Phillies off to best start since 1915

Showered by raindrops and jeers for much of the game, Bryce Harper put a bat-flipping, celebratory finish on his memorable return to Washington.

Harper crushed a long home run in his final at-bat, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Nationals 8-2 Tuesday night for the franchise's best start in over a century.

Maikel Franco also homered for the Phillies, baseball’s only undefeated team at 4-0. They had only done that in 1915 and 1897. What’s more, the Phils’ 103-year streak without a 4-0 start was the longest in any of the four major sports (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL), per the Elias Sports Bureau.

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Harper left Washington after playing 927 games over seven years, participating in six All-Star Games and winning the 2015 NL MVP Award. He listened to what the Nationals had to offer, then signed a $330 million, 13-year contract with the rival Phillies in February.

Harper hasn't wasted any time providing returns for the investment. He has three homers and five RBIs in four games, along with a .429 batting average. He drove in three Tuesday.

Booed during every at-bat, Harper thumped a "take that," 458-foot shot in the eighth inning off Jeremy Hellickson. As the ball soared toward the second deck in right field, Harper flipped his bat and circled the bases with delight before celebrating with his new teammates in the visiting dugout.

"It's the emotion of the game. That's it. That's about it," he said of the bat flip.

But man, that home run sure felt good.

“I was pretty fired up. I was excited,” he said. “I was trying to get back to my teammates as quick as possible and do all my handshakes.”

When the Phils’ starting lineup was announced during the late stages of a 41-minute rain delay, it became apparent that Harper would not be welcomed back warmly. Many in the slow-arriving crowd of 35,920 booed loudly when his name was announced as the No. 3 hitter, and the derisive shouting continued during a video montage of his biggest moments with the Nationals.

"I heard the boos," Harper acknowledged. "For me, that's part of sports, part of the game."

The chorus resumed when Harper walked to the plate in the first inning to face three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer. The fans finally cheered when Harper took a strike on the outside corner, and they got even louder when Harper whiffed on a 2-2 changeup .

"Hearing the boos in the first at-bat just reminded me that I have 45,000 people back in Philadelphia screaming for me," Harper said.

When he took his position in right field, Harper stood in front of seven fans wearing white shirts that spelled out T-R-A-I-T-O-R.

After striking out twice, Harper doubled to right in the fifth and singled in a run in the sixth to make it 6-0 before connecting in the eighth.

When the game ended, hundreds of Phillies fans remained, chanting "MVP! MVP!" as Philadelphia shook hands. The shouting fans included many who had bused in from Philly earlier in the day and sat behind Harper in right field.

Jean Segura had three hits and three RBIs for the Phillies, who were coming off a season-opening sweep of Atlanta.

Zach Eflin (1-0) struck out nine and allowed three hits over five scoreless innings. He outdid Scherzer (0-2), who allowed one earned run in five innings and struck out nine.

Scherzer has started half the Nationals' four games this season. He has a 2.13 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings, but Washington has yet to score a run for him.

Very little went right for the Nationals, who fell to 1-3.

Shortstop Trea Turner left in the first inning after being struck by a pitch on his right index finger while trying to bunt. Turner squared at the plate and couldn't back away from a fastball that struck his hand, which was wrapped around the bat.

The injury was diagnosed as a nondisplaced fracture. The timetable for his return is undetermined.

In addition, first baseman Matt Adams left in the fourth inning with back spasms, likely the result of a scary fall early in the game while chasing a foul ball. Drifting behind first base toward the stands, Adams flipped over a fence as he reached into the photo well and landed on his back.

Manager Dave Martinez said Adams was day to day.

Anthony Rendon hit a two-run homer in the sixth.

DOMINATED

Phillies cleanup hitter Rhys Hoskins went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Scherzer and is 0 for 14 with nine Ks lifetime against the right-hander.

STRANGE PERSPECTIVE

Speaking before the game, Harper had no doubt that this was going to be an unusual experience.

