Yard Goats Claim Wire to Wire Victory over Fightin Phils

BOX SCORE

(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (28-37) fell to the Hartford Yard Goats (37-27) by a final score of 10-2 on Wednesday. Reading trails Hartford 2-0 in the series after dropping the first two games.

Hartford struck first in the top of the second through home runs on back-to-back pitches through Conner Capel and Bryant Betancourt. The pair of home runs were the first allowed by Fightins starter Brayden Tucker in over a month.

The Yard Goats tacked on another in the top of third inning via a Braylen Wimmer RBI single to right field to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.

Reading plated their first run in the bottom of the fourth. Walks from Aroon Escobar and Bryson Ware allowed for Luke Ritter to collect his first hit for the Fightin Phils and trim the lead to two. Ritter finished going 2-3, finding himself on base three times with a double and a walk.

The R-Phils cut into the lead again in the bottom of the fifth. Escobar ripped a single through the ride side to plate Jordan Dissin and reduce the lead to one. Goats reliever Fidel Ulloa was called on and managed to escape the jam. That would be the final run the Reading offense could produce on the night.

Capel was back at it in the top of the sixth, belting a two run home run, his second of the game. Hartford added on two more runs on base hits from Dyan Jorge and Cole Messina to make the lead 7-2.

The scoreboard would go quiet for the next three innings until Capel stepped up to the plate again and ripped his third home run of the night, giving the visitors a 10-2 lead. Capel finished the night going 3-for-4 with three home runs and six RBI.

Jack Dallas and Saul Teran both pitched scorless innings out of the bullpen for the Fightins, each picking up a strikeout.

Ulloa (3-1) got the win with his work out of the Yard Goat bullpen. The 23-year-old went 1.2 innings allowing one hit and striking out two.

Tucker (6-4) is given the loss. The righty tossed 5.2 innings allowing eight hits and five earned runs while striking out six. It is his first loss since May 19th against Portland.

Bryan Rincon extended his on base streak with a walk in the seventh inning. It now sits at 16 games.

The Fightins stranded at least one runner in every inning except the second in tonight's contest, totaling 13 men left stranded.

The Fightin Phils return to the field on Thursday against the Hartford Yard Goats, Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, at 7 p.m. RHP Gage Wood will start for Reading, and he will go against RHP Jackson Cox for Hartford. Pregame radio coverage is underway at 6:40 p.m. on the Reading Fightin Phils Radio Network. A video stream is available via MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.

The Fightin Phils remain home through Sunday against the Hartford Yard Goats. Thursday and Friday both feature fireworks, sponsored by Your Local Kia Dealers on Thursday and Love It Here, Go Local on Friday. Saturday is a Carpenter MEGA Blast Fireworks show, thanks to RM Palmer Company. The series and homestand end on Sunday with the first 3,000 men 18 & older receiving a Father's Day Golf Shirt Celebrating 60 Seasons of Phillies Affiliation, thanks to Redner's Markets & Quick Stops, "Preferred Grocery Store of the R-Phils."

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 2026 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.