New Temporary Manager for the Philadelphia Phillies

May 16, 2026, 22:12
USSports

Introduction

Dusty Wathan is the new temporary manager for the Philadelphia Phillies. He led the team in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team also talked about pitcher Aaron Nola.

Main Body

Dusty Wathan is the manager now because Don Mattingly went to his son's graduation. Dusty and his father both managed in the big leagues. This is very rare. Dusty has a lot of experience. He was a great manager for a smaller team in Reading. He joined the coaching staff recently. Pitcher Aaron Nola played poorly on Friday. He gave up six runs in a short time. Don Mattingly says Nola did not throw the ball well. However, the team still won the game 11-9.

Conclusion

The Phillies want to win more games. They are working with new leaders and helping their pitchers.

Learning

⚡️ The 'Now' vs. 'Then' Pattern

Look at how the story talks about the past and the present. This is the key to A2 English.

1. The Present (Current state)

  • "Dusty Wathan is the manager now"
  • "The Phillies want to win"
  • Rule: Use this for things that are true right now.

2. The Past (Finished actions)

  • "Don Mattingly went to graduation"
  • "Nola played poorly"
  • "He joined the staff"
  • Rule: Add -ed to the word (like played or joined) or change the word entirely (like go → went).

Quick Comparison: is/want\text{is/want} (Today) →\rightarrow went/played\text{went/played} (Yesterday)

💡 Useful Words for Beginners:

  • Recently: A short time ago.
  • Poorly: Not in a good way.
  • Rare: Something that does not happen often.