(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies, Double-A) are playing host to the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates, Double-A) for a three-game set in the first week of July. Reading and Altoona will face off for the last three times in the 2026 regular season after the Fightins won the six-game set 4-2.
On Friday, Wrestling Hall of Famer “Lita” will be at the stadium with a free autograph session available. There are also ticket packages available with a limited edition “Lita” Bobble Head, VIP Meet and Greet Packages available and a Post-Game Regional Championship Wrestling match. This will also be the first of back-to-back postgame firework show nights. The first 2,000 adults to attend Saturday’s game will get a Dickie Noles R-Phils Bobblehead before a mega blast fireworks show following the second contest of the weekend. Sunday is an R-Phils Bring Your Camera Player Photo Session for kids, as the event will take place at 4 PM. All fans get to run the bases right after the game as well.
Reading (11-7, 41-46) is fresh off of a 4-2 series win over the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees, Double-A) last week. Alex Binelas led the charge, hitting a team-best .368 (7-for-19) against the Patriots with three extra base hits. This included his team-leading 19th home run of the season on Thursday, a homer that traveled 488 feet off of Binelas’ bat. Kehden Hettiger hit .357, logging a pair of doubles and with a .474 on-base percentage.
Reading’s offense has blossomed as of late, and the Fightins currently hold the second-most home runs (115) in the Eastern League. Al Pedrique’s squad hit a total of 118 a year ago. The R-Phils have also drawn the second-most amount of walks (49) in the month of July.
Raylin Heredia has 17 home runs, 50 runs batted in and a team-best 26 doubles on the season. Heredia has 44 extra base hits over the course of 86 games. Phillies top 30 prospects Gage Wood and Wen-Hui Pan just participated in the Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park last week as well.
Altoona (7-11, 38-49) just earned a series split with the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants, Double-A) last week. Third baseman Ryan McCarty 5-for-13 on the week, logging a double, a run batted in and a walk. Center fielder Will Taylor tallied both of the team’s triples last series to help the Curve draw even with the first-half champion Squirrels.
Field Manager Andy Fox’s pitching staff has been improving, as they allowed just 23 runs last week’s six-game set (3.8 per game). They have, however, relinquished the highest earned run average (5.22) in the Eastern League. The Curve have stayed disciplined on offense, drawing a league-best 396 walks.
Titus Dumitru paces the Curve on offense, leading them in home runs (12) and runs batted in (41). Dumitru has played 76 games for the Pirates’ Double-A affiliate this year.
The pitching matchups for this week are as follows:
- Friday: LHP Dominic Perachi (1-2, 4.41) vs. RHP Luke Russo (8-4, 4.26)
- Saturday: RHP Peyton Stumbo (1-8, 5.84) vs. LHP Adam Seminaris (8-5, 2.65)
- Sunday: RHP Matt Ager (4-1, 4.25) vs. RHP Gage Wood (0-2, 3.42)
The Pirates top 30 prospects (per MLB.com) on the Fisher Cats roster are as follows:
- No. 26 - Duce Gourson - 2B/3B/1B
- No. 28 - Callan Moss - 1B
- No. 30 - Lonnie White Jr. - OF
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.