EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Fightins leave The Diamond with 3-1 win behind Viza's six innings

Published on July 29, 2018 under Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


(Richmond, VA) - With one more visit to Richmond coming up on the final roadtrip of the season, the Fightin Phils were looking to salvage the final game of their four-game series on Sunday afternoon against the Flying Squirrels. In a common theme throughout the series, pitching took over, and all the runs scored in the sixth inning of the matinee. Tyler Viza came through with another strong start, limiting the Flying Squirrels to just one run over six innings as he won his second straight 3-1 to give Reading its first win in seven tries at The Diamond.

Neither team had a baserunner over the first three innings, with Squirrels starter Chase Johnson lifted after three as he worked his way back from injury. In the top of the fourth, Cornelius Randolph reached on a one out single against Jose Flores for the game's first baserunner. Damek Tomscha ripped a single into left, and Flores' third strikeout of the inning was dropped to put Jan Hernandez at first to load the bases. Reading failed to capitalize, but would even the score against Flores in the sixth.

Viza was dialed in the whole afternoon, and allowed just a single and a walk through five while keeping the Flying Squirrels out of scoring position. Flores started the sixth and was taken out after walking Randolph and surrendering another single to Tomscha. Lefthander Garrett Williams, Thursday night's winning pitcher, let up a single to Darick Hall to reload the bases with no outs.

Jan Hernandez opened the scoring by knifing a two-RBI double into left center, and Drew Stankiewicz drove in his fourth run of the series with a sacrifice fly to put the Fightins ahead 3-0. Richmond came back with their lone run in the bottom of the inning when Caleb Gindl scored on Luigi Rodriguez' two-out triple.

Needing the bullpen to secure the last nine outs, manager Greg Legg utilized lefthanders Kyle Dohy and Jeff Singer for the last two innings. Dohy had his biggest moment as a Fightin in the seventh when he put the first two batters on with a single and a walk, with Jeff Arnold pushing the tying runs into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. Dohy then weathered the storm with two shallow flyouts before dealing a scorless eighth. Singer's team-leading eighth save in the ninth was suspenseful, with the southpaw getting Jonah Arenado to ground out and end the ballgame as the winning run at the plate.

America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region. Season tickets for the 2018 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at FirstEnergy Stadium.

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Eastern League Stories from July 29, 2018


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