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  • Horoscopes: Sunday, March 29, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Life awakens a love that was already inside you. You might be tempted to give other people and circumstances the credit, but it’s your perception and reaction that does much of the work. Love was always in you, and it always will be.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your instructions weren’t written on stone tablets. They are not meant to last thousands of years. In fact, if a better method is invented tomorrow, everyone will switch to that. So stay flexible, open-minded and discerning. Keep refining.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Friendship should not require a big performance from you. Choose friends who inspire a calmness in you and make you feel accepted for however you really are. After time together, you should feel fortified, not on edge or drained.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your thoughts need peace, quiet and room to stretch. Protect your space. Interruptions are more costly than they seem. To honor your process, take measures to prevent interruptions (especially from your phone) before you even begin your work.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The kitten and the lion do the same moves to different effect. When the kitten prowls, pounces and swipes, no one runs. Today, there’s something so nice about playing the part in a small, ineffectual way. It’s all for fun.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). To really serve someone well, you’ll find out the person’s preferences and give full attention to meeting their needs. This kind of detailed work is a rare gift to offer, so don’t be surprised if it makes an impression far beyond what you were aiming for.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Many people are thinking of their own scene without looking at how it affects those they interact with. But you’re considering relationships from every angle, and because of this, you’ll understand the opportunities and treasures on offer.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The direct route is shorter today — too short, in fact. It will get boring fast. There are lovelier ways to go where you’re going — ways you’ll want to take time and again. A mission of discovery will be worth the experimental wandering.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Cupid’s arrow isn’t just for Valentine’s Day. You’ll be struck in some small way. Perhaps this does not pertain to romantic love, but rather to a fascination, such as a project or goal that is so seemingly perfect for you that it magnetizes your heart.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The right answers seem obvious to you, and there’s no time to waste. It’s a day for strong decisions. You can trust yourself. When you get right to the point, you make other people’s lives easier, too.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). When people say things they don’t mean and gloss over or neglect to mention the truth, that’s just communication as usual. But so is reading between the lines. Today’s discourse will be layered and deeply understood.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The problem with selfishness isn’t that it’s inherently bad, but that it makes the world smaller to keep attention so close to the source. Today, you’ll teach through your generosity, which has you walking in a big, colorful world and inspiring others to join you.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 29). Welcome to your Year of Yes, when one “yes” leads to another until your calendar looks like the life you hoped for. Sometimes you’re giving the go-ahead, and other times you’re daring to move forward, agreeing to teachers, offers and adventures. More highlights: A collaboration turns profitable. A relationship deepens through shared plans and laughter on the road. A purchase that once felt out of reach becomes practical. Leo and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 22, 31, 9 and 40.

  • Dear Abby |Stress and emotions set best friends against each other

    DEAR ABBY: I have fallen out with my best friend of 20 years, and I’m not sure how to proceed. A few years ago, she started a new job and became too busy for chats or to catch up. However, whenever we do manage to chat or catch up, she wades in with advice and suggestions about what I “need” to do to improve my situation.

    I’m recently separated from a marriage of 20 years, and I’m trying to keep things even for my two teenage children. I became increasingly frustrated by how inappropriate her suggestions were and eventually lost my temper. I told her to stop making suggestions as they weren’t helpful, and that she was too removed from my life. This was three months ago, and since then, she has ceased all contact and didn’t reply to my apology for losing my temper. She said no one has ever hurt her the way I hurt her.

    She has now emailed me asking to meet when she’s less busy, saying she’s still very hurt but she misses me. I miss her too, but at the same time, I don’t miss the stupid suggestions. She’s godmother to one of my children (she has had no contact with her since this happened, even missing her birthday). How should I handle this? I am very hurt at how she deserted me at a time when I needed people around me while going through a painful separation.

    — DESERTED IN DUBLIN, IRELAND

    DEAR DESERTED: Emotions are raw and folks are rarely at their best when going through a divorce. At the same time, your friend appears to be stressed because of her work schedule. Since your separation, you are looking for more emotional support and contact than she is now able to give you. She, too, was hurt when you — with no filter — rejected her attempts to be helpful. You did the right thing to apologize. Be glad there is a thaw on the horizon because, with time, things may improve if you can tactfully communicate what you need and do not need from her.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: We just moved back to Southern California and into a gated community. My neighbor’s property is higher than mine, and she has a spiky, thorny hedge that’s growing over into my property and staining the side of my house. I went over and introduced myself, wanting to discuss the issue. My neighbor’s reply was, “That’s YOUR hedge!” The next thing I know, she has a person trim it and throw all of the clippings into my backyard for me to clean up. How do I deal with a neighbor like this?

    — THORNY RELATIONSHIP

    DEAR THORNY: Contact the homeowner’s association and describe what has been going on. Your neighbor may be violating the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs). (There may be fines for this.) It is important that you establish where your property line ends and hers begins. If the plant really is on your land, you may have the right to remove it entirely.

