The Ramos roundup is a weekly Philadelphia sports column highlighting all the pertinent news of the week featuring the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and Union.
Wheeler Twirls Gem, as Phillies take 2-of-3 with Reds
Zach Wheeler pitched a complete game on Sunday, surrendering just one run, one hit, while striking out 12 Cincinnati hitters in a brilliant performance. This was the Phillies ace first complete game since 2021; with another masterful performance to add to his quality year, MLB also added Wheeler to the MLB All Star roster. He’ll join teammate Kyle Schwarber at the mid-summer classic on July 15 at Truist Park.
The Phillies will begin a six game round-trip in San Francisco beginning Monday night.
Edgecombe, Bailey Battle in Summer League Matchup
Fresh off the NBA Draft, Sixers’ VJ Edgecombe and Utah’s Ace Bailey met this weekend in Summer League action. Edgecombe was outstanding in the contest, dropping 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Baily, on the other hand, collected eight points and seven rebounds in on 3-of-13 shooting.
We won’t get ahead of ourselves here, but it was quite fun to see Edgecombe put on a show while Bailey struggle as a Sixers fans. We won’t make any declarations about either player’s future based off one Summer League game, but give VJ the edge in their first meeting.
Flyers Hit Free Agency; Sign Dvorak, Juulsen and Vladar
On Tuesday, NHL free agency opened up and Danny Briere wasted little time bringing some new faces to Philadelphia. Firstly, the Flyers opted to sign center/wing Christian Dvorak to a one-year contract worth $5.4M. Dvorak, 29, previously played for Rick Tocchet when both were with the Arizona Coyotes. Dvorak is a versatile bottom forward that excels at winning face-offs.
Additionally, Philadelphia also added depth defensemen Noah Juulsen. Like Dvorak, Juulsen previously played for Tocchet and is likely to serve as an extra defensemen. Now 28, Juulsen is a former first round pick, but is more of a bottom pair option at this stage of his career. He signed a one-year contract worth 900K.
Finally, the Flyers rounded out the opening day of free agency with the signing of goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year contract worth $3.3M per season. Vladar’s numbers won’t wow anyone, but he did have a strong second half of 2024-2025 with Calgary.
I’m actually looking forward to seeing Vladar get time with the Flyers. The Czech netminder possesses a good baseline set of skills, is only 27 and there’s playing time to be had here. He could be a sneaky good, low-risk signing for Philadelphia.
Union Fall to Nashville 1-0
The Union fell 1-0 to Nashville SC on Saturday night at GEODIS Park in heartbreaking fashion. The match was scoreless for the beginning 90 minutes before the second half stoppage time tally from Hany Mukhtar on a penalty kick. The Union recorded 11 shots but were unable to find the back of the net.
Moreover, the match also signaled Cavan Sullivan’s first career MLS start. Sullivan, 15, becomes the youngest starter in club history and the second youngest in league history.
The Union return home to Subaru Park to face the New York Red Bulls in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals on Wednesday, July 9th. The match is set for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff and will b e broadcast on Paramount+.
