CHICAGO — Jalen Smith sparked a game-ending run with a thunderous dunk on Joel Embiid, and the Chicago Bulls matched a season high with their fifth straight win, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 109-102 on Friday night.
The Bulls scored the final 10 points of the game, starting with Smith’s driving dunk. Tre Jones and Zach Collins each had 15 points, and Coby White scored 13, helping the Bulls match their best streak since a 5-0 start. They also evened their record at 15-15.
Embiid led Philadelphia with 31 points. Tyrese Maxey scored 27 and had five 3-pointers. Paul George shook off a slow start to finish with 15 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, but the 76ers lost for the fourth time in as many games this season with their three stars in the lineup.
The Sixers led 102-99 after Embiid backed in with 2:45 remaining, but that was all the scoring for them. Smith then drove the baseline and dunked on a rotating Embiid with about 2:30 remaining, bringing the crowd to its feet.
White then nailed a step back 3, drawing more roars, and Jones hit a reverse layup. After a driving Maxey got blocked by Nikola Vucevic, Jones tracked down a loose ball and laid it in with 47 seconds left. He added a free throw with 17 seconds remaining.
Embiid, who has missed 15 games mainly due to right knee soreness, scored 16 points as the cold-shooting Sixers grabbed a 52-49 halftime lead.
Philadelphia made just 3 of 15 3-pointers and was 19 of 50 from the field through the first two quarters. Even so, the Sixers went from leading 13-2 to trailing by 11 early in the second to taking a three-point advantage to the locker room.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo’s James Cook reflected on his offseason contract dispute with pride, a sense of unfinished business and a nod to Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley.
Though the Bills’ fourth-year running back might already be outperforming the four-year, $46 million contract extension he signed in August following a week-long hold-in, the NFL’s rushing leader enters Week 17 feeling vindicated for banking on himself.
“You got to do what you got to do. You need to take care of your family, and that’s what I did,” Cook said Friday, referring to his contract dispute that included him skipping all of the team’s spring voluntary practices.
At the same time, Cook thinks he has more to prove.
“The job’s not even finished,” he said. ”So just keep going.”
With a career-best 1,532 yards rushing, Cook has a 43-yard lead over the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor in what stands as a two-way race for the rushing title.
What’s fitting for Cook this weekend as the Bills (11-4) prepare to host the Eagles (10-5) on Sunday is him owing his on- and off-field achievements to Barkley. If not for the Philadelphia running back raising the payroll bar for all players at his position, Cook figured he might still be spinning his wheels while seeking a pay raise.
“He set the standard. He set the mark,” Cook said of Barkley turning his league-leading 2,005 yards rushing last year into a two-year contract $41.2 million extension that made him the NFL’s first running back to average more than $20 million a season.
“Last year, he set the rushing title,” Cook added. ”And I’m just trying to replicate it.”
Two of the NFL’s premier running backs will square off in expected sloppy conditions, with the forecast calling for a wintery mix of snow and rain Sunday.
In Buffalo, Cook has scored 12 touchdowns and topped 100 yards nine times while taking the load off quarterback Josh Allen and contributing to the Bills reaching the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.
In Philadelphia, Barkley has found his footing and the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles appear to have rediscovered their balanced offensive identity.
Barkley has topped 100 yards twice in the past three games after doing so just once in the first 12. The Eagles have won two in a row and are coming off a 29-18 win over Washington during which they became the first team to clinch consecutive NFC East titles since they did so over a four-year span from 2001-04.
Barkley said he “never lost faith” in the offense or coordinator Kevin Patullo, who was criticized for the Eagles’ sluggish start.
“It’s always not going to be pretty. The stat line isn’t always going to be 100 rushing yards,” he said. “When we get our running game going, we’re going to be a hard team to beat.”
Barkley noted he exchanged messages on Instagram with Cook this week.
“He’s the leading rusher right now and I sent him a message, like, ‘Go finish,” he said. “He’s a guy who’s had a heck of a year. … Super excited to go against him. Wish him the best, but not too well against our team.”
