Four Trends from Reading's Series at Harrisburg

(Reading, PA) — The Reading Fightin Phils kicked off their first series of June in Harrisburg against the Senators. Reading won two-of-six games and lost four by a combined five runs.

Here are four intriguing trends that stick out from the Fightin Phils series against Harrisburg:

Home run advantage

The Fightin Phils found a power surge versus the Senators while their pitching was able to keep Harrisburg largely inside the ballpark. Reading was tied for an Eastern League best nine home runs this past week.

The tally brought the Fightin Phils total to 42 on the year, and multiple players stepped up. Despite appearing in only three games and recording 11 at-bats, catcher Paul McIntosh belted three home runs on the week, including two in Reading’s 7-5 win on June 7. Outfielder Cade Fergus only recorded two hits and both were hammered over the fence.

Keaton Anthony also recorded two, while Phillies No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller hit one and Leandro Pineda hit another. The most impressive showing for the Fightin Phils was the June 7 contest, where they hit four in one game, which matched a season high. But Reading’s pitching also limited Harrisburg’s offense.

The Senators hit just two home runs in 192 at-bats. But, both were walk-off shots from former Fightin Phils outfielder Carlos De La Cruz. While unfortunate timing for Reading, the two home runs coming in the first two games of the six-game set means the Fightin Phils enter their series against New Hampshire with 36 straight innings not allowing a home run.

Up and Down Week for the Bullpen

The Fightin Phils' bullpen struggled to put away games early in the series. They allowed eight runs on the week, including a few early in the series that cost Reading victories.

The series opener went into the eighth inning with the Fightin Phils leading 4-2, but they allowed two runs in the inning to tie the game. When Reading recaptured the lead in the 10th, a single brought the deficit back to one before De La Cruz ended the game on a two-run home run down to the Senators' final strike.

The next day was nearly déjà vu. The Fightin Phils saw a three-run lead in the eighth shrink to one, and when De La Cruz came up in the ninth with a runner on and one out, his swing on a 2-2 pitch ended up over the fence. Even in their win on June 7, the Fightin Phils allowed four runs in the eighth to nearly surrender a 7-1 lead.

Despite those early-week struggles, the Fightin Phils' bullpen did turn in some impressive efforts on the week. Both of Reading’s wins came in “bullpen games,” and Tommy McCollum remained red-hot with two more perfect outings.

Anthony, again

Anthony’s breakout in 2025 has seen him skyrocket near the top of the Eastern League in doubles, batting average, OPS, and just about any offensive statistical category you could find. The trend continued in Harrisburg as he recorded a .945 OPS with seven hits and two home runs.

The Iowa product has reached base safely in his last 24 games and recorded at least one hit in 15 of the last 16 contests. Despite a hitless day on June 5, Anthony reached on a walk. The day before, he recorded five total bases with a home run and a single.

Anthony’s 21 doubles rank first in the Eastern League, three more than the next-best Cooper Ingle of Akron. His 58 hits rank third, only behind Erie’s Max Anderson and Somerset’s Rafael Flores. Anthony isn’t necessarily known for his power, but he found a surge this week against Harrisburg. He entered the series with two home runs through 42 games and doubled the total with two in a three-game span, a welcome sign moving forward.

With another impressive series, Anthony now sits with a .328 batting average and a .904 OPS in 2025. The first baseman went undrafted two summers ago but is now solidifying himself as one of Reading’s top players week after week.

Starter’s star

While the Fightin Phils bullpen had an up-and-down week, the rotation turned in multiple stellar performances. Chuck King allowed three earned runs in 10 innings. Phillies No. 11 prospect Jean Cabrera gave up two in six innings, while also striking out seven batters.

Braeden Fausnaught bounced back from a few tough performances to allow just two runs and strike out four. Maybe most impressive of all was Will Crowe, who has done nothing but star since coming to Baseballtown.

Crowe allowed just one hit in five innings. Yet, he only struck out one, keeping batters extremely off-balanced to produce soft contact. Crowe’s heroics earned him a victory on June 7. The Fightin Phils continue to work Crowe into a starting role, and he’s excelled, allowing two hits through 12 innings thus far. Last week’s start was his longest yet.

Using experience from the KBO last season and multiple Major League seasons in the past, Crowe now has a 1.50 ERA and .054 BAA. King, Cabrera, Fausnaught and Crowe combined for 22 strikeouts against the Senators and showed signs of an elite unit all week.

The Fightin Phils return to the field on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Pregame radio coverage is underway at 6:45 p.m. on the Reading Fightin Phils Radio Network. A video stream is available via MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.

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.