A-Rod Drives Home a Run in 6-3 Loss
READING, PA - The Thunder brought the go-ahead run to the plate after trailing 6-2 entering the 9th inning, but Andrew Clark flew out to center field to end the ballgame with the bases loaded in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils.
The Thunder and Fightins were tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the 7th inning before Mikey O'Brien ran into trouble. He allowed five straight batters to reach with one out, and was removed from the game. Four runs came home in the inning to give Reading the lead for good- at that point, 6-2.
Alex Rodriguez made his second-consecutive start for the Thunder and finished 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly to center field in four plate appearances. One night after going 2-for-4 with a homer, A-Rod didn't have quite the same prolific performance at the plate, but he still drove home a run in the game.
Tied 1-1 in the 2nd inning, Rodriguez had runners at first and third and one out when he lofted a fly ball to centerfield. It carried Reading centerfielder Cesar Hernandez back towards the warning track, and was plenty deep enough to score Shane Brown from third base.
It was one of two runs that Brown scored as part of his 2-for-3 game. Brown was one of five players on the Thunder to notch multiple hits as part of an 11-hit performance. Brown was joined by Ramon Flores, Slade Heathcott, Cody Grice and Jose Gil, but the Thunder stranded 11 runners on base in the contest.
Despite the loss, Trenton has still won seven of their last ten games. The win snaps an eight-game losing streak for Reading.
The Thunder and Fightin Phils complete their three-game series Wednesday with the rubber game at 12:05 p.m. The game features RHP Sean Black (2-2, 3.00) for the Thunder facing Reading's LHP Jesse Biddle (3-9, 3.33). Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and streaming online begins at 11:50 a.m.