Barkley has an opportunity to thrive against a Bills defense that has allowed 150 or more yards rushing seven times this season, and will be missing three defensive tackles to injury.
The Bills, however, can counter with Cook, whose 12 TDs rushing are tied for fourth in the NFL.
“The week to week intensity is different than last year,” McDermott said. “He had some big games last year, but the look in his eye each week, the intensity that he shows up with, it’s really been influential on our whole football team.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A lawyer for Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia and 26 other football players has cited the NCAA’s decision to allow an NBA draft pick to return to college basketball as a reason that a federal judge should let his clients play in 2026 and 2027.
Although Pavia plans to enter the NFL draft, he is continuing the lawsuit, which challenges an NCAA rule that counts seasons spent at junior colleges against players’ eligibility for Division I football.
On Wednesday, Baylor announced that 7-foot center James Nnaji had joined the Bears after four seasons playing professionally in Europe, a span that included Nnaji being drafted No. 31 overall by the Detroit Pistons. His rights were traded to Charlotte and later the New York Knicks.
Attorney Ryan Downton seized on that news in a memorandum he filed Friday in a Tennessee federal court to support his antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA. He’s asking U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell to block the NCAA from enforcing its eligibility rules.
With Nnaji’s arrival at Baylor having been announced on Christmas Eve, Downton began his memo with a reference to Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
“When what to my wandering eyes should appear, but … the hypocrisy of the NCAA granting four years of eligibility to a 21-year-old European professional basketball player with four years of professional experience who was drafted by an NBA team two years ago,” the attorney wrote.
The memo noted that Nnaji, who also played in the NBA Summer League, will be 25 before he runs out of eligibility.
“Meanwhile, the NCAA argues to this court that high school seniors are harmed if a 22- or 23-year-old former junior college player plays one more year of college football,” according to the filing.
Pavia initially sued the NCAA in November 2024 and won a preliminary injunction weeks later that allowed him to play this season. He led Vanderbilt to a No. 13 ranking in the AP poll and the best season in program history. The Commodores will play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31.
The lawsuit has since added 26 other plaintiffs, including Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar.
NCAA rules give athletes five years to play four seasons under an eligibility clock that starts at any “collegiate institution” regardless of whether that school is an NCAA member.
Pavia started playing at New Mexico Military Institute in 2020; the NCAA did not count that season toward eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He led the junior college to the 2021 national championship, then played at New Mexico State in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Vanderbilt for 2024, making this season his sixth in college football but only his fourth at the Division I level.
The NCAA is facing several eligibility lawsuits, and Downton is representing players in another lawsuit over the NCAA’s redshirt rule, with Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson a lead plaintiff.
As Jihaad Campbell’s playing time decreased, his focus on NFL life off the field remained vigilant.
The rookie first-round pick took a back seat when Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean returned from injury and slid back into his starting role. Dean’s play cut into Campbell’s playing time. By Week 13, his defensive snap count dropped to zero. But off the field, the 21-year-old Campbell kept to a schedule and made “mature decisions,” he said.
He went to bed early, made sure to keep up a normal recovery routine, and watched a lot of film, knowing that at any moment his number could be called for an increased role.
That proverbial tap on the helmet came last Saturday vs. Washington, when Dean went down with a hamstring injury that will keep him out of Sunday’s game in Buffalo and give Campbell his first start in two months. Campbell had six combined tackles in 36 defensive snaps, and two of those tackles were run stops.
Campbell briefly moonlighted at outside linebacker when the Eagles were missing multiple players. He talked last month, after losing his starting inside job, about keeping the right mindset.
“The biggest thing is just staying prepared, not getting down, and just understanding the game plan and what has to happen,” he said in November. “So when it is my time to go in the game, I know exactly what I have to do, when I have to do it, with full confidence.”
The unwavering off-field focus, Campbell said, comes from his upbringing.
“It’s just in me,” the Erial, N.J., native said Wednesday. “It’s been instilled in me ever since I’ve been a young kid. I have a great foundation and support system back home.
“It’s just all about knowing my responsibility, knowing that I have to be accountable for my own actions and what I want to do for my career to come.”
