Playoff Berth Clinched in Victory over Reading Thursday
EL Somerset Patriots

Playoff Berth Clinched in Victory over Reading Thursday

Published on September 11, 2025 under Eastern League (EL)
Somerset Patriots News Release


Somerset Patriots celebrate a playoff berth
Somerset Patriots celebrate a playoff berth
(Somerset Patriots)

The Somerset Patriots defeated the Reading Fightin Phils in game three of a six-game set at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pa. on Thursday by a score of 4-0.

With the win, the Patriots have clinched the second half playoff spot in the Northeast Division. The Patriots have clinched a position in the Eastern League Playoffs for the fourth year in a row.

Somerset held its opponent to two hits in the game for the seventh time this season and the first since 9/2 vs. NH. Somerset recorded its 11th shutout victory of the season and its first since 9/5 vs. NH.

The Patriots have won seven of their last eight games. Somerset improved to 10-5 against Reading this season. Somerset's 10 wins are tied for the second-most victories against any other team (22 vs. NH, 10 vs. POR). Somerset jumps to 49-32 all-time against Reading.

Since the beginning of the 2022 season, the first year in which Somerset made it to the Eastern League Playoffs, the Patriots have won a Double-A-best 314 games.

RHP Carlos Lagrange (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K) fired six innings of one-hit baseball to collect his sixth win with Somerset this season.

Lagrange leads all active Minor League pitchers with 168 K. Along with leading all Yankee minor league pitchers with 168 K, Lagrange ranks second in W (11), third in BA (.198), fourth in ERA (3.53) and WHIP (1.20), tied for fourth in GS (23) and fifth in IP (120.0).

Since Lagrange debuted with Somerset on 6/6 @BNG, Lagrange leads the Eastern League in K (104), the only player with 100 or more strikeouts. Lagrange is also tied for first in W (7), second in BA (.185), fourth in ERA (3.22) and fifth in IP (78.1).

RHP Indigo Diaz (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K) recorded the final three outs to secure Somerset's fourth-straight trip to the Eastern League Playoffs.

Diaz is tied for fifth in the EL with 42 appearances (K. Austin, D. Watson - SOM, A. Magno - ERI). Over his last 34 appearances since 5/9 @AKR, Diaz has allowed two earned runs. During this stretch, Diaz has thrown 40.0 IP over which he has allowed 19 H, 15 BB and recorded 36 K. In this span, Diaz has a 0.45 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and a .145 BA. Diaz's 0.45 ERA is the lowest among EL relievers with a minimum of 30.0 IP since 5/9.

SS George Lombard Jr. (2-for-4, R, RBI, 2B, BB) slashed a multi-hit game by ripping an RBI single in the third and a double in the fifth.

Lombard Jr. collected his 16th multi-hit game with Somerset, the third most on the active roster (D. Jasso - 32, T. Hardman - 20).

Since Lombard Jr. debuted with Somerset on 5/2 @AKR, Lombard Jr. leads all EL batters in BB (62) and R (67). Lombard Jr. leads all Yankee minor leaguers with 85 BB.

Lombard Jr. ranks second among all Yankees players, trailing only Aaron Judge (104). Lombard Jr. ranks second among Yankee minor leaguers in R (89), tied for third in 2B (31), sixth in XBH (45) and SB (33), tied for seventh in TB (177) and H (109), and 10th in OPS (.751).

1B Tyler Hardman (1-for-4, RBI, 2B, 2 K) plated the first run of the game on an RBI double in the first inning.

In 34 games since 8/1 vs. RIC, Tyler Hardman is 30-for-118 (.254/.358/.449) with 18 R, 13 XBH (7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR), 17 RBI, 18 BB, 3 SB and an .807 OPS.

Hardman ranks third among EL batters in HR (19), fourth in XBH (47), eighth in SLG (.443), tied for eighth in TB (180), tied for ninth in 2B (24) and 10th in RBI (63).

Hardman extended his Somerset Double-A franchise record in RBI (153). Hardman also ranks first in HR (53), second in XBH (99) and TB (418), and third in H (206), R (146), and 2B (39).

C Manny Palencia (2-for-4, RBI, 2B, BB) snatched his fifth multi-hit game at Double-A, highlighted by an RBI double in the fifth inning.

In 20 games with Somerset since 8/1 vs. RIC, Palencia is 17-for-70 (.243/.267/.318) with 7 R, 4 2B, 7 RBI, 3 BB and 1 SB.

CF Brendan Jones (2-for-5, R, 2 SB) stole two bases and collected his 15th multi-hit game with Somerset.

Over his last nine games since 9/2 vs. NH, Jones is 9-for-31 (.290/.450/.355) with 10 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 9 BB, 10 SB, 0 CS and an .805 OPS.

Jones extended his on-base streak to 15 games, the fifth-longest active streak in the Eastern League, a streak that began on 8/26 @BNG. Over his last 15 games, Jones has gone 17-for-54 (.315/.448/.407) with 16 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 13 BB, 12 SB, 0 CS and an .855 OPS. Since his on-base streak began on 8/26 @BNG, Jones leads all EL players in SB (12) and R (16), tied for the league lead in BB (13, C. Suero - BNG), fifth in OBP (.448), and tied for eighth in H (18, A. Overn - CHE, R. Velasquez - AKR).

Jones leads the entire Yankees organization with 48 SB. Jones ranks second among Yankees minor leaguers in BB (80), third in R (87), sixth in RBI (69), tied for seventh in H (109) and TB (177), eighth in XBH (38), and ninth in OPS (.759).

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Somerset Patriots celebrate a playoff berth
Somerset Patriots celebrate a playoff berth
   



Eastern League Stories from September 11, 2025


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