"Seeing Max on the mound tonight, Trea at short, Rendon at third and me not standing behind them, it's definitely going to be weird," Harper said. "But I'm looking forward to running out there and doing my job for the Philadelphia Phillies. I'm excited for that next chapter."

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: LHP Tommy Hunter, on the 10-day injured list with a strained right forearm, was getting "a series of tests" in Philadelphia on Tuesday, manager Gabe Kapler said. "He still felt some soreness," Kapler said, "so we want to make sure that we don't miss anything."

Nationals: OF/INF Howie Kendrick (hamstring strain) was in the clubhouse Tuesday and appears close to being activated from the injured list. "He's going to work out with us a couple days and we'll see where he's at," Martinez said, adding that a rehabilitative stint might not be necessary. ... OF Michael A. Taylor (knee/hip) will start a rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Harrisburg.

Rams mobilize in full force to end homelessness for United Way's 12th Annual HomeWalk

Bringing everyone in to end homelessness. The Rams and United Way of Greater Los Angeles raise awareness to end homelessness in the 12th annual HomeWalk walk/run 5k

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On Saturday, May 18 the Los Angeles Rams joined more than 10,000 Angelenos in United Way’s 12th Annual HomeWalk, the nation’s largest fundraiser to end homelessness and help individuals and families secure the safety and stability of a home. The 5K family run/walk raised more than $1.1 million with additional funds expected through May 31.

With his extraordinary leadership on full display, Rams Head Coach Sean McVay provided remarks during the walk’s opening ceremony alongside Rams cheerleaders and team mascot, Rampage. Players such as Aaron Donald, Andrew Whitworth & Johnny Hekker served as team captains for the event and were joined by Tight End Tyler Higbee, while the Rams rookies lined up at the finish line and provided encouragement to runners and walkers.

“Today is a day when you realize that there are a lot of things that are much bigger than football,” said Coach McVay to the crowd. “What’s special about the Rams organization, and more importantly HomeWalk, is you see people doing things that are a lot bigger than themselves. When you think about homelessness and how it effects 53,000 people in Los Angeles, it’s really a special thing for everybody to gather here to do something to change that.”

HomeWalk is part of United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Everyone In Campaign, which seeks to end homelessness across LA County by providing services to people experiencing long-term homelessness with short-term and permanent housing solutions. Over the past eleven years, HomeWalk has raised over $8.6 million and UWGLA has helped 45,000 neighbors find a home.

“Thousands of homes—safe, stable homes—are how we are ending homelessness,” said Elise Buik, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “We see these solutions changing lives every day and we know we need to do more to get ahead of the crisis we see on our streets and in our communities… This was our first year doing it with the Rams and they allowed us to elevate the platform of the important issue of homelessness. It’s so important when a sports team weighs in on a big issue facing the city. The Rams players are here. I think setting that leadership for Los Angeles and the fans is really remarkable and inspires everybody to get involved.”

Living up to his deserving reputation as an ultimate community leader, Andrew Whitworth matched the funds raised by the Rams organization and fans with a $16,325 donation. The Pro-Bowl Left Tackle also joined fans in the 5k walk with his family. Coach McVay also made a significant financial contribution to aid in the fight to bring everyone in.

This year’s HomeWalk took place at a time when the issue of homelessness in Los Angeles has never been more pressing. In 2018, LA County had the second-highest number of homeless residents of any region in the nation, according to a report released in December by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition, LA also had one of the highest numbers (75%) of unsheltered homeless individuals living outdoors, in abandoned buildings or other locations not suitable for human habitation.

“People sometimes forget that LA’s homeless community are our homeless neighbors,” said Jon Huertas, cast member of the acclaimed NBC drama “This is Us”. “What a better way to help people in need in our community who may have caught a bad break and need homes…This year was great with the Rams coming on board. They’ve been such a boost for the HomeWalk. People look up to them and it’s only fitting that they’re out here supporting this.”