Jihaad Campbell (right) will start this week at linebacker for the injured Nakobe Dean.
Campbell’s first NFL season and all that comes with it seems to be coming at warp speed for the 31st pick in April’s draft.
“I look up now and it’s Week 15, Week 16 of my rookie year,” he said. “It’s moving fast; it’s moving pretty quickly. It’s all about just squeezing the lemon as much as I can in this first year.”
The team awaiting Campbell in his first start since Oct. 26 will test how much juice he’s produced.
Running back James Cook leads the NFL in rushing, and Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks at using his legs. Buffalo has a dynamic running game that allows Allen some opportunities to use his arm, too. Dean was especially impactful against the run and as a blitzer in recent weeks, and the Eagles likely will need the same out of Campbell on Sunday. He has one quarterback hit and zero sacks on the season.
“It’s all about what we do,” Campbell said when asked about the challenge of Allen and the Bills.
While Dean is out, the Eagles will get Jalen Carter back after he missed the previous three games with shoulder injuries. Carter should provide a boost, even in a limited role. But the Eagles have played some of their best defense of the 2025 season in the weeks after Dean returned.
It will be on Campbell to help make sure that level of play continues.
Injury report
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson remained off the practice field Friday and will not play Sunday. Dean also was ruled out.
Landon Dickerson (illness) returned to the practice field Friday and is good to go for Sunday. A.J. Brown also returned to practice after missing time because of a dental procedure. He will play Sunday.
The Eagles also listed rookie offensive tackle Cameron Williams (shoulder/injured reserve) as questionable. His 21-day practice window is open until next week. The Eagles then will need to decide to end his season or sign him to the active roster.
The Bills, meanwhile, are a little banged up. They ruled out defensive tackles Jordan Phillips (ankle) and DaQuan Jones (calf), as well as safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring). A defense susceptible to giving up yards on the ground will be down a few contributors.
Kicker Matt Prater (quad) also is out, while tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are questionable with knee injuries.
Allen was listed as limited with a knee injury on Wednesday and Thursday but was upgraded to a full participant Friday and doesn’t have a game designation entering the weekend. Neither does edge rusher Joey Bosa, who didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday with a hamstring injury.
CHICAGO — MarJon Beauchamp was back in Seattle, preparing to spend the holidays with his family, when the 76ers delivered him an early Christmas gift.
The Delaware Blue Coats swingman received a call stating that the Sixers would sign him to a two-way contract and that he’d spend the holidays on an NBA road trip. So Beauchamp packed his luggage and flew to the Windy City on Christmas Day to meet the team. The Sixers announced his signing Friday morning.
“This is just a blessing,” Beauchamp said before Friday morning’s shootaround at the United Center. “I’m just here to seize that opportunity. I feel like I can help. I’m ready, and I belong.
“So it’s just coming in with confidence and trying to learn the system and help the team.”
The Sixers face the Chicago Bulls at 7:30 p.m. before traveling to Oklahoma City for Sunday’s game against the Thunder at the Paycom Center. Then they’ll face the Memphis Grizzlies (Tuesday) and Dallas Mavericks (Thursday) before concluding the trip on Jan. 3 at the New York Knicks.
Beauchamp spent a week with the Sixers in October after signing an Exhibit 10 contract on Oct. 14 but did not appear in an NBA game. After being waived, the 25-year-old joined the Sixers’ G League affiliate. But there was always a possibility that he would garner a two-way deal once one became available.
Beauchamp, who is 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, has three years of NBA experience after being selected 24th overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Kevin Porter Jr. on Feb. 6. However, the Clippers released Beauchamp on March 1. Three days later, he signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks for the remainder of last season.
Beauchamp has averaged 4.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 10.9 minutes in 135 games, including 12 starts, over three seasons.
Having his NBA dream cut short could have been devastating. But Beauchamp said he remained focused by staying in the gym.
“I kept working on my game and waiting for my opportunity,” he said. “I feel like every time I had an opportunity, I seized the moment.
“Obviously, I had ups and downs mentally, just trying to stay confident during those times. But I just trust in the Lord and his time and just control what I can control. I feel like I did that.”
