Phillies' Fisher breaks out in Reading rout

Joel Fisher is just happy to see his name on a lineup card, and on Thursday, he couldn't have asked for much else.

"It's cool," he said. "I don't get to play every day, I'm a backup catcher, so it's fun when I get to go out there and do what I can."

Fisher hit a grand slam and knocked home a career-high six runs, Jake Fox homered twice and Phillies No. 22 prospect Dylan Cozens added four hits and a career-high four runs Thursday afternoon as Double-A Reading out-slugged Portland, 15-9.

"It's always fun when the guys are swinging like we are," Fisher said.

Fisher, who rejoined Reading on May 22, went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in the fourth inning and a grand slam in the fifth off Mike McCarthy, who relieved starter Kevin McAvoy (3-1). It was only his third start behind the plate since May 4.

"It was first pitch, I went up there against a righty and he threw me a slider, I was a little out in front of it," Fisher said of the grand slam. "Luckily they've got a Green Monster here [in Portland] and I got enough to just get over it. I was looking for something up in the zone."

His six RBIs was easily a career high -- he entered the day with just 20 career RBIs in 90 games since 2014. His only other big game came last Aug. 2 when he homered and knocked in four runs for Class A Lakewood.

The Michigan native was Philadelphia's 23rd-round pick in the 2014 Draft out of Michigan State but has been sparsely used since debuting that summer. The Phillies sent him to extended Spring Training in Florida for much of the past month where he was essentially a spectator with Philadelphia's Florida State League affiliate.

"I was actually with the [Clearwater] Threshers, but just wasn't active -- there were just too many guys in the system at the time and when J.P. Arencibia asked for his release, that freed up space for me to come up here," said Fisher.

Fisher wasn't the only hot hitter Thursday -- the 23-year-old was 10 when Fox was drafted and was still in middle school when the veteran first baseman made his Major League debut in July 2007.

"It's fun, especially with guys like Fox, it's fun to see him have a big day," Fisher said,

Fox went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and connected on home runs in the sixth off McCarthy and again in the eighth off Austin Maddox. The 33-year-old first baseman appeared in only 29 games last season but authored a big year with Reading in 2014, when he hit .308 with 22 homers and 77 RBIs after returning from the Mexican League. His first career two-homer effort came more than 10 years ago on May 4, 2006.

Cozens, 22, enjoyed his first four-hit game since last July 29 with Class A Advanced Clearwater. He doubled and scored in the second and fourth innings and hit leadoff singles and scored both times in the fifth and sixth.

The game began just after 11 a.m. in Maine, and Fisher wasn't sure if the early wake-up hurt pitchers.

"It's a getaway game -- wake and rake," he said. "It was fun. Cozens couldn't get out today. It's fun to watch these guys hit, we have a really good lineup."

Fisher has embraced the role of a backup and occasional starter. The Phillies have a trio of top prospects behind the plate in Jorge Alfaro (No. 6), Andrew Knapp (No. 9) and Deivi Grullon (No. 29), so Fisher knows he's a bit lower on the depth chart. He hit .199 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 52 games last season after appearing in 30 contests in 2014, when he batted .273.

"I had the same role last year, backup catcher, and it's a little of an adjustment to figure out what I need to do to be ready when I play," he said. "I'm used to the role this year. It's even more drastic when you move up. Alfaro is a great catcher, he's on the 40-man roster, so I'm playing even less now. I've figured out how to keep my body ready and my head, to be mentally ready to come in and play when I get the chance."

Reading starter Nick Pivetta (5-4) picked up a win despite allowing seven runs -- five earned -- on seven hits and a walk. He struck out six over five innings.

"He had some of the best stuff I've seen him have though," Fisher said.

McAvoy (3-1), Boston's fourth-round pick in 2014, was charged with seven runs -- six earned -- on seven hits and two walks over three innings to suffer his first loss since July 26, 2015. He struck out one.