Reading Welcomes New Hampshire For Action-Packed Fourth Of July Week
Fightins Take Four-Game Win Streak Into Series Against Fisher Cats
(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies Double-A) are playing host to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays Double-A) for a six-game set in the first week of July. Reading and New Hampshire are both involved in a three-way tie atop the division with 4-2 second half records.
The first 1,500 fans of 21 years or older will get a Yuengling R-Phils T-Shirt on Tuesday. Veterans also get $3 off of box office seats for this contest thanks to Elliker Financial LLC. Wednesday was a Princess Tribute with Co-Branded “Princess” merchandise available. The Fightins are also wearing Military Appreciation jerseys. Fans can honor their loved one with their name on a player’s jersey for free when a group of 20 or more attends the game. Thursday is the first of three straight fireworkers shows, and there will also be a beer tasting festival at the deck. Friday will be a Mega Blast Fireworks show with a jersey auction and raffle. Saturday is July fourth, and it’s the second straight Mega Blast Fireworks show. It’ll be the final of three games that the R-Phils wear the 20th Celebration jerseys. Sunday will wrap up the six-game set with New Hampshire and the first 2,000 kids will get a Trey Yesavage Hometown Hero Bobble Head. Yesavage played at Boyertown and pitched for Toronto in the 2025 World Series.
Reading (4-2, 34-41) is fresh off of a 4-2 road series win against the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A). After dropping the first two contests, the Fightins scored 39 runs in what is a season-best four-game win streak. Al Pedrique’s offense generated at least seven runs in every game, including a 14-run performance on Saturday that included six home runs in one game. Luke Ritter (2), Alex Binelas, Raylin Heredia, Bryan Rincon and Bryson Ware all went yard, giving the Fightin Phils their most home runs in a game since 2018, when they throttled six long balls against Portland.
Reading’s offense has exploded in the month of June, as the team has the most home runs (36) of any Eastern League team since the calendar flipped. The Phillies' Double-A affiliate is also second in stolen bases (38), walks (118) and fourth in runs scored.
Alex Binelas leads all Fightins hitters with 18 home runs and 47 RBI. He’s tied with 2025 Eastern League MVP Felix Reyes for most round-trippers of any Phillies minor leaguer. Binelas and Raylin Heredia are tied for second in the Eastern League in home runs this month with eight apiece. Heredia also holds a tie for first in Double-A with 22 doubles this season.
New Hampshire (4-2, 38-35) just claimed a 4-2 home series win over the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees Double-A). The Fisher Cats pitching staff was superb, allowing just 24 runs all week (4.0 runs/game) and holding the Patriots to three runs or less on three occasions. Starting pitcher Gage Stanifer dazzled, tossing six innings of one-run ball while allowing just three hits, one walks and striking out nine (tied for a season-best). The Cats have battled through a high turnover rate, losing stars like Sean Keys (MLB debut last week), Jace Bohrofen (60-day IL), Jay Harry (Triple-A promotion) and more in recent weeks.
Field Manager John Tamargo Jr. has a well-rounded offense built on consistency. The Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate is second in the Eastern League in doubles (139) third in batting average (.257), and third in on-base percentage (.347).
Victor Arias has been heating up for New Hampshire. He’s hitting .291 while leading the team in home runs (4) and runs batted in (14) in the month of June. Arias has a hit in eight of the last nine games and had a standout performance in last week’s series lid-lifter. The 22-year-old Venezuela native went 3-for-4 with two runs, a home run, three RBI and eight total bases.
The pitching matchups for this week are as follows:
- Tuesday: RHP Nolan Perry (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Gage Wood (0-1, 3.92)
- Wednesday: RHP Gage Stanifer (3-5, 4.00) vs. RHP Luke Russo (7-3, 4.00)
- Thursday: RHP Austin Cates (1-2, 4.91) vs. RHP Jean Cabrera (2-4, 8.91)
- Friday: RHP Danny Thompson (0-0, 0.64) vs. RHP Braydon Tucker (6-4, 2.40)
- Saturday: RHP Jackson Wentworth (4-4, 4.31) vs. LHP Adam Seminaris (6-5, 2.55)
- Sunday: RHP Chris McElvain (3-3, 6.14) vs. TBA
The Blue Jays top 30 prospects (per MLB.com) on the Fisher Cats roster are as follows:
- No. 5 - Gage Stanifer (RHP)
- No. 10 - Victor Arias (OF)
- No. 15 - Nolan Perry (RHP)
- No. 16 - Fernando Perez (RHP)*
- No. 22 - Javen Cleman (LHP)
- No. 23 - Cutter Coffey (3B/2B)
- No. 25 - Danny Thompson Jr. (RHP)
- No. 29 - Adrian Pinto (UTIL)*
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.