The mindset has led to impressive showings for the Blue Coats.
He appeared in seven games, averaging 20.7 points on 50% shooting — including 45.2% from three-point range. Beauchamp also averaged 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.1 steals. He scored 30 points on 55.6% shooting from three and added seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Dec. 19.
And he could get the opportunity to provide depth for the Sixers (16-12), who need another athletic wing with Kelly Oubre Jr. sidelined by a left knee sprain.
“Guys are injured,” Beauchamp said of the Sixers. “I feel like I can help the team with my length, my defensive abilities, and my shooting abilities.
“I shot well in the G League this year. I feel like I can bring a lot to the team, and just my young energy, and bring good energy around the team. So I just feel like it’s a great opportunity.”
On Sunday, the Eagles (10-5) will travel to Highmark Stadium to face the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills (11-4) in a Week 17 matchup. The last time the teams met in 2023 was an overtime thriller won by the Eagles, 37-34, at home.
Now, the Eagles enter Sunday’s game as 1.5-point underdogs as the Bills try to extend their race for the AFC East title. Will the Bills beat the Eagles? Or will the Eagles continue riding high and extend their winning streak to three?
As the teams prepare, here’s what the Bills are saying about the Eagles:
As the Bills’ AFC East title hopes remain alive and the Eagles chase the No. 3 seed, the teams are set to clash in what could be a Super Bowl preview.
Although Josh Allen is coming off a game vs. Cleveland in which he suffered a foot injury, the quarterback is prepared to play Sunday and understands the challenges presented by the Eagles defense.
“Well, they got a lot of studs on that side,” Allen told reporters. “Their front, they get after the quarterback. They’ve got two of the best linebackers in the game. A shutdown corner. They rotate well. Got a safety from Wyoming that’s a stud. They got a lot of dogs on that side of the ball. We got to make sure we have a good week of game planning. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to who executes better on Sunday.”
‘They understand ball’
But, the Eagles defense isn’t the only challenge that the Bills will be presented with. Star receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 137 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders.
Former Villanova star Christian Benford is having a standout season at corner for the Buffalo Bills.
And although the run game hasn’t been as dominant as last year, when Saquon Barkley eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards, Bills coach Sean McDermott is aware of the threat the Birds’ running game could pose.
“Very talented roster,” McDermott, who grew up just outside of Philly, told reporters. “They’ve done a great job building it in particular with the key positions. Numbers are numbers. And numbers can indicate certain things. But they can also not tell the full story. We know who Saquon is. I mean, he’s a Hall of Fame player. Their offensive line, very talented as well. … It’s a tough unit to stop. And the run game in particular is real. I know what the numbers say, and I’m not buying the numbers.”
In an effort to have a different outcome from the last time they met, the Bills will do everything in their power to limit big plays from the Birds.
“It’s going to take all 11 guys on deck this week,” Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White told reporters. “We got to play the whole field. Be able to cover the whole field. These guys do a great job of exploding the ball each and every direction, through the air, on the run. So we’re going to have to be able to try to limit the big-time plays. This is an explosive offense. It’s going to be on us as a defense to communicate well and play well as a group.”
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said of the Eagles: “They’ve done a great job building it in particular with the key positions.”
Coming off a win over the Washington Commanders, the Eagles (10-5) will travel to Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills (11-4) a week after clinching the NFC East. As both teams prepare for the Week 17 matchup, here’s an updated look at the game odds and some interesting player prop bets from two of the biggest sportsbooks …
Eagles vs. Bills updated odds
Two years ago, both teams met in a game that saw the Eagles overcome a 17-7 halftime deficit to seal a 37-34 overtime win over the Bills at Lincoln Financial Field. Entering the week, both the FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbooks had the Eagles listed as 2.5-point underdogs. Since then, the odds have slightly changed.
Jalen Hurts was able to get it done through the air and on his feet in the Eagles’ 29-18 win over the Commanders, completing 22 of 30 throws for 185 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 40 yards on seven carries.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen, who suffered a foot injury in last Sunday’s game against Cleveland, finished the game completing 12 of 19 throws for 130 yards. For Sunday’s game, Hurts’ over/under is set at around 187 passing yards, while Allen’s is set at around 195 yards.
