EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Kingery Returns and R-Phils Scrap for a W

May 16, 2019 - Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


(Reading, PA) - The sight of Scott Kingery in an R-Phils uniform manning second base was perfect symbolism for Throwback Thursday at America's Classic Ballpark. On the second game of his rehab assignment for a right hamstring strain, the 2017 sensation finished 0-for-3 with an RBI and a run, saying afterwards that the hamstring felt good and that was the most important thing. The added bonus was it came in a 7-2 win against the Sea Dogs, with four Phils finishing with a pair of hits on a night where Mauricio Llovera (2-0) defeated Darwinzon Hernandez (1-3).

Llovera started pitching from behind, stranding a pair of runners on a bunt single and a walk in the top of the first. In the second, Tate Matheny jumped on the first pitch for a double into left center, and Jhon Nunez singled in the game's first run beyond a drawn in infield after Matheny tagged to third on a flyout to right from designated hitter Luke Tendler.

Hernandez was perfect through two, but stumbled for the only time in the third, which was more than enough for Reading to take advantage. Arquimedes Gamboa and Austin Bossart opened the inning with soft singles, with Bossart's slow roller getting thrown away by third baseman Bobby Dalbec to put a pair in scoring position. Kingery's groundball to second skipped by Brett Netzer for the second error, but the run batted in tied the score.

Mickey Moniak snuck a two-RBI triple into the right field corner for a 3-1 lead and his league-leading fifth three-bagger of the season. Next up was Adam Haseley, who slivered a 2-0 offering down the left field line for a double and a 4-1 advantage. The Sea Dogs final run came across on Jerry Downs' two-out double in the fourth, but Llovera stranded the tying runs in scoring position, finishing his five innings with seven strikeouts.

With a 4-2 lead, Garrett Cleavinger was brilliant over two perfect innings that ended with back-to-back strikeouts that sent the game into the seventh inning stretch. Hernandez went seven innings for the first time all season, finishing with a career-high 11 strikeouts after striking out 10 Fightins in a win against them during his season debut back in early April.

Facing another lefthander in Dominic LoBrutto in the home eighth, Moniak and Haseley opened the inning with their second hits of the night. Austin Listi's second hard single brought in a run to make it 5-2, and with two outs, Gamboa punched his first double down the right field line for a 7-2 lead and his first multi-RBI game. Connor Brogdon induced three straight flyouts in the eighth, and Addison Russ finished off the non-save situation with three strikeouts in the ninth.

America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region. Season tickets for the 2019 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at the Weidenhammer Ticket Office at FirstEnergy Stadium. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins, Instagram at @fightins, and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins.

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Eastern League Stories from May 16, 2019


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