  • Heroics from Owen Tippett lift the Flyers to a road win against the Detroit Red Wings

    Heroics from Owen Tippett lift the Flyers to a road win against the Detroit Red Wings

    DETROIT ― Detroit may be known for Motown, but on Saturday night, on national television, it was Motownphilly.

    Coming off a dominating win against the Chicago Blackhawks at home, the Flyers went into Little Caesars Arena, continued the trend, and handed the Detroit Red Wings a 5-3 loss.

    The Flyers have won two straight, five of their past six, and 11 of the 16 games since the Olympic break. “It’s long overdue, but now Philly is slammin’,” as Boyz II Men sing.

    Philly now has 84 points and moved three points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers have a game in hand on Columbus.

    They are also four points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the three-seed in the Metropolitan Division and five points behind the New York Islanders for the two-seed, with a game in hand on Pittsburgh and two on New York. On Saturday, Pittsburgh lost to the Dallas Stars, and New York jumped into second with a win against the Florida Panthers.

    Detroit almost staged a comeback in the final seven minutes of the game, with Mason Appleton scoring off a long dump-in, Alex DeBrincat taking a pass in the right circle and shooting it quickly, and Lucas Raymond curling and scoring from the left circle during a six-on-five.

    But Sean Couturier iced it with a goal in his third straight game as he sent the puck into the empty net with just over two minutes to go.

    “I loved our game for 55 minutes,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “Obviously, the five-on-six, a couple of things happened that we have to shore up. When the pressure hit us, we ran out of position, but that’s for another day. It’s a big win for us.”

    Owen Tippett started things off just over four minutes into the game with his first of three goals. Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider tried to dangle through the neutral zone but had the puck slide off his stick thanks to pressure from Denver Barkey. It went right to Trevor Zegras, who sent the pass up to Tippett, and away the speedster went. He skated in, blowing past Simon Edvinsson and scoring five-hole on John Gibson.

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    In the second period, he extended the lead to 2-0 with another five-hole goal.

    Barkey carried the puck through the neutral zone, pushing the Red Wings’ defense of Seider and Edvinsson back as he entered the zone. He dished it to Tippett on his left a few feet into the offensive zone and cut in front of Tippett as Edvinsson went down to one knee to try and block the shot. Instead, the puck went through the legs of Edvinsson and through Gibson.

    “He did a really good job,” Tippett said of Barkey. “I don’t think I have that space if he doesn’t take the route he does and pick the guy he does. He does a great job wheeling it up the ice and grabbing middle and backing those two defenders off. … He opened up that ice for me the whole way.”

    Later in the middle frame, the Flyers’ power play collected for the third time in 12 games and 35 opportunities.

    Noah Cates won the offensive-zone faceoff, and the Flyers got to work. Eventually, Travis Konecny threw the puck on goal, and it deflected off Matvei Michkov sitting near the left post, off the pad of Gibson, and popped in front.

    Cates, who was sitting on the right post, jammed it in for his seventh goal and 15 points in the 16 games since the Olympic break. He leads the Flyers in points during that stretch and has also hit a career high in goals with his 17th of the season.

    The Red Wings and Flyers then traded goals; however, each was wiped away by a coach’s challenge for offside. Seider thought he scored on a power play with under two minutes to go in the second period to make it 3-1 — Tocchet gave credit to his video coach, Dylan Crawford, who told him it was one of the easier ones to call — and Christian Dvorak thought he made it 4-0 early in the third; however, Alex Bump went in a little too early.

    But Tippett put the game away and completed the hat trick later in the final frame with a beauty of a power-play goal. He got the puck in the Flyers’ end, skated through the neutral zone, appeared to pass it to himself to get around Ben Chiarot, before going bar down to make it a 2-for-2 night with the man advantage for Philly.

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    Tippett has 27 goals on the season and 48 points — he added an assist on the Couturier goal — putting him one goal shy of his career high set in 2023-24. He has eight goals and 12 points in his past 11 games.

    “He’s been an absolute game breaker for us,” said Jamie Drysdale, who had two assists and reached 100 career points. “He’s just someone that you do not want to go up against. You have to know where he is at all times on the ice, and even if you do, there’s a good chance he’s still going to burn you.”

    And although he did give up three goals, Dan Vladař was once again masterful in net. In the first period, he stoned Patrick Kane, the holder of the record for the most points by a U.S.-born player in NHL history, with a left pad save off a cross-ice pass. Vladař stopped Justin Faulk and J.T. Compher on consecutive shots in the third period before the Red Wings tallied their three.

    But he shut the door in the end, stopping a DeBrincat slap shot, a Dylan Larkin tip-in, and using the blocker to rob DeBrincat again after Couturier’s goal. Vladař made 30 saves and now has 24 wins on the season, almost doubling his previous career high of 14 set in 2022-23 with the Calgary Flames.

