Sea Dogs End Scoring Drought in 9-2 Win

(Reading, PA) - Despite Reading's dominance against Portland last season, the Sea Dogs finished with a winning record at FirstEnergy Stadium. And despite their lack of offense in their weekend sweep at the hands of the Thunder, the Sea Dogs turned things around on Monday night in Baseballtown. Two big innings for the offense carried 2017 first round pick Tanner Houck to a 9-2 win, and the Fightins fell to 5-4 with two games left on their first homestand.
On a cold, nasty night to pitch, Houck and his counterpart David Parkinson battled the elements early on. With both teams hitless through the first two innings, the 'Dogs got a leadoff walk from Joseph Monge in the top of the third. He'd move up to second on a wild pitch, and after another walk to Jeremy Rivera with two outs, the visitors delivered three straight two out RBI hits for a 4-0 lead.
The Fightins came through with a quick counterpunch in the home half, getting singles from Adam Haseley , Mickey Moniak , and Darick Hall to get a run back and trim the deficit to 4-1. Portland then responded against Parkinson (1-1) during his final inning in the fifth, with an error and a passed ball opening the door for Red Sox top prospect Bobby Dalbec to deliver his second run producing hit with a single.
Portland widened the lead in the sixth with four hits in total, including RBI knocks from Rivera and shortstop C.J. Chatham to go up 8-1. An error made all three runs unearned, but the Sea Dogs had one more in them when Josh Tobias picked up his third hit and second double to drive in the ninth and final run in the seventh.
The R-Phils clogged the bases all night, generating eight walks in addition to their eight base hits. They'd score their last run in the sixth off lefthander Daniel McGrath , who paid for a leadoff walk to Cornelius Randolph when designated hitter Josh Stephen singled him home on a 2-for-4 night that included a double. Hall and Moniak also finished with two hits each, and Kyle Dohy finished the game in relief for Reading with two hitless innings and three strikeouts.
America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region. Season tickets for the 2019 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at the Weidenhammer Ticket Office at FirstEnergy Stadium. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins, Instagram at @fightins, and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins.