(Reading, PA) - Game 1 Recap: The third game of the series between the Fightin Phils and Sea Dogs was scheduled for seven innings as part of a Tuesday doubleheader to make up the three consecutive cancellations the last time the Fightins were in Portland. A Chad De La Guerra
(Reading, PA) -
Game 1 Recap: The third game of the series between the Fightin Phils and Sea Dogs was scheduled for seven innings as part of a Tuesday doubleheader to make up the three consecutive cancellations the last time the Fightins were in Portland. A Chad De La Guerra grand slam in the second off Franklyn Kilomé made it 4-0 early, and after a sacrifice fly from Jantzen Witte in the fourth, De La Guerra drove in his fifth run with a fifth inning single to make it 7-0.
For the first five innings, the Fightin Phils couldn't get anything going against lefthander Dedgar Jimenez . But they came back with their biggest half inning of the season in the sixth, batting around for the first time, and getting a game-tying three run homer from Brandon Bednar . Tied at seven, the game went beyond the seventh inning, forcing extras between the two teams for the second time this season at FirstEnergy Stadium. Playing as the road team, Cord Sandberg delivered a two-run homer off the roof in right field to make it 9-7. With a tornado warning in the area, the game was suspended in the middle of the ninth with the Sea Dogs down to their last three outs.
When the game resumed on Wednesday morning, the Sea Dogs made things interesting when Nick Lovullo drew a walk to put the tying runs on base under the new extra-inning rules. A Jhon Nunez sacrifice and a groundout from Jeremy Rivera made it 9-8 and put the tying run at third base, but Seth McGarry struck out De La Guerra for his second save.
Game 2 Recap: A Fightin Phils error in the top of the first behind lefthanded starter Elniery García made things tricky, and a Tate Matheny run scoring single preceded an Austin Rei three-run homer off the left field foul pole for a 4-0 Sea Dogs lead.
The Fightins got runs back on Zach Green's first inning single and Deivi Grullon's seventh home run in the second, but didn't score for the rest of the afternoon and never got closer than 4-2. Witte led off the third with a home run to make it 5-2, and Matheny's second RBI single in the fifth tacked on a run. The Sea Dogs scored twice more in the sixth, with the final run coming across on De La Guerra's single for an 8-2 final.
America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region. Season tickets for the 2018 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at FirstEnergy Stadium. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins.
