheesesteaks:

The White Sox have placed a "Ketchup Bell of Shame" at their ballpark that will get rung if anyone puts ketchup on their Chicago hot dog 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/c8DmV8BP8K

— MLB Life (@MLBLife) July 19, 2023

The Phils squared it at 3-3 in the fifth when Bohm reached on an error and Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber singled. In the sixth, Jeff Hoffman came in for Sánchez and allowed nada, and Hoby Milner, in for Rea, did the same. To start the seventh, Hoffman walked Perkins, who stole second. That brought in Matt Strahm, who got a big out when Sosa dove and snagged a low liner. But William Contreras whacked a double that brought Perkins home. Elvis Peguero got three straight Phils in the bottom half.

Yunior Marte gave up a two-out walk and a single in the eighth but worked out of the jam. In the ninth, two doubles off Andrew Bellatti brought it to 5-3, and Devin Williams gave up singles by Bryce and Bryson that put Phils on the corners before Stott was picked off trying to steal second; Bohm then struck out to end the game. Winning streak over, and Twitter freaked out about the attempted steal. Well, and this at-bat by Harper:

bryce harper's controller died

(via @CodifyBaseball)pic.twitter.com/4aqvYHUpLe

— Flippin' Bats Podcast (@FlippinBatsPod) July 20, 2023

Next game is tomorrow at 12:35.

And in Doop (Sort of) News …

The MLS All-Star Game was last night, too, with the Union represented by José Martínez and Jakob Glesnes, both of whom were chosen as starters by coach Wayne Rooney. They were at D.C. United’s Audi Field playing the English Premier League’s Arsenal, whose Gabriel Jesus scored in the fifth minute. Martínez picked up a yellow 12 minutes in, which is what he does. A Leandro Trossard goal in the 23rd minute made it 2-0 at the half.

Martínez and Glesnes sat for the second half. A hand-ball call on the All-Stars 13 seconds in led to one more Arsenal score. Media native and onetime Penncrest High student Auston Trusty came in for Arsenal in the 80th minute, and the announcers talked him and the Union academy up real good. Nice! And another Arsenal goal at 84 minutes, by one of the team’s three Gabriels, this one Martinelli, then a last one at 89 by Kai Havertz, Poor MLS goalies. Final: 5-0. Damn, I guess parity’s still a ways off.

All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.