R-Phils, Threshers win

Reading has seen an influx of players the last few days. Mike Spidale has been reassigned from Lehigh Valley, Scott Mathieson has made the step up from Clearwater on his rehab journey, replacing Jason Mackintosh, who went on the DL, and with Kevin Nelson going up to AAA to take Lou Marson's roster spot with the IronPigs, Orlando Guevara has joined the team.

There was also a game last night and Reading hung on for a 6-5 win over Portland. Mike Stutes was the starter and battled his way through 5 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, receiving no decision. Chance Chapman got the victory, and is now 5-1 and seems to have settled in. Sergio Escalona got 5 outs, recording a "hold", and Mike Zagurski got his 8th save, despite giving up a 2-run homer to Portland's Jon Still in the 9th.

Brian Staviski (.273) had a double, 2 home runs, a walk, 2 RBI, and scored 4 runs to lead the Phillies. Reading is 57-46, tied for a playoff spot with Erie, half a game ahead of Bowie.

In Clearwater, the Threshers defeated the Mets, 4-3 behind 8 strong innings from Drew Naylor. Drew picked up his 6th win of the year, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, all the runs scoring on 2 home runs, and struck out 9 on the day. The Threshers had 7 hits from 7 different players, with Steve Susdorf's 8th inning single bringing home Arlon Quiroz with the game winning run.

Clearwater is now 17-14 in the second half (49-48 overall), 4.5 games behind Tampa.

Despite home runs from Travis d'Arnaud and Anthony Gose, and another good outing from Jesus Sanchez, the Lakewood BlueClaws dropped the finale of their road trip, 6-5 to Greenville after having established a 5-1 advantage. Sanchez was excellent for 5, but ran into trouble in the 6th and was eventually charged with 3 runs. Jordan Ellis had a rough go of it, allowing 3 runs in just 1.2 innings of work to suffer his 2nd defeat of the year. Harold Garcia had 2 hits for the BlueClaws, and stole his 32nd base. Gose stole his 57th, and is poised to break the record on the upcoming 9-game home stand!!

Lakewood is now 18-15 in the second half, in the middle of a free-for-all in the Northern Division in which 7 teams are within 3 games of each other, and will have an off-day today, opening a series with Hickory on Friday.