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MLB

Four Home Runs Power Patriots to 11-3 Win Over Reading

By Somerset Patriots
May 6, 2026

The Somerset Patriots knocked off the Reading Fightin Phils 11-3 at FirstEnergy Stadium on Wednesday evening. Through the first two games of the series, Somerset has tallied 36 hits and seven home runs. The Patriots’ 36 hits through the first two games of a series are the most in franchise

The Somerset Patriots knocked off the Reading Fightin Phils 11-3 at FirstEnergy Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Through the first two games of the series, Somerset has tallied 36 hits and seven home runs. The Patriots’ 36 hits through the first two games of a series are the most in franchise history, while their seven home runs rank second (eight vs. POR 9/13/22-9/14/22).

Somerset’s 17 hits recorded marked the fourth time the Patriots have mustered 17-plus hits in a game, the most of any Double-A team this season.

Garrett Martin’s first inning home run was Somerset’s Double-A leading 12th first inning home run of the season. The 12 first inning home runs are tied for first with Sugarland (Houston Triple-A) in Minor League Baseball and lead all MLB teams. The 12 first inning home runs are tied with Somerset in 2021 for the most in all of MiLB through 29 games since at least 2005.

With three first inning runs, Somerset’s 32 first inning runs rank second in Double-A this year.

With four home runs in the contest, Somerset notched its second consecutive and ninth game overall with three-plus home runs. Somerset has smashed multiple homers in 10 straight games and 14 of its last 16 games.

Somerset’s 56 home runs this season lead all of Double-A. The 56 home runs in the first 29 games of the season mark the most home runs by a Double-A team and fourth-most by any MiLB team through the season’s first 29 games since at least 2005.

Over Somerset’s last 16 games, the Patriots have hit 40 home runs with 58.9% of their runs in that span coming around to score on the long ball. Somerset is the only MiLB team with multiple hitters with double-digit homers.

RHP Cade Smith (5.2 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO) worked into the sixth inning, earning the win in back-to-back starts for the first time in his Double-A career. Over his last two starts, Smith has a 1.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and nine strikeouts to two walks in 11.2 IP. Smith induced three double plays, the most by any Somerset pitcher in a game this season.

CF Jace Avina (4-for-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) tied a career-high with his third career four-hit game. Avina extended his hit streak to a season-high seven games. In that span, he’s hit a home run in four of those games, slashing .353/.371/.824 with eight XBH and 10 RBI.

After three XBH in his first 12 games, Avina has eight XBH in his last 13 games. He has raised his OPS from .482 to .815 in that span. Avina’s 15 XBH this season are tied for third in the Yankees minor league system and tied for fifth in the Eastern League.

RF Garrett Martin (3-for-6, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) notched his second multi-HR game of the season and fifth multi-HR game of his career. Martin matched a career-high three hits for the seventh time.

Martin’s multi-HR game was the eighth by a Patriot this season and first since Tyler Hardman’s two-HR game 5/2/26 vs. POR. Martin's 10 HR this season are tied for first in the Eastern League and tied for second in the Yankees minor league system.

In his last seven games, Martin is 11-for-33 with six HR, 10 RBI and four multi-hit games. He’s raised his OPS from .709 to .884 in that span.

LF Jackson Castillo (1-for-4, 2B, 2 BB, R) extended his team-leading hit streak to a career-high 11 games. It’s the longest hit streak by a Patriot this season.

Castillo’s 11-game hit streak is the longest active streak in the Eastern League. Through 11 games this season, Castillo is slashing .395/.480/.535 with four XBH and 11 runs scored. Dating back to last season, Castillo has a hit in 13 straight games with Somerset.

2B Marco Luciano (2-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R) homered in his third consecutive game for the fourth time in his career. It marked the first time he has homered in three straight games since 5/18/22-5/20/22 at Spokane.

Luciano extended his hit streak to a season-high eight games. In that span, he is slashing .467/.543/1.133 with six home runs, 14 RBI and five multi-hit games.

Luciano's 10 HR this season are tied for first in the Eastern League and tied for second in the Yankees minor league system. Among Eastern League leaders, he ranks first in runs (29) and second in SLG (.722) and OPS (1.133). Luciano leads the Yankees minor league system in SLG, OPS and runs, is tied for first in XBH (18) and ranks second in HR, hits (32) and TB (70).

3B Tyler Hardman (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, R) collected his eighth multi-hit game of the season. Hardman’s 27 RBI lead the Eastern League, are tied for first in Double-A and rank second among Yankees farmhands.

Hardman extended his hit streak to a season-high eight games. In that span, he’s 15-for-30, with five HR, 14 RBI and five walks. Over his last 10 games, Hardman raised his batting average from .200 to .298 and OPS from .727 to 1.017, slashing .471/.550/.971 with five HR and 14 RBI in that stretch.

DH DJ Gladney (2-for-4, HR, RBI, R) tallied his eighth multi-hit game of the season and matched a season-high six game hit streak. Across his last six games, Gladney is 10-for-26 with two HR, six RBI and three multi-hit games.

Gladney extended his on-base streak to 21 games. The longest on-base streak by a Somerset Patriot this season, the streak marks the longest by a Patriot since Dylan Jasso reached in 28 straight games from 5/20/25 to 6/24/25.

***

Box Score

Postgame Notes

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