Fightins Plow Past Portland 8-3 In Finale

READING, PA - The Reading Fightin Phils (15-14) salvaged the final game of the series and topped the Portland Sea Dogs (19-11) 8-3 Wednesday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium. Portland wraps up the road trip with a 4-3 record after the loss.

The hometown team broke a 1-1 tie and took the lead for good with a six pack of runs in the sixth, against Portland's Mike Augliera, and made it 7-1. Zach Collier began the rally with a single to right that plated Carlos Alonso from second and gave Reading the advantage. Cam Perkins followed with a double that scored Collier and made it a two-run lead.

With two down, in the inning Brock Stassi picked up an RBI with a single to center and made it 4-1. Augliera (2-3) couldn't retire the final out of the frame as he gave up a double to Albert Cartwright, which plated another run, and ended the righty's day on the mound.

Jose Valdez took over for the starter and was greeted by a two-run home run off the bat of catcher Lars Davis, which upped the lead to 7-1. Augliera's day ended after the five and two-third innings; he gave up six runs, all earned, on 10 hits, no walks, and three strikeouts.

Henry Ramos tried to keep the 'Dogs in it and sparked a rally with a solo shot on the first pitch of the seventh, his first Double-A homer, which made it 7-2. The homer came off of Reading's starter Hoby Milner in his final inning.

Milner (1-2) went the seven innings and allowed just two runs on six hits; he walked three and struck out three.

Reading bounced back with another run of its own in the bottom half of the frame, courtesy of an Aaron Altherr RBI single to center.

Ramos again tried to spark a multi-run rally and comeback in the ninth with his second solo home run of the game, which cut it to 8-3. The next two hitters reached on singles, but Portland could do no more and the comeback was silenced.

Mookie Betts began the scoring for the Sea Dogs with a leadoff solo home run on a 3-2 pitch from Milner. The home run marked the fifth of the season for the second baseman and it also extended his on-base streak to 59 straight games, 64 including 2013 playoffs, and 29 straight to begin his Double-A career.

Portland held the lead until Reading tied it up with a lone run in the fourth. Augliera gave up back-to-back base hits to Carlos Alonso and Zach Collier to begin the inning. Alonso moved to third on a fly out to center and scored on Altherr's single to center.

The Sea Dogs return home from the 7-game road trip and open up a 4-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Thursday night at 6:00 PM from Hadlock Field. LHP Henry Owens (3-2, 3.89) makes his second start against New Hampshire's RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 2.55). Radio coverage begins at 5:40 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network and www.seadogs.com. MILB.TV coverage begins at 5:50 PM.