The Flying Squirrels (33-47) waited through a 90 minute rain delay on Saturday, only to drop both ends of a doubleheader to the Fightin Phils (48-30) at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Richmond lost 9-6 in the suspended game from Friday and were shutout in the night cap, 3-0. The shutout was the 10th of the season for the Richmond offense, moving the team to a season-low 14 games below .500. Game two wrapped up at 11:49 p.m. with Reading closer Victor Aranp earning the save. Game three of the series is scheduled for Sunday evening at 6:35 p.m.
The restart to Friday’s suspended contest was delayed another 90 minutes due to rain, eventually being resumed at 6:45 on Saturday. The game started back up in the second inning with Alexis Rivero on the mound for Reading and Nate Reed pitching for Richmond. Richmond grasped a short-lived 4-1 lead off of Rivero in the third. San Francisco Giants rehabbing third baseman Eduardo Nunez ignited the rally by reaching on an error. Slade Heathcott singled and Myles Schroder walked to load the bases. K.C. Hobson then delivered a two-run single and Brandon Bednar dropped down an RBI bunt base hit.
Reed scuffled in his first start for Richmond, lasting just 4.2 innings in the defeat. Reading pushed across a run in the second and three more in the third to tie the game.
The Phils took the lead in the fifth inning off of Reed. Angelo Mora doubled to begin the inning and scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Kyle Martin. Reading added four more runs in the sixth to pull a ahead 9-4 and force Reed from the contest. Reed allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 11 hits. He struck out two and walked two in his first game with Richmond.
Reading’s Rivero (3-1) earned the win with 3.1 innings of relief work. The Reading bullpen managed to keep Richmond of the board until the ninth inning. The Squirrels plated a pair of runs in the ninth and brought the tying run the to plate against Yacksel Rios. K.C. Hobson flew out to deep left field to end the game. Slade Heathcott had three hits to lead the Squirrels nine hit attack.
Prior to the rain, Slade Heathcott opened up the series on Friday with a home run in the first at bat of the game. Heathcott drilled a two-strike pitch off of Reading RHP Tommy Bergjans. The homer flew off the yellow home run line in left centerfield and bounced back into play, resulting in an argument and ensuing ejection to Reading manager Gregg Legg.
Squirrels righty Jose Flores worked a quick first inning for Richmond to start the game on Frida before a downpour of rain arrived in the second inning with two outs. The game was delayed at 7:32 p.m., and eventually called at 9:11 p.m.
Game 2
Reading and Richmond started the night cap on Saturday at 10 p.m. due to the delayed first contest. Jarret Martin made the spot start for the Squirrels and was touched up for a run in the second inning. Jiandido Tromp worked a walk to start the inning and motored to third an a base hit to right. Nick Rickles then grounded into a double play, scoring Tromp from third for a 1-0 advantage.
Martin worked two innings in his first start since 2015. The lefty allowed one run on two hits. He walked one and struck out two in the defeat
Yordy Cabrera relieved Martin to begin the third inning and allowed a pair of runs. Zach Coppola connected on a one-out double and Drew Stankiewicz walked with one out. Reading managed to pull ahead 3-0 on consecutive RBI singles from Angelo Mora and Harold Martinez. Cabrera lasted just one inning.
Cody Hall loaded the bases in the fourth, but escaped without incident and Vic Black entered to pitch the fifth. Black, making his Richmond debut, tossed a scoreless frame. Tyler Cyr added a scoreless inning in the sixth.
Phils RHP Ranfi Casimiro (1-0) held Richmond to just two hits over six innings to earn the win.
Support AFP
Share
Chris Graham
