Sea Dogs slump continues with loss at Reading
Reading, Pa. – The Reading Fightin Phils snapped a brief slump with a 6‑4 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs at FirstEnergy Stadium Wednesday night, thanks largely to a powerful first‑inning blast from newly arrived Caleb Ricketts.
Ricketts, who was reassigned to Reading from Triple‑A Lehigh Valley after hitting .173 with four home runs there, launched a three‑run home run off Blake Wehunt in the opening frame. The shot gave Reading an early lead and marked his third homer in two games since the demotion. He added a grand slam and a two‑run shot the previous night, driving in four runs total over the stretch.
Portland answered in the third when Johanfran Garcia doubled home Marvin Alcantara, beginning a productive evening for the Sea Dogs infielder. Garcia finished 3‑for‑5 with two RBI, adding another double in the eighth that plated Franklin Arias. He struck out in the ninth with two runners on, but Portland still managed to chip away at the deficit later in the inning.
Reading extended its advantage in the eighth when former Sea Dogs player Alex Binelas crushed a solo home run, making the score 6‑2. Portland then tacked on two runs via an error and a fielder’s choice after Garcia’s strikeout, narrowing the gap to 6‑4, but the Fightin Phils held on for the win.
The loss drops Portland to 29‑29 overall and marks its fifth defeat in the last six games. Reading improves its standing with the victory, bolstered by the immediate impact of Ricketts’ power surge since his arrival.
