(TRENTON, NJ) - A night after suffering a 7-0, no-hit loss, the Reading Fightin Phils bounced back on Tuesday night, toppling Trenton 9-2 in the middle game of the three-game set at Arm and Hammer Park.Tommy Hunter worked two scoreless in the rehab appearance, as the Phillies reliever works his
(TRENTON, NJ) - A night after suffering a 7-0, no-hit loss, the Reading Fightin Phils bounced back on Tuesday night, toppling Trenton 9-2 in the middle game of the three-game set at Arm and Hammer Park.
Tommy Hunter worked two scoreless in the rehab appearance, as the Phillies reliever works his way back from a right forearm strain that has sidelined him throughout the season. Hunter permitted two hits and struck out two. The right-hander made 18 pitches, 14 of them strikes.
After Hunter struck out Hoy Jun Park to open his rehab outing, Kyle Holder ripped a double to the right field corner and attempted to stretch it to a triple. Grenny Cumana dug it out and fed Jose Gomez, who fired a strike down to third to nab Holder for the second out. Hunter then struck out Ben Ruta to end the frame.
Hunter worked around a leadoff single to hurl a scoreless second as well, getting a double play to end the inning.
Reading (4-4) (43-31) snapped a streak of 11 scoreless innings when the Fightins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third.
Austin Bossart got it going with a leadoff walk off Albert Abreu (4-6), and Gomez followed with a single to center. Josh Stephen drove a double off the wall in right to score Bossart with Reading's first run of the series.
Alec Bohm grounded out to second, plating Gomez, and with two outs in the inning Darick Hall cracked a double to deep left-center to bring in Stephen and make it 3-0.
Jakob Hernandez worked a scoreless third inning in relief, and Mauricio Llovera (3-3) entered in the fourth. The Thunder (4-3) (42-30) got on the board after a hit batter proceeded back-to-back singles, scoring Holder to cut Trenton's deficit to 3-1.
Reading expanded its advantage in the top of the fifth, after an infield hit from Gomez led off the frame. Stephen came through with his second RBI double of the ballgame, and Bohm worked a walk. Mickey Moniak hit into a forceout at second but beat the relay to first, as Stephen crossed the plate to push the lead to four.
After a walk to Hall, Cumana ripped a double off the left field wall to bring home Moniak and push the lead to 6-1. Trevor Lane entered in relief, and with two outs an errant throw from the shortstop Holder allowed two more runs to cross and opened up an 8-1 lead for Reading.
Llovera hurled five innings out of the bullpen, holding Trenton to two runs on seven hits in the victory.
Reading's final tally came in the ninth, when Hall drove the Fightins' season-high sixth double of the ballgame off the wall in right to score Moniak and make it 9-2. Hall upped his Eastern League-leading RBI total to 53.
The Fightins conclude the six-game road trip with game three of the series at Trenton on Wednesday. Adonis Medina takes the hill for Reading opposed by Nick Nelson, with first pitch at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on 610 ESPN and the Fightins radio network beginning at 6:30 p.m.
