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Kyle Schwarber shines as Phillies return to form
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Kyle Schwarber shines as Phillies return to form with latest win

Still without Bryce Harper as he recovers from a wrist injury, the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 on Friday night. The win offers Philadelphia a chance to gain revenge in their weekend series with Toronto after dropping two out of three to the Blue Jays earlier in the month. 

A big four-run second inning started off the scoring and a three-run eighth added more salt in Toronto's wound. 

Kyle Schwarber homered for the second straight game, blasting a three-run bomb in the second for his 22nd of the season. Schwarber is now just one back of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for the National League lead.

Schwarber hit the only home run of the game, but four other Phillies connected on extra base hits with doubles. 

To highlight the Phillies' top performers in the game, Brandon Marsh went 1-for-3 with a two-run double, Otto Kemp was 2-for-4 with an RBI, J.T. Realmuto had two hits with three runs, an RBI and a walk, and Trea Turner drove a run home while also being walked once. 

On the mound, Ranger Suarez picked up his fifth win in his eighth start, upping his record to 5-1. He pitched seven shutout innings while striking out six Blue Jay batters and only giving up five total base runners. 

Another win during the weekend would give Philadelphia back-to-back series wins following a brutal five-game losing skid that included being swept by their lowly in-state counterparts in Pittsburgh.  

But despite getting back to form recently, the Phillies' slow start to the month has them sitting 4.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East. 

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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MLB

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WNBA

Sophie Cunningham, Sparks HC react to third incident of object tossed onto court

Over the past couple of years, the WNBA has seen a major uptick in ratings and overall fan engagement. Unfortunately, that has also come with negative attention. It may have reached a new low, as there have now been three separate incidents in which a fan has thrown a sex toy on the court. This time, it nearly hit Indiana Fever veteran Sophie Cunningham during a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Cunningham had already joked about it on social media, and given her outspoken nature and reputation as a bit of an instigator, she didn't shy away from it: She also laughed it up on her Instagram story: Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts, however, didn't think it was a laughing matter. Following the game, she put the fans on blast for their "stupid" behavior. "It's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid," Roberts said, per Yahoo Sports. "It's also dangerous, and you know, player safety is No. 1, respecting the game, all those things. I think it's really stupid." There's no place for any of this in sports, much less in women's sports. The league needs to crack down on this and take the necessary measures to prevent it from happening ever again. The WNBA is finally thriving after years of surviving, and while the fans will eventually grow to respect the product, not all publicity is good publicity.

Green Bay Packers: Slo-Mo Video of Jordan Love’s Insane 55-Yard TD Bomb to Romeo Doubs Goes Viral
NFL

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NFL

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