New Hampshire silenced at Reading

Reading, Pa. – Phillies No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter stole the show on Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium, throwing 5.0 shutout innings with nine strikeouts. New Hampshire (22-39, 53-77) fell behind early and lost, 11-0, to the Reading Fightin Phils (29-32, 57-73).

Painter (W, 2-0), 19, threw 15 pitches or less in the each of the first three innings, facing the minimum nine batters in that span. Cam Eden had two of New Hampshire’s three hits off Reading’s starter, but the Fisher Cats couldn’t drive in any runs.

The right-hander finished with nine strikeouts. He punched out the side in the second inning on just 10 pitches.

Fisher Cats starter Paxton Schultz (L, 7-6) was impressive on the other side. He struck out seven batters in 4.2 innings, allowing four earned runs. Reading had three two-out RBI hits off Schultz. Kevin Vicuna, who played for New Hampshire last season, brought in a run with a two-out single in the first.

In the bottom of the third, McCarthy Tatum and Herbert Iser added back-to-back two-out RBI doubles. The Fightin Phils led, 4-0, heading into the fourth inning.

New Hampshire had five hits, but runners left on base were an issue. The Fisher Cats loaded the bases after a leadoff double from Cam Eden in the fourth inning and did not score. In the seventh, Phil Clarke doubled, and Will Robertson walked, setting up runners on first and second with no outs.

One batter later, the Fisher Cats grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play.

Friday was that kind of night for New Hampshire. They left six runners on base and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Tatum and Iser, the same duo that hit back-to-back doubles in the third, crushed back-to-back homers in the seventh. The duo of Tatum and Iser were a combined 5-for-8 with four runs, three doubles, two homers and seven RBIs. Reading scored seven runs across their final two innings at the plate to stretch their lead to 11-0.

John Aiello was a positive yet again for New Hampshire. The cleanup man was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, extending his on-base streak to 29 games. The streak is tied for the longest on-base streak in the Eastern League this year and is tied for the eighth-longest in Fisher Cats history.

The Fisher Cats continue their series against Reading tomorrow, September 10 with first pitch at 6:45 p.m. They return home for their final homestand of the 2022 season on September 13 with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. against the Harrisburg Senators (Washington Nationals). Tickets can be found at NHFisherCats.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (603) 641-2005, or in-person at the Fisher Cats box office at 1 Line Drive in Manchester.