Fans and community members can still make donations to support United Way of Greater Los Angeles & the Los Angeles Rams’ mission to end homelessness in LA and help our neighbors in need. If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

Maryland basketball’s addition of Chol Marial rounds out an exciting roster for 2019-20

Maryland basketball secured a commitment and signature from 7’2 center Chol Marial on Monday. The three-star recruit fills the scholarship spot vacated by NBA-bound Bruno Fernando, and he becomes the fifth member of the Terps’ 2019 class.

With this addition, Maryland’s roster for the 2019-20 season is just about set. Sure, Anthony Cowan Jr. could hypothetically remain in the NBA Draft, and there could be a hypothetical defection between now and the fall semester. But it looks like Mark Turgeon can be done making moves for the immediate future.

“The Terps have their 13 scholarships filled once again, and there’s a lot to be excited about by Thomas Kendziora @TKendziora37 ”

Here’s a look at Maryland’s scholarship chart.

This group will be young, but it’ll be loaded.

Maryland is slated to have one senior, two juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen in 2019-20. Unlike last year, though, the rookies won’t be counted on to play premier roles right away. Assuming Cowan returns, the Terps will bring back seven of their top eight players, 83.3 percent of their minutes and 80.6 percent of their scoring.

This is a squad that was already earning top-10 projections in way-too-early polls; with Michigan losing at least two and potentially three of its top four players, Maryland became the most obvious potential challenger to Michigan State at the top of the Big Ten. A healthy, productive Marial has the potential to lift the Terps up yet another level.

Maryland will have 11 of 13 scholarship players standing between 6’4 and 6’10, with Cowan and Marial as the lone outliers. This combination of size, depth and massive centers from northeast Africa is strikingly similar to Leonard Hamilton’s recent Florida State teams.

Considering the Seminoles have reached the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend in back-to-back years, knocking on the door of a Final Four in 2018, that’s a lofty comparison. But if Smith breaks out and/or someone else makes a leap, the Terps’ ceiling is even higher.

Depth like this will allow for all kinds of lineups. Here are a few fun ones:

• The starters: Cowan, Ayala/Morsell/Wiggins (2 spots), Smith, Marial/Makhi

• Large humans (6’5+) with range and athleticism: Ayala, Wiggins, Scott, Smith, Marial

• The murderous press: Cowan, Smith Jr., Morsell, Scott, Marial

• DMV reppin’: Cowan, Morsell, Lindo, Makhel, Makhi

• Bombs away: Cowan/Ayala (whichever one is hot), Smith Jr., Wiggins, Hart, Smith/Marial

Maryland’s 2015-16 team, which reached No. 2 in the country, had a condensed rotation of seven players. The 2018-19 squad had a clear top six. It’s easy to see next year’s Terps going 10 deep or more, which would open up a treasure trove of options if Turgeon is willing to get creative.

With this roster, Marial is a low-risk, high-reward addition.

There’s a reason Marial, once regarded as one of the prizes of the 2019 class, didn’t draw interest from many big names. Foot and shin injuries have sidelined him for years, and he’s bounced from one school to another in the process. People who evaluate prospects for a living haven’t seen enough of him to do that.

The obvious worst-case scenario is that Marial struggles with injury—or eligibility, or longevity, or something else—throughout his Maryland career and never makes a serious impact on the court. That’s where it helps to have the Mitchell twins (Makhi is still the highest-rated player in this signing class, after all). It also helps to have Smith and Lindo coming back a year older and plenty of lifts stronger. And if all else fails, Scott and Tomaic can fit their way into smaller lineups. Those six players gave Maryland a formidable frontcourt even before Marial’s addition.

With that in mind, it’s a no-brainer to take a flyer on this kind of upside. A healthy Marial can be anything from a shot-blocking, floor-stretching rotational center to an absolute game-changer. It’s one thing to be 7’2 with a 7’11 wingspan (longer than anyone currently in the NBA, I mention as Jay Bilas swoons in the distance). It’s another to have the skill of a stretch big and game-altering size like that.

Some things are too good to be true. Marial is a question mark for so many reasons. Signing the center with chronic foot and shin problems who hasn’t stayed at a U.S. school longer than two years is a bold roll of the dice. But it’s a roll the Terps are in fantastic position to make.