(Reading, PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (26-33) defeated the Portland Sea Dogs (29-29) by a final score of 6-4. Reading played sound and simple baseball all night and now takes a 2-0 series lead over Portland.
Action started early on Wednesday evening, as Bryan Rincon made a spectacular diving catch on Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias for the first out of the game. Defense would be the name of the game multiple times for the Fightins on the night.
Reading came out swinging in their half of the first. Back to back hits from Bryan Rincon and Aroon Escobar set the table for Caleb Ricketts. Ricketts (3) delivered with a laser that hit the top of the Redner's Event Center to give the Fightins an early 3-0 lead. Ricketts has three homers through his first two games back in Baseballtown.
The R-Phils defense shined again, this time in the top of the third. Bryson Ware made a brilliant dive in left field and came up with the catch, preventing a run in the process.
Portland did however strike later in the inning through a Johanfran Garcia double off the wall in center field to trim the Reading lead to two.
Fightins starting pitcher Braydon Tucker calmed the storm in the fourth by striking out the side and swinging momentum back in favor of Reading.
That momentum was used in the bottom of the fifth. Erick Brito and Kehden Hettiger both swatted singles to get the inning started. Back to back singles from Escobar and Ricketts drove in the duo and gave Reading a 5-1 lead through the fifth.
The Sea Dogs fought back in the top of the eighth. Garcia again ripped a deep double to center field and allowed Arias to score from first and reduce the Fightin lead to three.
But Alex Binelas wanted the lead back to four. Binelas (11) smoked a line drive of a home run off the Redners Event Center to give Reading a 6-2 lead. Binelas’s home run was his first since May 6th, breaking over a month-long drought without a long ball.
Aaron Combs entered in the ninth for the R-Phils but walked the bases loaded. Rincon was unable to collect a ground ball, resulting in a run scored with the bases remaining loaded. Rincon bounced back the next play making a great stop to keep the ball in the infield and get the second out of the inning, while another run scored making it 6-4 in favor of Reading.
Combs would calm his nerves and strike out Garcia to escape the jam, and give the Fightins a 6-4 win.
Tucker (6-3) picked up the win on the night. The righty went six strong allowing four hits and one run while striking out six. Tucker still holds an outstanding 1.26 ERA following his start.
Blake Wehunt (2-4) took the loss on the day. Wehunt went 4.2 innings allowing seven hits and five runs. His ERA rises to 4.32 as a result.
Brito, Escobar and Ricketts all had two hits on the night for the Fightin Phils, with Brito adding a stolen base to his stat line. Ricketts has collected ten RBI in just two games since his return to AA Reading.
The Fightin Phils return to the field on Thursday against the Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, at 7 p.m. RHP Gage Wood will get the start on the mound for Reading, and he will go opposite LHP Dalton Rogers for Portland. Pregame radio coverage is underway at 6:40 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 return home for a two-week homestand from Tuesday, June 9, through Sunday, June 21, opening with a six-game series against the Portland Sea Dogs (June 9–14).
Thursday and Friday both include fireworks, sponsored by PA Virtual Charter School and Firetree LTD. (Thursday), and Silverline Trailers – Pottstown (Friday). Saturday night brings the first postgame drone show of the season, celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary, presented by Penn State Health St. Joseph. The series wraps up Sunday with a Crazy Hot Dog Vendor Costume T-Shirt giveaway, thanks to Berks Packing.
Tickets to all games are available at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL, or in-person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.
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.