    Breakaways

    Defenseman Travis Sanheim made a big block on a one-timer by Raymond in the last minute of the second period during a Detroit power play. He went down in pain, stayed on until the horn, and then gingerly got off as his teammates came off the bench to check on him and tap him for the big play. Sanheim was back out there for the start of the third. … Michkov now has 39 points with six assists coming in his last six games. Konecny had two assists to give him 62 points in 68 games. … Gibson was pulled after Tippett’s third goal, and former Flyers goalie Cam Talbot entered the game. He made four saves. … Defenseman Noah Juulsen and forward Garrett Wilson were healthy scratches. They watched from the press box alongside forward Tyson Foerster, who participated in morning skate. … Defenseman Cam York played in his 300th NHL game. … Flyers prospects Porter Martone, Shane Vansaghi, and Michigan State lost to Wisconsin in the regional final on Saturday. The expectation is that Martone will sign his entry-level contract in the coming days and could make his NHL debut Tuesday in Washington, D.C. against the Capitals.

    Up next

    The Flyers get right back to it at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday, when they host the Dallas Stars (7 p.m., NBCSP). The Stars have already clinched a playoff spot.

  • Sixers set the tone in strong win over Charlotte and continue climb up the Eastern Conference ladder

    Sixers set the tone in strong win over Charlotte and continue climb up the Eastern Conference ladder

    The Sixers overcame a 15-point deficit to win a critical game on the road in Charlotte.

    Thanks to the 118-114 win, the Sixers now own the tiebreaker over Charlotte, and are tied with Atlanta for sixth in the Eastern Conference, a half game out of fifth.

    Here’s what we noticed in the win:

    Tyrese Maxey returns

    Tyrese Maxey made his long-awaited return to the Sixers’ lineup after missing three weeks with a pinky injury on Saturday.

    Last year, after Maxey hurt his pinky finger, his shooting fell off a cliff. Returning from this three-week absence, Maxey started off hot, going 6-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-4 from three, in the first half. He ended the game with 26 points, shooting 10-for-18, with seven rebounds and eight assists.

    After he posterized Miles Bridges with a left-handed dunk, his teammates held up a pinky in celebration that Maxey was officially back.

    Quite the offensive battle

    Charlotte’s offense is potent, especially from behind the arc, but in the first half, the Sixers matched them shot for shot, with each team making 10 three-pointers. The Sixers shot 52.5% from the field in the first half compared to the Hornets’ 48%, but still were down as many as 13 points, because the Hornets created so many extra possessions.

    Charlotte dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 10 rebounds for 11 second-chance points, compared to the Sixers’ three offensive rebounds and two second-chance points. By the end of the third quarter, they’d grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.

    Joel Embiid (left) scored a team-high 29 points in Saturday’s Sixers win against Charlotte.

    Big man Moussa Diabaté did most of the damage, grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the game. In the fourth quarter, Nurse turned to Andre Drummond at backup center in place of Adem Bona, to put a little more size in the paint. The Sixers managed to hold the Hornets to zero offensive rebounds in that final quarter, a key reason why they ultimately managed to take the lead and win the game.

    The Sixers are finally healthy … mostly

    Kelly Oubre Jr. returned to the lineup after missing two weeks with an elbow injury, coming in off the bench, the latest in big names coming off the injury report.

    Sixers forward Paul George (left) and forward Dominick Barlow (right) work to shut down Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball on Saturday.

    Each one of the Sixers’ biggest stars had a critical moment down the stretch — Embiid blocked a three-point attempt from Brandon Miller with under 10 seconds to play, Paul George hit the corner three that put the Sixers up for the final time, Maxey made a free throw to add to that cushion, and Edgecombe broke up a potential offensive rebound opportunity from Diabaté on the final possession on the glass.

    “It just comes down to being healthy,” Maxey said Friday after practice. “I think that’s the NBA in general. A lot of teams have talent, a lot of teams have hard work and good coaching, but most of the time it comes down who’s healthy at the end.”

  • Ninth-inning rally not enough as the Phillies fall in extra innings to the Rangers

    Ninth-inning rally not enough as the Phillies fall in extra innings to the Rangers

    When Aaron Nola threw the first pitch of Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers, the temperature at Citizens Bank Park was a chilly 45 degrees.

    Fans in the stands were bundled up in blankets, and several Phillies wore red balaclavas underneath their baseball caps for the coldest first pitch in Philadelphia since 2019.

    For the first eight innings, the Phillies’ bats reflected the weather.

    A furious ninth-inning rally spurred some late excitement and forced extras, but the Phillies ultimately fell, 5-4, to the Rangers in the 10th.

    “They kept after it,” said manager Rob Thomson. “Two big hits with two strikes. Never gave up.”

