(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies Double-A affiliate) will welcome the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox Double-A affiliate) to FirstEnergy Stadium for the teams’ second series clash of the season. Portland took the first meeting of the season 5-1 at Hadlock Field from May 19-24.
The first 2,000 adult fans to show up to Tuesday’s contest will receive an R-Phils T-Shirt celebrating 60 seasons of affiliation. Active military and veteran personnel also get $3 off of box seats for this game. Wednesday’s game is a “Seinfeld” Tribute Night, including an appearance by actor John O’Hurley, who plays “J Peterman” in the series. Fans can get an autograph and photo with O’Hurley if they purchase a special ticket package. Thursday is the first fireworks game of the week, and the team will also be wearing its Reading Phillies Throwback Thursday uniforms. Friday is the second of back-to-back fireworks performances, and there will be meet and greet tickets available for those who want to meet radio personality JD Harmeyer. Saturday is the first drone show of the season at FirstEnergy Stadium, as Baseballtown will be celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The Fightins will also wear an America’s 250th anniversary themed jersey with a jersey auction and raffle available. Sunday is the team’s tribute to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” night. The first 2,000 kids to show up to the ballpark will get a Crazy Hot Dog Vendor Costume T-Shirt.
Reading (24-33) is coming off of a 5-1 series loss against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. The Fightins took the first game against the Ponies 3-0, as Braydon Tucker dialed up seven innings of shutout ball to lower his season ERA to 1.24. Binghamton then rattled off five straight wins, marking the Eastern League defending champions’ longest win streak of the season thus far. Austin Murr hit 2-for-5 to start the series, but he entered the IL after taking a pitch off of the hand in game two of the series. Bryson Ware hit .267 with a home run, a double, eight total bases and a .476 on-base percentage.
Despite dropping eight of the last nine matchups, the R-Phils’ pitching staff has continued to impress. They enter this homestand with the least amount of walks allowed (170) in the Eastern League by a wide margin. The team’s 4.34 earned run average is the third best mark in the league. Alex McFarlane, the Philadelphia Phillies’ no. 17 prospect, has lowered his season earned run average to 0.42. McFarlane hasn’t allowed an earned run since April 17.
Portland (29-27) is fresh off of a 3-3 series split with the Hartford Yard Goats, who hold a half-game lead in the Eastern League-Northeast Division. The Sea Dogs allowed seven or more runs in three of the last five games of the series, but they kept pace with Hartford at just a game and a half out of the division lead.
Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias leads the way for Portland. He has a .311 batting average, 13 home runs, 34 RBI and a .977 OPS. Arias hit .429 with three home runs, six runs batted in and 20 total bases against Reading in Mid-May. He also logged a 1.387 OPS in the team’s six-game showdown in Portland, Maine.
The pitching matchups for this week are as follows:
- Tuesday: RHP Anthony Eyanson (2-0, 2.00) vs. RHP Jean Cabrera (1-2, 12.21)
- Wednesday: RHP Blake Wehunt (2-3, 3.45) vs. RHP Braydon Tucker (5-3, 1.24)
- Thursday: LHP Dalton Rogers (0-0, 1.17) vs. RHP Gage Wood (0-1, 2.45)
- Friday: LHP Hayden Mullins (3-1, 3.79) vs. RHP Luke Russo (5-3, 3.77)
- Saturday: RHP Gage Ziehl (2-2, 4.98) vs. LHP Adam Seminaris (4-5, 3.07)
- Sunday: RHP John Holobetz (2-3, 5.32) vs. RHP Kyle Brnovich (1-5, 6.08)
The Red Sox top 30 prospects (per MLB.com) on the Sea Dogs’ roster are as follows:
- No. 1 - SS Franklin Arias
- No. 2 - RHP Anthony Eyanson
- No. 12 - RHP Join Holobetz
- No. 14 - LHP Hayden Mullins
- No. 15 - OF Miguel Bleis
- No. 19 - RHP Jedixson Paez
- No. 20 - RHP Gage Ziehl
- No. 21 - OF Nelly Taylor
- No. 26 - C Johanfran Garcia
- No. 28 - RHP Yordanny Monegro (IL*)
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.