(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (6-4, 36-43) took a 12-4 loss against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (6-4, 39-38) at FirstEnergy Stadium. The series now sits at two games apiece.
New Hampshire got the scoring started in the second inning, as Carter Cunningham whacked an RBI double to score Eddie Micheletti Jr. and get the Cats on the board. This gave the Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate a 1-0 lead.
John Tamargo Jr.'s squad kept the train rolling in the third, as Jorge Burgos (5) swatted a two-run home run to left center field. He scored Victor Arias, the Jays’ 10th ranked prospect, in the process to push New Hampshire to a 3-0 advantage.
The Cats tacked on two more runs in the fourth, tallying at least a run in three straight stanzas. Nick Goodwin clubbed an RBI double, plating Cade Doughty. Arias then sent Goodwin trotting home on a double of his own, swelling the visitors’ lead to 5-0.
Reading started its uphill charge in the bottom half of the inning, as Pedro León (5) crushed a solo home run to left field. Raylin Heredia pushed a single through the infield before Alex Binelas hit a 416-foot double off the bricks of the Redner’s Event Center to score him. Binelas went on to score on a wild pitch to cut the Cats’ lead to 5-3.
The Fightins had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but the Fisher Cats’ defense left the frame unscathed.
New Hampshire then loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the sixth inning. Reading reliever Jack Dallas struck out Arias for the first out before he got Burgos to ground into an inning-ending double play to return the favor.
The R-Phils capitalized on the momentum in the bottom of the sixth, as Heredia (16) pulled a no-doubt solo home run to left field. This cut the lead to 5-4.
The Fisher Cats found some insurance runs in the eighth inning, as Arias lined a bases-clearing double to center field. Arias’ extra base hits plated Jackson Hornung, Doughty and Nick Goodwin. This made the game 8-4.
New Hampshire tacked on four more runs in the final frame. Micheletti Jr. (11) homered to right field. Goodwin doubled home Cunningham and Cutter Coffey scores. An Arias RBI groundout, pushing Hornung home, advanced the Cats lead to 11-4.
Alex Amalfi (3-6) got the win, tossing 2.2 innings of one-run ball with a pair of hits and a pair of strikeouts.
Braydon Tucker (6-5) took the loss, firing 3.1 innings of five-run ball on nine hits with a pair of walks.
Arias led all Fisher Cats hitters, going 3-for-6 with a run scored and a team-best five RBI.
Binelas logged a 3-for-4 performance, scoring a run and hitting home a run on the night. He also extended his on-base streak to a team-best 23 games.
Reading still leads the season series 9-7, and there’s a three-way tie atop the Eastern League-Northeast standings. Reading, New Hampshire and the Portland Sea Dogs all hold a 6-4 second half record.
The Fightin Phils return to the field on Saturday against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, at 6:45 p.m. LHP Adam Seminaris will start for Reading, and he will go opposite RHP Jackson Wentworth for New Hampshire. Pregame radio coverage is underway at 6:25 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, July 5, against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Saturday features a Carpenter MEGA Blast Fireworks Show, sponsored by Dog Training Elite. The series ends on Sunday with a Trey Yesavage Hometown Hero Bobblehead for the first 2,000 kids, thanks to AD Moyer Lumber and Hardware. 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.