    The winning run was scored on Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the 10th inning. A single from Wyatt Langford, a bloop just 67.8 mph off the bat, advanced ghost-running Brandon Nimmo, who then came home on a wild pitch. Andrew McCutchen then singled to drive in an insurance run.

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    With two runners on in the bottom of the 10th and the opportunity to answer back, Kyle Schwarber challenged the strike call on a cutter from Tyler Alexander that barely caught the bottom outside corner of the zone. The call was confirmed, and when Alexander threw a changeup below the zone for a called third strike to Schwarber, the Phillies had no challenges remaining to attempt to overturn it.

    “It’s a game of inches. It’s less than inches,” Brandon Marsh said. “I’m still getting used to it. … It’s kind of nuts seeing just how close those balls are to the zone, missing or barely catching it. I feel like we’re all still trying to get a good gauge for it, and as the season goes on, we’ll figure it out.”

    Thomson said he had no issue with Schwarber using the Phillies’ final challenge in that situation.

    “Especially with those guys late in the game like that, it could change the at-bat,” Thomson said.

    With the Phillies down to their final out in the 10th, Bryce Harper cut into the Texas lead with a broken-bat single that scored the Phillies’ automatic runner, but Alec Bohm popped out to shortstop to end the game.

    The Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto hits a fifth-inning single against the Rangers on Saturday.

    Texas lefty Jacob Latz stepped in for scheduled starter Jacob DeGrom, who was scratched a few hours before game time with a stiff neck. He held the Phillies without a hit for the first four innings. J.T. Realmuto finally delivered a single off reliever Cole Winn in the fifth, but that was the Phillies’ only hit until the ninth.

    “They pitched really well,” Thomson said. “Latz threw well. He attacked, threw strikes. Their entire pitching staff attacked; a lot of first-pitch strikes. They did a nice job keeping us off-balance, but I liked the way we fought at the end.”

    The Phillies found themselves down early after Corey Seager ambushed Nola in the first inning with a solo home run on the first pitch he saw. The Rangers tacked on to their lead in the third when Nola hung a curveball to first baseman Jake Burger, who hit a two-run shot to the left field foul pole.

    The damage could have been even worse. Nola wriggled out of a jam in the second inning after walking the first two batters. He induced a force out at third followed by a lineout, and then struck out Danny Jansen looking to leave both runners.

    “Felt pretty good, body and arm felt good,” Nola said. “I think the command in the second inning got out of whack there, but felt like it came back pretty well. I threw a lot of pitches. They worked the counts pretty good. Obviously, those two pitches that those guys hit for homers were tough.”

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    In the third inning, Justin Crawford made a jumping catch at the center field wall to rob Langford of extra bases.

    Nola allowed five hits, two walks, and struck out seven over five innings. The Phillies used three lefty relievers, Tanner Banks, José Alvarado, and Tim Mayza.

    The entire ninth-inning rally came with two outs. Bohm started things off with a line drive single for the Phillies’ second hit of the game. Edmundo Sosa, pinch-hitting for Stott, then won an eight-pitch battle by drawing a walk to bring up García.

    The Phillies’ Adolis García prepares to bat in the second inning against the Rangers on Saturday.

    García popped up the first pitch he saw, but was given another life when Burger dropped the ball in foul territory. He responded by punching a double to left field.

    “It’s a crazy, crazy game,” Marsh said. “The wind was howling today, so I know that wasn’t an easy play for him. So thankfully, it fell, and got Garcia’s first knock and kept the boys rolling.”

    Marsh fell behind in the count 1-2, but then connected with a splitter for a game-tying, two-RBI single to force extras.

  • The USMNT flunks a test against Belgium’s stars in a 5-2 blowout loss

    The USMNT flunks a test against Belgium’s stars in a 5-2 blowout loss

    ATLANTA — The U.S. men’s soccer team wanted to test itself against Europe’s best this month, and it got what it asked for on Saturday.

    It also failed that test in front of a pro-American crowd.

    Belgium rolled over the Americans, 5-2, playing just as well against the U.S. starters as against the many second-half substitutes.

    U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino sprung some surprises with his starting lineup, the biggest being Matt Turner replacing Matt Freese at goalkeeper. Freese had played 12 straight games before Saturday, and seemed locked in as the World Cup starter.

    Matt Turner in the U.S. net on Saturday.

    There was also a surprise with the 10 players in front of Turner. Pochettino switched out of the three-centerback setup that was so successful in the fall, going with an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 instead.

    The starting group would have been remarkably attack-minded against any opponent, but especially one of Belgium’s quality. Tim Weah and Antonee Robinson were the outside backs, and Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, and Weston McKennie lined up in midfield behind striker Folarin Balogun.

    As risky as the setup felt, the U.S. took it to Belgium early. McKennie got the best in a series of looks, denied from 8 yards by a great save from goalkeeper Senne Lammens in the 17th minute.

