Reading Falls in Game One Slugfest

BOX SCORE

(Reading, PA) - 15 hits for the Reading Fightin Phils were not enough to get the victory over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies as they fell 10-8 on Tuesday night.

Victor Vargas struggled out of the gate for Reading, allowing two runs in the first inning. Matt Rudick started off the inning with a walk. Rowdy Jordan would capitalize and hit a monster homerun to right field, giving Binghamton the early lead 2-0.

The Fightin Phils battled right back into the game in the bottom of the inning. Madison Stokes led off with a walk. Carlos De La Cruz followed with an infield hit. Johan Rojas hit an infield single of his own to load the bases up early. Reading got on the board thanks to Oliver Dunn. A double from Dunn scored Stokes and De La Cruz to tie things up at 2-2. Matthew Kroon added one more with a sacrifice fly, which scored Rojas to give Reading the lead 3-2.

Binghamton took back the lead in the third inning. The Rumble Ponies started the third inning the same as the first, with a walk from Rowdey Jordan. Luke Ritter followed with a triple to score Jordan to tie the game at three. Binghamton added another thanks to Brandon McIlwain. A sacrifice fly scored Ritter to give the lead back to the Rumble Ponies 4-3.

The Fightin Phils kept the bats going in the fourth. Matthew Kroon led off with a single to center field. Nick Podkul followed with a single of his own, moving Kroon to third. Cam Cannon got himself back on track in a big way. A double to left field scored both Kroon and Podkul to give Reading back the lead 5-4.

Reading would not keep the lead for long. Jordan once again walked to start things off in the fifth for Binghamton. Mcllwain stayed hot with another RBI, this time with a double to left field. This scored Jordan to tie the game at five a piece.

Jose Alvarado was the first man out of the bullpen for the Fightin Phils in the sixth. This was Alvarado's second rehab appearance after previously pitching for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs last week. Although the velocity was strong, Alvarado was unable to keep Binghamton off base. Joe Suozzi got after Alvarado first with a double. Suozzi later moved to third off on a ground out. Wyatt Young was next to the party with a triple to score Suozzi, making it 6-5 Rumble Ponies. Jordan followed with a double to score Wyatt to make it 7-5 Binghamton.

Reading added another run in the seventh. Marcel Renteria came in for relief for Rumble Ponies starting pitcher Junior Santos. Johan Rojas singled, and later stole second base. After Rojas moved to third on a ground ball, a wild pitch would score Rojas to make it 7-6 Binghamton.

The Rumble Ponies blew things open in the top of the eighth. After Matt Seelinger would keep Binghamton scoreless in the seventh, Adam Leverett was next to come in for relief. Binghamton would get the bats going quick, with two singles from Matt O’Neill and Rudick. Ritter would clear the bases with a homerun to extend the lead to 10-6.

Reading came back fighting in the bottom half of the inning. Cannon would stay hot with a single. Stokes followed that up with a double to move Cannon over to third. Reading added two thanks to Rojas. A single would score Cannon and Stokes to make it 10-8 Rumble Ponies.

Ultimately this was not enough to get Reading back into the game. Binghamton pitcher Dylan Hall came in the ninth to close things out and give the win to the Rumble Ponies 10-8. Hall earned his second save of the season.

Junior Santos earned the win for Binghamton to improve to 3-4 this season, while Alvarado suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year in double-A. With the win, Binghamton improves to 24-27 on the season, while Reading drops to 20-31 with the loss.

Reading continues this week's six-game series, and 12-game homestand, tomorrow night at 7 p.m. RHP Tyler Phillips is scheduled to start for Reading, opposite Binghamton RHP Jose Chacin. You can listen to the game, with pregame coverage underway at 6:45 p.m. at rphils.com/radio. Video is also available at MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.

Wednesday features a surprise character appearance (name rhymes with Noana). Thursday, Friday and Saturday feature postgame fireworks, with Saturday being a Carpenter MEGA Blast Show, the largest fireworks show in stadium history. Finally, Sunday will include a Reading Hot Dogs Pennant giveaway. Tickets to all games are available at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL or in-person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.

The 2023 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.

Notes:

• Johan Rojas recorded four hits for the second time this season. His last four-hit game came on May 5 at Hartford
• Matthew Kroon also recorded four hits for Reading tonight, a season-high for Kroon. It was the third time in Kroon's career he had four hits in a game, and first since Sept. 4, 2021, with Reading at Hartford
• Rojas and Kroon combined to go 8-9 for Reading tonight, while the rest of the lineup combined to go 7-30
• Nick Podkul recorded two hits, marking his eighth multi-hit game of the season. Podkul has now reached base in 22-of-23 games he's played in this season
• With a hit tonight, Carlos De La Cruz extended his on-base streak to 22 games and hit streak to 13 games