Fightin Phils Fall on Saturday to Erie

BOX SCORE

(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (18-30) fell to the Erie SeaWolves (33-17) 11-1 Saturday, falling behind 2-3 in the series with one game remaining.

Phillies No. 11 prospect Jean Cabrera (L, 1-3) took the mound for Reading Saturday amid an impressive run of 5.0 innings or more in his last seven starts. Cabrera is the No. 4 pitcher in Philadelphia’s organization, hailing from Venezuela. To start, Cabrera failed to find much command with his curveball but battled back enough with his sinker and four-seam fastball to strike out Erie leadoff hitter Trei Cruz.

As his curveball found a groove throughout the top of the first, so did he. Cabrera punched out Thayron Liranzo and then centerfielder Cade Fergus made a leaping catch in center field to retire the side. When the Fightin Phils came to bat, Phillies No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller continued to mash, ripping a sinker into the left-center gap for a double.

Miller hammered a home run and a single Friday, rocketing the ball 114.5 mph out of the stadium. Before the final game of the month on Saturday, he batted .274 in May after just a .203 mark in the season’s opening month. Miller has also felt comfort in the friendly confines of First Energy Stadium, recording an .880 OPS in Baseballtown compared to a .504 mark on the road.

Miller, however, was stranded at second as Cabrera and Seawolves starter Carlos Pena (W, 2-3) produced an early pitchers duel. Cabrera struck out Cruz again in the third, then putting Carlos Mendoza away with a curveball. He fell into trouble in the top of the fourth allowing a single and a double to start. Cabrera worked a ground ball to Miller, which he comfortably looked back the runner on third and fired to first for the out.

On the next batter, Miller couldn’t execute a similar play. As the runner raced home from third, Miller threw just a bit low, bouncing past Josh Breaux and allowing two runners to score. Eliezer Alfonzo then flipped a single out to right field to score another, capping a three-run frame for Erie.

Keaton Anthony attempted to cut into the deficit with a double into the right-center gap — his Eastern League-leading 19th of the season. Again, Reading couldn’t get the run across. Though, the Fightin Phils got on the board in the fifth with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Leandro Pineda, scoring Alex Binelas after a leadoff triple.

Cabrera exited in the sixth after 87 pitches, allowing two singles before manager Al Pedrique called on Mitch Neunborn to work out of the jam. Neunborn instantly allowed Alfonzo to rip a three-run shot deep into the night, closing Cabrera’s line at two earned runs despite Reading trailing 6-1.

Mendoza then poured it on, belting a wall-scraping two-run shot. Next, Thayron Liranzo. He continued the trend with a solo shot to build a 9-1 lead and inflated Neunborn’s ERA of 2.55 to 3.91.

The Fightin Phils defense continued to falter, committing their third error of the game in the seventh to plate Chris Meyers. Meanwhile, Pena’s day was done as he allowed just three hits and one run in six innings.

Erie kept its foot on the gas as Reading’s offense couldn’t find itself nearly enough to keep up, dropping its 30th game of the year and finishing May 13-14.

The Fightin Phils return to the field on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. against the Erie SeaWolves. RHP Wil Crowe will be on the mound for Reading, and he will go opposite RHP Garrett Burhenn for Erie. Pregame coverage is underway at 5 p.m. on the Reading Fightin Phils Radio Network. A video stream is available via MiLB TV or the Bally Live App. The series ends Sunday with a Nick Singleton Hometown Hero Bobblehead for the first 2,000 kids, thanks to Klee Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Tickets are available at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL or at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.

The 2025 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.