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    Belgium put the ball in the net first in the 37th, but Turner got lucky that a rebound hit Charles De Ketelaere’s arm before he stuck it in.

    The U.S. then went right down the field, earned a corner kick, and McKennie was shockingly open when Robinson’s service landed at the 6-yard line.

    Belgium equalized in the 45th with a mighty hit from Zeno Debast. Jérémy Doku started the play with a sprint in from the left flank, then shot hard, but Turner punched it out. Debast corralled the ball, no one pressed him, and the centerback fired through the crowd from some 30 yards.

    If Turner didn’t look great on the play, it might have been worse that no U.S. player pressed Debast before he let fly, even if him shooting was unexpected.

    Turner then finished the half with one more punch-out save, denying Alexis Saelemaekers’ bouncing shot off a corner from 18 yards.

    Pochettino’s first substitution was Cristian Roldan for Cardoso at halftime. But that didn’t stop Belgium from taking control of the game. Amid notable misses from Pulisic and Weah, Amadou Onana put the Red Devils up, 2-1, in the 53rd.

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    Lots of U.S. players looked bad on the play. Mark McKenzie was caught one-on-one with the terrific Doku on the flank. Roldan came to help, but neither closed the play down, then a trio of Americans failed to stop Saelemaekers from passing the ball back to Onana. Tanner Tessmann was then late to close down Onana, and the shot followed from atop the box.

    Five minutes later, Tim Ream was called for a handball in the box, and Belgium had a penalty kick. There was a long video review to judge the contact, but referee Esteban Ostojich stuck with his call, and De Ketelaere converted from the spot.

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    Mass subs started in the 63rd, when Pochettino sent in Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, and Sebastian Berhalter for Robinson, Tessmann, and Weah.

    Dodi Lukébakio slammed in the fourth in the 68th, catching Arfsten twice along the way: in a two-on-one with Thomas Meunier on the right, then in a one-on-one as he cut in to shoot.

    Pochettino then made four more subs, and with it switched out of a four-back formation to three. Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna, and Joe Scally entered, with Scally taking up a right centerback post; and Balogun, McKennie, Pulisic, and Tillman exited.

    Lukébakio struck again in the 82nd, off a give-and-go with Timothy Castagne. Lots of U.S. players were guilty again here. Lukébakio almost walked past Ream, Berhalter, and Arfsten before his pass, then Scally and McKenzie stood to try to block the shot instead of pressuring the shooter.

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    Agyemang got a consolation goal in the 87th, cashing in a loose ball after Pepi jumped on a poor backpass attempt by Youri Tielemans.

    That was a good sign of the Americans’ mentality in the midst of a rout. But the rest of the game was a sign of how far the U.S. remains behind the world’s elite.

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  • Nurse charged with allegedly harming a Bensalem child with medical conditions

    Nurse charged with allegedly harming a Bensalem child with medical conditions

    Bucks County authorities have charged a nurse with child endangerment for allegedly harming a Bensalem 3-year-old for whom she was providing in-home services, according to a criminal complaint filed last week.

    The parents of the child reported Cindy Desser to child welfare authorities after seeing home surveillance video footage in which she “smacked and slammed” the child, who was born early and has “multiple medical issues,” according to the complaint filed by Bensalem police.

    The child “lives with a trachea,” according to the complaint, and one video showed the Desser “pull the trach out” and take “her time putting the trachea back in.” The child could be heard “gasping for air,” and Desser, who was the child’s “night nurse,” was recorded saying, “You did this,” the document said.

    An attorney for Desser did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The family hired Desser, who lives in Jamison, Pa., through Dynamic Home Health Care, according to the complaint. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

    Desser’s arrest was first reported by 6ABC.

    The parents told the channel they wished to remain anonymous.

    “Thank God my daughter is so strong,” the mother told 6ABC. “It was just horrific. I just couldn’t believe it. It’s like almost like monsters come out at night.”

  • Zack Wheeler throws three scoreless innings in rehab start with Lehigh Valley

    Zack Wheeler throws three scoreless innings in rehab start with Lehigh Valley

    ALLENTOWN — Zack Wheeler didn’t have to subject himself to this.

    In planning out where to pitch in a game for the first time since having a rib removed to relieve a compressed vein 186 days ago, the Phillies ace could have opted for the warmth of Clearwater, Fla., where the A-ball season will begin in a few days.

    But Wheeler, whose recovery already is tracking ahead of schedule by several weeks, wanted a bigger test. He took the mound here, then, amid a 46-degree chill Saturday, then threw cold water all over a lineup of triple-A batters.

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    “It was really my choice,” Wheeler said after holding Toledo, the Tigers’ triple-A club, to two hits and one walk on 38 pitches in three scoreless innings. “I wanted to see more competitive at-bats and more competitive situations. I knew it was going to be cold, but at the end of the day, this is probably where I need to be facing hitters.”

