(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (50-52, 20-13) fell 9-3 to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (38-64, 11-22) on Sunday evening. Reading managed to win the series 4-2, but Binghamton took two of the final three contests at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Binghamton scored in the first inning, as Mets’ no. 5 prospect Mitch Voit (1) lifted the first pitch of the game into the left field bleacher seats. The Ponies led 1-0 after the first half frame.
The Rumble Ponies doubled up the lead in the second frame. Kevin Perada grounded into a fielder’s choice, and a throwing error scored Billy Amick to push Binghamton’s advantage to 2-0.
Neither side scored in the third stanza, but the Mets’ Double-A affiliate notched another double in the fourth on a two-RBI double from Voit. Voit’s double scored both Matt Rudick and Wyatt Young. John Bay followed suit with an RBI double of his own, plating Voit on the play. This pushed the score to 5-0.
Reading retaliated in the bottom of the fourth, as Alex Binelas rolled a ground ball up the right side of the infield to score Pedro León. Aroon Escobar followed up, pushing a single up the middle to plate Raylin Heredia and make the game 5-2.
The Fightins loaded the bases in the fifth, and Binelas walked to score Raider Tello. That cut the deficit to two.
Neither side scored for the next pair of innings before Voit stepped up just a double shy of the cycle. Voit clobbered his fourth hit to center field, sending both D’Andre Smith and Young sprinting home. Chris Suero (14) followed up, hitting a two-run home run to right-center field to score Voit. This extended the lead to 9-3, where it would stay.
Danis Correa (8-3) got the win for the Ponies, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts in a pair of innings.
Reese Dutton (1-1) took the loss for the R-Phils, tossing four innings of five-run ball (four earned) with a pair of punchouts.
Voit finished the day 4-for-5 with three runs, a homer, two doubles and five RBI.
León logged a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two doubles.
The Fightins still hold a one-game lead atop the Eastern League-Northeast Division with 36 contests to go.
Reading returns to the field on Tuesday at the Richmond Flying Squirrels at 7:05 p.m.A video stream is available via MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.
The Fighitn Phils return home from Tuesday, August 11, through Sunday, August 16 against the Chesapeake Baysox, Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. On Tuesday, the first 2,500 adults receive a Rocky Colavito Baseballtown Hall of Fame Reading Indians Bobble Head, thanks to FirstEnergy. Wednesday is SU2C "Stand Up To Cancer" and Fightin Cancer Night with the R-Phils Wearing Fightin Cancer Jerseys. Thursday and Friday both feature fireworks, with Thursday's show sponsored by Recovery Awareness Night thanks to Berks Counseling Center and SOS Berks and Friday's by PSECU. Saturday is the 28th Annual Harley Night with a R-Phils Harley Game Cap Giveaway for the first 2,500 adults, along with postgame fireworks, thanks to American Crane and Equipment Corporation. The series ends Sunday with a R-Phils Team Photo for the first 2,000 kids with a pre-game player autograph session for kids at 4 PM, thanks to Berkshire Hathaway.
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.