EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Fightins Make Big Splash

Published on May 11, 2018 under Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


(Reading, PA) - Needing a win to even their series with the Curve at a game apiece, the Fightin Phils staged their biggest comeback of the season before a loud crowd of 7,014 on Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. After giving up a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh, the Fightins scored five runs to retake the lead in the bottom of the eighth. The biggest shot of the night came off the bat of Deivi Grullon, who launched an opposite field grand slam into the pool in right field for a dramatic 9-8 win on a night where the Fightins were outhit 14-8.

The home team got going quickly in the first in Pedro Vasquez' second Double-A start. Malquin Canelo, in a rare start at second base, sliced the gap in right center for his team-leading third triple of the season. Zach Green then got ahead in the count 3-1, and launched a deep home run to left on a pitch up in the zone for a 2-0 lead. The inning continued with a double from Kyle Martin and a walk to Cornelius Randolph, but Vasquez got a double play to get out of the inning.

In the top of the second, the Curve scored their first run on a sacrifice fly from Logan Ratledge to trim the deficit to 2-1. They'd go up for the first time in the third on a two-run homer from Logan Hill, which started a back-and-forth affair for the rest of the evening.

Martin led off the fourth with a walk, and two batters later Jan Hernandez smacked a single into left field. A single from Grullon tied the score at three, and Emmanuel Marrero brought in his seventh run with a fielder's choice groundout for a 4-3 lead.

With Garcia done after six innings in line for his first win in his fourth start, former Pirates draft choice Seth McGarry got his first chance to face some of his former teammates. Ke'Bryan Hayes singled with one out to put the tying run on base, and he'd scamper to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Jason Martin singled him home to tie the score at four, and stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. An infield single from Bralin Jackson and a subsequent throwing error brought in two runs, and the fourth and final tally came across on a wild pitch to put the Curve ahead 7-4.

The Fightins comeback in the eighth inning began with one out against Tate Scioneaux. Canelo hit a high flyball to the warning track in left, where it was dropped by Hill for a four-base error that made it a 7-5 ballgame. Green worked a walk and Martin rocked a double off the warning track in center that cleared the wall for a double to put the tying runs in scoring position. A strikeout of Randolph and a walk to Hernandez loaded the bases, and Grullon delivered the biggest hit of the year with an opposite field grand slam to right for a 5-RBI night and a 9-7 lead. The Curve scored in the top of the ninth and got a couple of runners on to make things very interesting, but Edgar Garcia slammed the door shut for his second save to even the series at a game apiece.

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. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins.

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Eastern League Stories from May 11, 2018


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