    Everyone got what they came for.

    Wheeler threw each of his pitches — four-seam fastball, sinker, sweeper, cutter/slider, curveball, and splitter — to a lineup that included outfielder Wenceel Pérez and top Tigers prospects Max Clark and Jace Jung. His fastball sat 92-94 mph, slightly better than in spring training, before dipping in the third inning. His curveball was especially sharp.

    Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler long tosses at spring training in Clearwater, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.

    And the IronPigs, the Phillies’ Lehigh Valley-based triple-A affiliate, got to stage “Rehab Ribs Night,” complete with a barbecue buffet in the left-field stands above the bullpen that began an hour before the game and ran through the middle innings for an announced crowd of 6,740.

    “It’s a little aggressive,” Wheeler said, smiling. “Made my bone hurt a little bit, and it’s not even there. No, whatever can help these guys out. It’s minor league baseball. They run a bunch of promotions. Whatever makes a little bit of money, I’m here for it, I guess.”

    Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering was here, too. He followed Wheeler into the game and threw 10 pitches, including two of his newly minted splitters, in a scoreless fourth inning.

    Wheeler and Kerkering returned to Philadelphia after the game but will rejoin the IronPigs next week in Durham, N.C. Kerkering expects to make back-to-back appearances Tuesday and Wednesday before possibly coming off the injured list; Wheeler will start Friday night, then make at least one more minor league start for double-A Reading.

    After that? He could join the Phillies’ rotation.

    Certainly nothing that happened in his first start for Lehigh Valley suggested otherwise.

    “Yeah, it went well, obviously,” Wheeler said. “Felt good. At the end of the day, coming out of it healthy is really all that mattered to me.”

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    Wheeler produced seven swings-and-misses, four of which came off his curveball. He struck out Pérez on a curveball to open the game and got Trei Cruz to chase a breaking ball in the dirt to end the first inning, probably his best pitch of the start.

    But despite the results, Wheeler said he wasn’t necessarily satisfied with the spin on his off-speed pitches.

    “Whether it be the curve, sweeper, or even the cutter, they weren’t doing necessarily what I needed them to do,” Wheeler said. “But the curveball, it had good shape on it and it was moving so much that it was effective. It’s something that’ll come with more reps and the higher intent and stuff.”

    Jung had the only hard-hit ball against Wheeler, a scalded single to right field that registered 109.5 mph off the bat. Otherwise, Wheeler got mostly soft contract. All three strikeouts came in the first inning.

    Wheeler, who lost considerable weight after the surgery, said he’s still about 10 pounds lighter than usual for this time of the season. Maybe it has something to do with why he didn’t feel as comfortable pitching out of the stretch in spring training.

    But he was encouraged by his effectiveness out of the stretch. Two of his higher-velocity readings — a 94-mph sinker and a 94.3-mph four-seamer — came out of the stretch to Eduardo Valencia in the first inning.

    Wheeler credited a recent mechanical tweak with pitching coach Caleb Cotham in the way he comes set with his front foot.

    “Just kind of thinking back over the years, what’s worked for me, we made a little adjustment and today I felt a lot better, more in sync-wise,” Wheeler said. “Sometimes you just need those little reminders along the way even though I’ve been doing it for a while. Sometimes it’s the small stuff that you kind of need to nail down as you build up.”

    Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering, seen here in a simulated game earlier this spring, threw 10 pitches in a scoreless fourth inning on Saturday.

    If you blinked, you missed Kerkering.

    He was slowed in spring training by a strained right hamstring. He also is introducing the splitter to complement his fastball-sweeper tandem. He spiked one in the dirt and got Cruz to foul off another. It remains a work in progress.

    “I think I’m comfortable right now that I can go into a big league game and throw a split,” Kerkering said. “I think tweaking it here, knowing what guys see, kind of judging their swings and trying to reevaluate from there, I think that’s what’s helpful.”

  • UConn coach Geno Auriemma takes aim at the NCAA over women’s double-regional format in March Madness

    UConn coach Geno Auriemma takes aim at the NCAA over women’s double-regional format in March Madness

    FORT WORTH, Texas — UConn coach Geno Auriemma is ripping the double-regional format being used in the women’s NCAA Tournament, saying it doesn’t make sense for the teams still playing or for efforts to grow the game.

    Auriemma brought up attendance, bad shooting percentages, and teams having to come to the arena early and late on the same day when taking aim at the format that’s in place for the fourth year and set to continue for at least five more.

    “Well, I think the first question you’d have to ask is why did they go from four [sites] to two. What was the rationale?” the 12-time national champion coach, who grew up in Norristown and graduated from Bishop Kenrick High School and West Chester University, said Saturday. “If they can explain it legitimately and then prove that it works, then great. So what was the reason?”

    NCAA officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from ghe Associated Press.

