Rise and Phight: 8/13/2021

Not sure what else we expected from that Dodgers series. They are clearly a superior team up and down the roster and the fact that the Phillies won one game and were robbed of a chance to win another shows they can at least hang with them. They are still not going to be favorites anytime they face a team like the Dodgers or Giants, but there is no reason they cannot at least put up a fight against them.

Now they get to face the Reds, a team more on their talent level. They didn’t play all that well in Cincinnati outside of one offensive explosion, but this team feels different now. They also get to play them at home, where they have played much, much better this season. It’s a series they must win before they head to the west coast.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• J.T. Realmuto and the team received good news when he passed all of his concussion tests. Certainly a sigh of relief.
• Ranger Suarez has been a godsend to the team this year and his teammates love it ($).

MLB news:

• A day after running his mouth about masks, Jake Arrieta was released by the Cubs. Let’s hope the Phillies don’t get any ideas about a reunion.
• I’ve always been a fan of Brian Snitker, except of course when he’s not whining about stuff. This is a nice profile of him.
• Chris Davis retired from baseball yesterday. Admit it: you’d have taken that contract extension if someone offered it to you too.
• Apparently, the Angels are facing a looming crisis because of their unwillingness to spend money Shohei Ohtani’s free agency.