Over the last two games, Hurts has thrown for five touchdowns, including three touchdown passes against the 2-13 Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Allen has thrown for three touchdowns over the last two games, coming off a game that saw him throw for zero touchdowns against the Browns.
Saquon Barkley finished Saturday’s game with 132 yards on 21 carries and one rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, James Cook rushed for 117 yards on 16 carries in the Bills’ 23-20 win over the Browns.
During the Eagles last matchup, A.J. Brown recorded nine receptions for 95 yards. Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith recorded six receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown. As of now, the sportsbooks have Brown and Smith’s over/under set around 60 and 46 yards, respectively.
For the Bills, Khalil Shakir has recorded fewer than 40 yards in his last three of four games.
In Week 16, Dallas Goedert, Smith, Barkley, and Tank Bigsby found the end zone for the Eagles. For the Bills, Cook found the end zone twice and Ty Johnson added one of his own.
After two consecutive wins over strugglingteams, the Eagles are headed to Highmark Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. Heading into the matchup, the Eagles are slight 1.5-point underdogs.
Here’s how experts in the local and national media are predicting Sunday’s game …
Inquirer predictions
We start with our own beat writers. Here’s an excerpt from Olivia Reiner’s prediction …
To see how our other beat writers are predicting this one, check out our full Eagles-Bills preview here.
National media predictions
Here’s a look at who the national media is picking for Sunday’s game …
ESPN: Only two of 10 panelists are picking the Birds straight up.
CBS Sports: Three of seven experts are leaning towards the Eagles.
Bombarded with injuries and illness, the Sixers have yet to play with a full roster. But they’re 16-12 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers are 1½ games behind the third-place Boston Celtics, whom they defeated twice this season. And their signature win was Dec. 19’s 116-107 road victory over the second-place — and NBA Cup champion — New York Knicks.
But with offseason uncertainty surrounding Embiid and George following left knee surgeries, the safe preseason projection for the Sixers was the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The uncertainty surrounding Sixers center Joel Embiid at the beginning of the season has worn off as the longtime center settles in following offseason knee surgery.
We may get a better idea of how good they are during the upcoming post-Christmas, five-game road trip. The Sixers open the road trip on Friday against the Chicago Bulls, who are riding the conference’s longest winning streak at four games despite having a 14-15 record.
Then, on Sunday, they face the defending NBA champions and the best team this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder. After facing the Thunder (26-5), the Sixers will play the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday and the Dallas Mavericks on New Year’s Day. They’ll conclude the five-game trip with a rematch against the Knicks (21-9) on Jan. 3.
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey had 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 113-111 victory over the Sixers on Nov. 4.
Like the Bulls, the Grizzlies (14-16) and Mavericks have shown recent improvement. Dallas (12-20) is 7-5 after opening the season 5-15. The Mavs also won their last five home games.
“It will be a good test to play some really good teams,” George said of the road trip. “It will for sure be a test for us. But we’ve been playing great basketball, despite this loss [Tuesday night to the struggling Nets],”
Before that loss, the Sixers had won six of eight games, with their two losses coming to the Los Angeles Lakers (Dec. 7) and Atlanta Hawks (Dec. 14).
“So we’re playing pretty good basketball,” George said. “[Tuesday] was one of those nights we were a little bit flat. And we’ll pick up the pieces and keep it moving.”
But George doesn’t see this as a defining road trip because the Sixers still don’t have their full complement of players.
Embiid is not expected to play in every game of this road trip because of management of injuries to both knees and soreness. Kelly Oubre Jr. (LCL sprain in his left knee) and Trendon Watford (adductor strain in his left thigh) remain sidelined. And VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow, and Quentin Grimes were sidelined against the Nets (9-19) with illnesses.