    The defending national champion Huskies (37-0), the overall No. 1 seed, play Hannah Hidalgo and Notre Dame (25-10) in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final on Sunday (1 p.m., 6abc).

    Hannah Hidalgo (3), Malaya Cowles (5), Iyana Moore (23), and their Notre Dame teammates will face UConn on Sunday.

    The Huskies held their required media availability Saturday morning, after the Fighting Irish had already completed their session and before two Sweet 16 games in Fort Worth Regional 3 were played at Dickies Arena. UConn and Notre Dame had scheduled practice times there later in the evening.

    “So we had to get our kids up, come over here. You already knew who we were playing last night, but we can’t get on the court, and neither can the other teams,” Auriemma said. “Does anybody who makes these decisions ever ask the coaches and the players, ‘Hey, does this work?’”

    AP All-American teammates Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong agreed with their coach’s strong sentiment.

    “Everyone’s trying to figure that out right now,” Fudd said. “Every team is going through that. There’s no excuse in that. So we’ll figure it out. We’re making it work, but it definitely isn’t the most ideal setup.”

    Geno Auriemma’s Norristown roots are never far from his mind, even as he makes NCAA history

    Auriemma, the winningest men’s or women’s NCAA basketball coach with 1,287 victories, didn’t wait for a question from reporters to share his thoughts on the format, opening his session by reading a sequence of numbers off a piece of paper: 4 for 20, 4 for 22, 1 for 17, 5 for 17, 4 for 16, 7 for 26.

    “That’s the three-point shooting yesterday across the country. How many arenas are we going to sell out with that [expletive]?” he said. “Now, maybe it was just a bad day shooting by everybody. These are all teams that average probably 30 [percent], over 30, for the season. Know what time our shootaround was yesterday? Six in the morning, 6:20, I think, for half an hour.”

    He also mentioned the total combined attendance (18,821 announced) at the two venues Friday, in Fort Worth and Sacramento, Calif.

    UCLA coach Cori Close, whose team is the top seed in Sacramento Regional 2 and plays Duke in an Elite Eight game on Sunday, said it is important to get maximum exposure and coverage while also looking for the best setup to have high-level basketball played on the court.

    “I think that I was in favor of going to the two regional sites when that happened,” Close said. “I think every year we should look and go, Where are we in our game? How did this play out, efficiency-wise, from a student-athlete wellbeing side. Is there some ways in which we can organize to make things a little bit more cohesive so teams aren’t going back and forth from media coverage to practices later and those kinds of things?’”

    Auriemma said there is a lack of input from coaches, and that nothing changes, even when the NCAA sends representatives to schools every year after the tournament.

    “Hopefully I’m speaking for the other coaches,” he said. “Some coaches might think I’m full of it. And this is not about UConn. I hope everybody understands that. This is not about us, because we’ve managed to go to the Final Four and win national championships, no matter where they’re played, when they’re played, what time they’re played, whatever.

    “I think there is a level of frustration right now among the coaches that’s higher than any time I’ve ever seen it.”

    What’s it like to face one of Geno Auriemma’s UConn teams? Ask Villanova’s Denise Dillon.

    Duke coach Kara Lawson would like more practice time on the game court, especially more than the designated half-hour on game days for shootarounds, which routinely last about an hour the rest of the season.

    “That would be the only thing I’d change. I mean two regionals, I think the arena thing is the thing that’s hard,” Lawson said. “It’s not that we’re in the same city, it’s that we don’t get long enough practice or shootaround times in the venue for your most important games of the season.”

    For the second day in a row, Auriemma mentioned new rims and new basketballs being used during NCAA Tournament games and the impact those have on shooting.

    “It’s hard to make shots in the postseason. They just break out these new baskets, new rims, and then it gets in the kids’ heads,” Auriemma said Friday after UConn’s 63-42 win over North Carolina, in which the teams were a combined 8 of 42 on three-pointers.

    The coach on Saturday again brought up “new basketballs right out of the box” and the rims.

    “Got people dribbling the ball off their feet,” he said. “You got people missing layups all over the place. You bounce the ball, and it goes up to the ceiling. There’s just no concept of how basketball is played. Not that I have any of the answers. Believe me, I just have questions.”

  • No Kings rallied for the third wave of anti-Trump protests in Philly and around the country

    No Kings rallied for the third wave of anti-Trump protests in Philly and around the country

    In step with demonstrators nationwide Saturday, thousands took to streets across the Philadelphia region — from Center City, to Ardmore, to Camden — denouncing President Donald Trump, his policies, and his administration.

    It was the third No Kings protest in roughly nine months, signaling the breadth of dissent and concern over what protesters see as Trump’s authoritarianism and his attempts to consolidate and expand his power. Protesters condemned the gamut of the president’s agenda, including escalating immigration enforcement, the war in Iran and rising gas prices at home, and the dismantling of foreign aid programs.

