(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin’ Phils (67-66, 37-27) continued their quest for their first playoff appearance in six seasons Wednesday night, as they defeated the Erie Seawolves (78-55, 42-23) by a score of 11-3 in the second game of a six-game set.
Reading saw Gage Wood toe the rubber for his final home regular season start. The 22-year-old prospect (Phillies No. 1) came into the game looking to follow up on arguably his most impressive outing to date, where he recorded a professional-best 10 strikeouts across four innings.
Wood started the game in rhythm, as he needed just 13 pitches and touched 96 mph to retire the first three Erie hitters all by way of groundout.
The second inning started like the first inning ended, with Wood recording another groundout. However, SeaWolves third baseman notched the first hit of the ballgame when he lined a two-strike slider sharply to right field for a single.
Due up next was SeaWolves designated hitter Chris Myers. Wood initially appeared to be in the driver's seat as he quickly got ahead 0-2. The righty tried for another two-strike slider which Myers skied to left-center field.
The ball initially appeared destined to stay in the ballpark, with Exposito opting to tag up in case it was caught. Evidently, Myers (9) got just enough of the ball on a night with a strong wind blowing out, as the ball touched down in the Fightin’ Phils bullpen to give Erie a 2-0 lead.
Aside from the lone blemish, it was another solid night for Wood. The young right hander went five innings, punched out five and didn’t allow a walk. It was the fourth time in five starts that Wood went five innings, with Wednesday's outing being the first instance with no free passes as well as his first professional win.
Looking to remove the zero from the hits column, Caleb Ricketts led off the Reading half of the third inning. After a back-and-forth at bat, the veteran catcher launched a ground-rule double off the Redners Event Center to give Reading its first hit of the day.
The reemergence of Ricketts has been a welcome sight for the playoff hopeful Fightin’ Phils. After his batting average sat at .192 at the end of July, a scorching hot August where he hit .344 over the month has quickly made Ricketts one of Reading’s most reliability hitters.
Not looking to leave Reading’s first baserunner stranded, Bryson Ware switched places with Ricketts when he hooked an RBI double down the left field line to cut the deficit in half.
When the bottom of the fourth started, Reading wasn’t done with Erie starter Lucas Elissalt. Aroon Escobar (10) led off the inning by hammering a 3-1 pitch that left the bat at 106 mph and did not land until it touched down 440 feet from home plate.
Adding to his RBI double in the prior frame, Ware (15) came up two batters later and muscled a ball off his hands to left field and into the wind, pushing the ball onto the left field bleachers to put Reading ahead 3-2.
Wednesday marked Ware’s 13th multi-RBI game of the season and the fourth since August 9th.
Reading kept the pressure on in the fifth inning. A Raylin Heredia walk followed singles by Dante Nori and Pedro Leon to load the bases. Erie reliever Colin Fields tried to escape the jam but walked third baseman Carson DeMartini to give Reading a 4-2 lead. Fields then hit Ricketts with two outs to extend the lead to three.
22-year-old southpaw Mavis Graves then picked up where Wood left off to start the sixth inning.
Graves has been nothing short of dominant since a late July move to the bullpen. After allowing two earned runs in his first relief appearance, Graves hasn’t given up an earned run in 12 straight appearances and has struck out 27 batters over that span.
Graves continued to mow down hitters on Wednesday night, needing just 17 pitches to go through four Erie batters.
Not satisfied with its three-run lead, Reading added on to its run tally for the fourth straight inning courtesy of back-to-back homers by Heredia (23) and DeMartini (8) to open the Fightin’ Phils lead to seven. Another bases loaded walk, this time by Bryan Rincon, put Reading into double digits.
After only hitting four home runs in August, Heredia has two in six days as both he and Rincon (24) look to pass recent Iron Pigs’ call up Alex Binelas (26) for the Eastern League lead.
Raider Tello added to the Reading blowout with an RBI single in the seventh.
Reading was able to coast on the back of the bullpen for the rest of the game, as Graves, Wen-Hui Pan, Jack Dallas and Aaron Combs combined to throw four innings of one-run ball to put the lopsided affair to rest.
Following Wednesday’s win and a Somerset loss, the Fightin’ Phils magic number to clinch a playoff berth sits at one.
Reading returns to the field on Thursday against the Erie SeaWolves at 6:45 p.m. RHP Luke Russo is scheduled to start for Reading, and he will go opposite RHP Kenny Serwa for Erie. 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 against the Erie Seawolves, Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Thursday will be a game-worn Throwback Jersey Auction/Raffle. Friday night is a Prost Oktoberfest Tribute with fireworks (Savage Auto Group). It will be another Prost Oktoberfest Tribute on Saturday, with Carpenter MEGA Blast Fireworks (Penske). The series and regular season end on Sunday with Dinosaur Day, featuring Interactive Dinosaur Exhibits.
If the Fightin Phils make the Eastern League Playoffs, they will open the first postseason series on Tuesday, September 15, against the Hartford Yard Goats, Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Reading's magic number is four, with six games to play.
Tickets to all games are available at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL, or in person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.
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