Embiid, Edgecombe, Barlow, and Grimes are listed as questionable for Friday’s game
“As far as defining us, it’s still early,” George said. “We’re playing good basketball. Our record doesn’t indicate how well and challenging it’s been. We haven’t had a full roster at any point this season. Whether I’ve been down to start the season, myself and [Watford]. I come back, Kelly goes down. You know, Joel has been injured. Tyrese has been sick.
“So we really haven’t had a full roster. So it’s hard to tell what we are, who we can be.”
Sixers standout rookie VJ Edgecombe missed Tuesday’s game with an illness.
But the Sixers are eager to avenge their 113-111 loss to the Bulls on Nov. 4 at the United Center, when they blew a 24-point lead.
The Sixers relied heavily on Maxey and Embiid, either in the two-man game or in one-on-one situations, that night. The problem was that neither player could get anything going down the stretch, as the Sixers missed their final 11 shots from the floor.
Maxey finished with a game-high 39 points. However, he had eight points on 2-for-8 shooting in the fourth quarter. Embiid was worse. He was held scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting in the frame. That came after he scored two points on 1-for-5 shooting in the third period, and he finished with 20 points on 7-for-21 shooting.
The Bulls went ahead 113-111 on Nikola Vučević’s game-winning three-pointer with 3.2 seconds left. It was their only lead of the game.
The Sixers must maximize everyone’s talent and move the ball if they expect to be competitive. They must also find a way to contain Josh Giddey, who had 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists in that meeting. The guard is averaging 16.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in the last five games against the Sixers, along with that triple-double.
Chicago Bulls and former Sixers center Nikola Vučević has consistently been a strong contributor against his former team.
Meanwhile, Vučević has tallied five double-doubles and one triple-double across his last 10 games against his former team. In addition to containing the duo, the Sixers will look to snap a three-game series losing streak.
They also believe this 10-day road trip will benefit team growth.
The trip will “get us out of our home market and be with each other on the plane, on the team bus, at the hotel, like, actually get a chance to do a few things together, too,” Andre Drummond said. “We have a couple of days in between games, too. So I know we’ll set up some team activities and really continue that bonding experience that we’re feeling right now.”
And we may get a better idea of how competitive the Sixers are, even while being undermanned.
There were some signs that the Phillies and Matt Strahm weren’t long for this world. Small ones. The kind you see in a lot of relationships between headstrong people. Certainly nothing that suggested things were fractured beyond repair. Still, there was enough smoke to at least dampen the surprise when the Phillies decided to trade their versatile setup man to the Kansas City Royals last week.
Whatever the rationale for trading Strahm, his departure reopens a major question that appeared to be solved when the Phillies signed veteran high-leverage righty Brad Keller:
Will that Thomson have enough depth at the back of his bullpen to avoid another season of Russian roulette in the sixth and seventh innings?
We tend to focus on the eighth and ninth innings when assessing the strength of a team’s bullpen. But when you look at the game’s truly elite units, you’ll usually find that they are just as dominant in the bridge to their setup/closer combo. Think about the 2008-era Phillies. Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge were one of the best setup/closer combos in the game. But think about all of the big outs you saw from guys like Chad Durbin and J.C. Romero in situations that were just as pivotal as the ones Madson and Lidge would face.
A more recent example is last year’s San Diego Padres. The most dominant bullpen in the majors by a wide margin in 2025, San Diego relievers ranked ninth in the majors in total batters faced in the seventh inning while also allowing the fourth-fewest runs. The correlation between those two numbers makes sense: the better a manager’s options in the seventh inning, the more likely he is to go to that option rather than attempt to stretch his starting pitcher. Same goes for the sixth.
Those were the innings that killed the Phillies in their NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Eight of the 13 runs that the Phillies allowed over four games came in the seventh inning. Another two came in the sixth inning.
Not all of those runs were charged to the bullpen. But that’s not the whole story. Think about the seventh inning of Game 2, when Thomson stuck with Jesús Luzardo rather than going to his bullpen. Luzardo allowed two runners to reach base, both of whom ended up scoring off Orion Kerkering, who then allowed two runs of his own.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson has been forced to lean on his starters because of a thin bullpen.
