EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

R-Phils finish off sweep of Curve with wild 9-7 win in 11

Published on August 4, 2019 under Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


(READING, PA) - The formula had worked all weekend for the Fightin Phils: ride a big inning at the plate, lean on the bullpen, and beat the Curve. Sunday's series finale at FirstEnergy Stadium was different. This time, the Curve had a comeback in them, scoring four in the ninth to erase a 4-2 deficit and take a surprising 6-4 lead. The Fightins then scored two in the home half to force extras, and after Altoona scored one in the top of the tenth, it happened again. The duo of Mickey Moniak and Alec Bohm needed just two pitches for a game-tying single and a game-winning two-run homer to lift Reading to its fourth straight win before Monday's off day.

For the first time in the series, the Fightin Phils scored first when they received a pair of two-run homers from Luke Williams and Darick Hall in the bottom of the third. The two swings looked like more than enough for Adonis Medina, who bounced back from consecutive losses to deliver one of his finest starts of the season. The Phillies top pitching prospect allowed just a solo home run to Bligh Madris in the fifth, finishing with a season-high eight strikeouts over six innings of two-hit ball.

The Curve comeback started in the seventh against lefthander Jeff Singer, who surrendered singles to Mitchell Tolman and Robbie Glendinning before Madris made it a 4-2 ballgame with a sacrifice fly to right. Singer then struck out the first two batters in the eighth, but exited for Addison Russ when he walked Darnell Sweeney to bring up the tying run. The Fightins All-Star closeR walked Jared Oliva, but got out of the inning when Logan Hill grounded out to Bohm in a forceout at third base.

In the ninth, Altoona took the lead on a game-tying two-run homer from catcher Jason Delay and a timely two-out double from Oliva that scored two more to make it a 6-4 ballgame. Down to their last three outs, the Fightins forced extras against Blake Cederlind, who surrendered a leadoff single to shortstop Jose Gomez. Arquimedes Gamboa, who entered late in a double switch, then smoked an RBI double to straightaway center before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt from Jose Antequera. Henri Lartigue came up huge with a game-tying double into right field, but the heroics were halted there when Cederlind struck out the next two hitters to send it to the tenth.

With Oliva as the starter runner at second base, Garrett Cleavinger was charged with an unearned run when Tolman laid down a sacrifice bunt and Madris reached on a fielding error by Gomez, who had moved over to third base. Staring down Joel Cesar, Moniak singled home Williams to begin the bottom of the tenth, and on the very next pitch Bohm homered for the second straight night to give the Fightin Phils an unbelievable 9-7 win.

America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region and was voted the #1 stadium in all of Double-A by MiLB's Ben Hill. Follow the Fightins on Twitter at @ReadingFightins and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins. Purchase tickets TODAY, call or TEXT 610-370-BALL, and download the Fightins game and promotional schedule at fightins.com/calendar.

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Eastern League Stories from August 4, 2019


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