(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies, Double-A) are starting the Eastern League Championship Series on the road against the Erie SeaWolves (Detroit Tigers, Double-A) in a best-of-three set. Game one is at UPMC Park in Erie, while games two and three (if necessary) will take place at FirstEnergy Stadium. This is the first time the Fightin Phils have made it to the championship series since 2015.
Sweeping The First Round
The Fightins took care of business against the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies, Double-A) in the Eastern League Divisional Series. The R-Phils grabbed game one at home this last Tuesday, throttling the Yard Goats by a score of 21-4.
Hartford scored the first three runs of the playoff opener in the top of the second inning before Reading blasted off for 12 runs to take a lead they would never give back. It was the first time Reading scored 12 or more runs in an inning since the 2007 team put up 13 in what was also a 21-4 victory.
The 21 runs set a franchise record for the most runs scored in a playoff game, and it allowed the Fightins to travel on the road with two chances to advance. Bryan Rincon shined in the opener, driving home five runs was the most RBI by a Fightin Phil in a playoff game since Derrick Mitchell had 5 RBI in an 11-2 win over New Hampshire on Sept. 9, 2011.
The Fightins then packed their bags and headed north to Hartford, Conn. to immediately salvage the opportunity. Reading took a 5-4 win with Estibenzon Jimenez firing a five-out save to help push the team to the ELCS.
“These kids are unbelievable,” fourth year manager Al Pedrique said after the win. This is Reading’s first postseason apparance under Pedrique, a veteran leader who last won a title with the Scranton/Wilks-Barre Railriders in 2016.
A Well-Rounded Roster
Rincon (Phillies No. 4 prospect, baseball’s No. 100) has been a mainstay atop Pedrique’s lineup. He drilled a career-best 26 homers this year while pacing the offense in stolen bags with 30. Before this season, Rincon hadn’t played 100 games in a professional season. This year, he done just that while surging up the team’s prospect rankings.
Carson DeMartini (Phillies No. 23 prospect) has been a model of consistency for the Fightins offense over a pair of playoff games. The Virginia Tech alum has gone 4-for-7 with five runs, a double and three walks.
Aidan Miller (Phillies No. 2 prospect, baseball’s No. 58) is back in action after returning from a nearly season-long back injury. Miller is 2-for-7 with a pair of runs batted in and four walks in postseason play. His RBI single in the fifth inning of Thursday’s contest extended the R-Phils lead in a wire-to-wire victory.
Aroon Escobar (Phillies No. 6 prospect) has really come alive as of late, hitting .372 with a .460 on-base percentage in regular season play for the month of September. The 21-year-old’s two-run home run in game one of last week’s series started the team’s historic 21-run onslaught.
Gage Wood (Phillies No. 1, baseball's No. 30), Dante Nori (Phillies No. 7), Cody Bowker (Phillies No. 14), Wen-Hui Pan (Phillies No. 20) and Mavis Graves (Phillies No. 26) are all top prospects on the team’s Double-A roster as well.
By The Numbers
The pitching matchups for this week are as follows:
- Sunday: RHP Luke Russo (11-8, 4.30 ERA) vs. LHP Joe Miller (3-1, 3.88 ERA)
- Tuesday: TBA vs. RHP Lucas Elissalt (0-2, 5.09 ERA)
- Wednesday: TBA* vs. Kenny Serwa* (9-9, 4.31 ERA) *if necessary
The Tigers’ top 30 prospects (per MLB.com) on the SeaWolves roster are as follows:
- No. 1 - Zyhir Hope - OF
- No. 14 - Thayron Liranzo - C/1B
- No. 25 - Lucas Elissalt - RHP
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.