    “The people in power are making decisions that they won’t have to live through,” said Electra Powers, who brought her Grays Ferry family to the demonstration outside Philadelphia City Hall. “The future they’re setting up for our kids is horrible.”

    On a brisk March afternoon, chants reverberated throughout Center City, drums beat in time, and homemade signs swung as participants marched down the Ben Franklin Parkway to a rally at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

    Near City Hall’s north entrance, Meoshe McQueen unfurled a large American flag, a tribute to her father, she said, who served as an airman in World War II.

    “My father fought for equality and justice,” the North Philly native said. “The world we live in today threatens that. We want fairness, regardless of a person’s color, creed, or race. None of that matters.”

    More than 3,100 No Kings events were planned Saturday, spanning every state and most continents, according to organizers, who expected historic turnout. The movement’s flagship event was being held in Minnesota, an epicenter of resistance to Trump’s immigration crackdown and the site of two fatal shootings by federal agents. New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen performed his anti-ICE protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” there.

    “We need a world where kids can be safe, and not hauled off based on the color of their skin,” said Pamela Schott of Jenkintown, who held up a sign pleading for “peace and safety” for her grandchildren.

    Energy was also building in pockets of the region where Trump has more political capital, and those who oppose the president feel their voices drowned out.

    “I grew up in an America where I saw change for the good,” said Betsy Tucker of Bucks County. “Now, I’ve seen that change ripped away.”

    Michelle Dupree, 67, was one of the first of roughly 150 people at the Northeast Philly No Kings rally at Bustleton Field. She had hoped more people would show up in the Northeast.

    She was tired. But not defeated.

    “It’s important to me,” she said, waving her sign for the modest, but steady stream of drivers, who registered their approval with a honk or three. “My knees hurt. My back hurts. It’s so frustrating to be at home and to watch the news — you want to scream. You want to be heard.”

    Olivia Hayes was among a couple thousand ralliers in Ardmore. Hayes was cheered by reports of robust crowds at No Kings events in other suburban spots, like Wayne and nearby Havertown. For a few hours, at least, a sense of pride pierced the anger and hopelessness, she said.

    “It’s great to see such a community,” she said. “When you’re in your day-to-day life, and not around so many people, it can be hard to have hope.”

    Betsy and Al Tucker attend the Northeast Philly No Kings protest on Saturday.

    Across the river, Camden hosted its first No Kings protest (previous events were held in Collingswood and Haddon Heights). The change in locale was driven by increased immigration enforcement and presence in the area, said Michele Messer, of Cooper River Indivisible. Camden city’s population is about 54% Hispanic, according to U.S. Census data. Last month, a nearby ICE operation made a group of Camden County fourth graders and fifth graders run away from a bus stop in a panic, according to the Lindenwold School District.

    “We’re a united front,” she said, “no matter where you land on the political spectrum, we need to work together and build coalitions to fight back against what this administration continues to try to pile on us.

    “And the stronger that fabric, the stronger we’ll be.”

    In a statement to the Associated Press, the White House dismissed the nationwide protests as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.

    Center City attendees said the sense of urgency is growing.

    “We wanted to show our support for the movement,” Peter Maiolino said. “If we weren’t outraged last time, we definitely are now.

    “Things have only gotten worse.”

    In a video message to the crowd, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle — who was stuck in Washington, D.C., as congressional leaders haggle over the partial government shutdown, which has forced Transportation Security Administration employees to work for weeks without pay — encouraged people to continue their protest, even after the rally concluded.

    “This is a fight we cannot lose, but we need to be crystal clear about what is that stake in this country,” Boyle (D., Philadelphia) said. “Our president is more concerned about building his ‘big beautiful ballroom’ than he is about the poor and working-class people in this country.”

    Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (ATAC) leader and attorney Michael Coard echoed Boyle’s sentiments, calling the attendees “the revolution.” ATAC stewarded the President’s House Site on Independence Mall, a slavery memorial removed — and later partially restored by court order — in what some have called an attempt by the Trump administration to sanitize history.

    Michael Coard, of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, speaks Saturday at the third No Kings rally in Philadelphia.

    “When I say fascism, I want you to know that I say it without hyperbole,” he said. “Today America is where Italy was in 1926, but we are not going to do the same. We are going to fight a good fight and we are going to win.”

    The No Kings’ trajectory has been atypical compared to other social movements, where enthusiasm historically wanes over time, according to Billie Murray, an associate professor of communication at Villanova University. No Kings has, instead, gained momentum: Organizers say more than 5 million people took to the streets in June, followed by more than 7 million in October. Organizers projected 9 million people would participate Saturday.

    “The issues don’t seem to be getting resolved,” Murray said, “people see that as a motivating factor — ‘We have to keep pushing, we have to keep trying, we have to keep organizing.’ … People aren’t seeing the change that they want to see.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this article.