A similar situation unfolded in the seventh inning of Game 4. Cristopher Sánchez took a 1-0 lead into the bottom half of the frame but allowed two of three batters to reach before Thomson pulled him. In fact, that game was Exhibit A for why a team needs at least three, and ideally four, arms who can thrive in situations where the outcome is in the balance. Not only did Thomson use closer Jhoan Duran in the seventh, and for five outs, he went to Luzardo for five outs in extras. The only other actual reliever who pitched in the first 10 innings: Matt Strahm.
In that context, it sure looks puzzling that the Phillies decided to trade Strahm for a middle reliever with a light big league track record (Jonathan Bowlan). How does a guy go from being a manager’s second-most-trustworthy option in a do-or-die postseason game to superfluous in barely two months?
Here was the explanation from Dave Dombrowski, who pointed out the presence of fellow lefties José Alvarado and fly-ball on the roster.
“We didn’t necessarily think we needed all three,” the Phillies’ president said. “[Strahm is] a year away from free agency. We were able to get a guy that we liked who has six years of [club control], and we think can help us right away. So you have to give to get. And we still feel good with our left-handers in the bullpen.”
Which is all well and good. Except, the Phillies never looked at Strahm like a typical lefty. He was even more effective against righties, in fact, with a .585 OPS against in 2025.
While the Phillies may like Bowlan, who has an impressive frame and an intriguing pitch mix as well as six more years of club control (albeit at the age of 29), Strahm’s presence in trade rumors over the last several weeks suggests the Phillies weren’t necessarily targeting the Royals’ righty. The driving force in this trade was that the Phillies were ready to move on from Strahm.
For some justifiable reasons.
Most conspicuous were Strahm’s comments after Kerkering’s fielding error in the Phillies’ NLDS elimination loss to the Dodgers, when he suggested that the team didn’t do enough pitcher’s fielding practice. A few days later, Dombrowski disputed Strahm’s characterization, going so far as to point out that Strahm did not participate in the PFP drills the team did have before the NLDS.
Not exactly bridge-burning stuff, there. But Strahm also showed some signs of decline in his age-33 season. When he was a well-deserved All-Star in 2024, he struck out a third of the batters he faced while walking 4.6% of them. Last year, both of those metrics worsened. He still struck out a solid 27.3% of batters, but his walk rate rose by almost 50%.
In fact, Strahm’s underlying results declined across the board, a clear indication that his stuff had diminished. Always a fly-ball pitcher, Strahm’s ground-ball rate plummeted by nearly a third in 2025, dropping from 31.9% to 23.8%. That decline correlated with a noticeable drop in life on his fastball, with his average velocity falling from 93.4 in 2024 to 92.3 in 2025, per Statcast.
Only four relievers in the majors have logged more than his 212⅔ innings since the Phillies signed him in 2023, three of them are younger than Strahm.
Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm yells into his glove after the Los Angeles Dodgers score three runs in the seventh inning in Game 1 of the NLDS.
There’s a realistic chance that this move looks like a nothingburger at worst by the end of next season.
Make no mistake, though. It’s a move that weakens the Phillies bullpen in the short term. Mostly, it puts a lot more pressure on Duran, Keller, and Alvarado to remain healthy and effective. If all three pitch to their potential, the Phillies will be plenty OK in tight games. But Alvarado is in his decline phase and is coming off a season where he missed 80 games and the postseason because of a PED suspension. Keller could be a one-year wonder. Behind them is Kerkering, who has yet to blossom into the high-leverage ace the Phillies envisioned and who will have to overcome the psychological trauma of his debilitating mistake in Game 4 of the NLDS.
No team would be comfortable with those kind of question marks in the ninth inning. But the seventh can be just as important, particularly when your roster is built around its starting rotation. Last year, Phillies relievers allowed the fifth-most runs in the majors in seventh innings, despite facing the fewest batters (513, or 101 fewer than the Padres). It has been a long-running theme under Dombrowski. Since 2021, the Phillies’ bullpen has the ninth-highest seventh-inning ERA in the majors (4.46), per FanGraphs.
Trading Strahm was a defensible move. But it could easily become one that Dombrowski regrets.
