R-Phills rally with three in the ninth for 6-5 win
May 10, 2019 - Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release
(Reading, PA) - After three starting pitchers duels against the Yard Goats to open the homestand, the Fightin Phils grew accustomed to playing low-scoring games on this homestand. And for the first five-plus innings, RubberDucks righthander Eli Morgan was extremely tough in his Double-A debut. Three 'Ducks homers, including two from Daniel Johnson, looked like they'd be the difference, but the Fightins pulled off their most improbable comeback of the season. With three runs in the ninth, the late heroics were punctuated by Jose Gomez' second RBI single, giving the R-Phils a 4-1 mark against Akron in the season series.
The first home run came off the bat off Wilson Garcia, who took Tom Eshelman deep on the first pitch of the second inning for a 1-0 lead. In his best start of the season, Eshelman wouldn't allow another until the fifth, when three straight hits produced two runs on a double from Jorma Rodriguez and a single by designated hitter Logan Ice.
Morgan was perfect until the fifth, which turned when Austin Listi opened the inning with a walk and Cornelius Randolph added the first hit to bring up the tying run. An errant pickoff attempt back to first scored Listi, and Gomez broke an 0-for-16 at the plate with a run-scoring single to make it a 3-2 ballgame. The 'Ducks came right back when Johnson led off the sixth with his fifth home run, pushing the lead back to two temporarily.
In the home half, Mickey Moniak led off with his Eastern League-leading fourth triple, a line shot into the right field corner. Henri Lartigue got on a with a walk, stole second base, then got to third on a wild pitch that scored Moniak to get the R-Phils within a run at 4-3. Listi's second walk spelled the end for Morgan, but with one out, lefthander David Speer started a 1-6-3 double play off the bat of Randolph to end the inning and keep Akron ahead.
Johnson's second home run came with one out in the eighth, adding to his team-leading total and giving him six for the season. Two more singles came later in the inning, and Jeff Singer (2-0) got the final out in the inning before striking out a pair in a scoreless top of the ninth.
The comeback started for the Fightins against the hard-throwing Argenis Angulo, who was angling for the save with a 5-3 cushion. Adam Haseley and Listi walked to put the tying runs on base, giving a Randolph an opportunity to smoke an RBI double down the right field line to make it a one-run game. Pinch-hitter Darick Hall squared off against new pitcher Dalbert Siri and squibbed a single near third base to load the bases. Raul Rivas worked a walk to tie the score, and Gomez lined a single to end the ballgame and give the R-Phils their most thrilling home win of the season and get them back to a season-high four games over at 17-13.
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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