Osterberg Excellence Leads Fightins to 4-2 Victory Over Somerset

BOX SCORE

(Reading, PA) - The Fightin Phils (3-5; 34-42) evened the series with the Somerset Patriots (6-2; 38-39) on Tuesday night, with a 4-2 win at TD Bank Ballpark. With the win, the Fightins dropped a three-game losing streak.

Somerset jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Spencer Jones hit a solo home run, his tenth of the season.

Fightins starting pitcher, Matt Osterberg settled in on the mound after allowing the Jones home run. In a bounce-back outing, he earned his second win (2-5), went seven innings, allowed one run on seven hits, and struck out three. Osterberg retired 11 Patriots via the groundout, six with flyouts, and of his 78 pitches, 67.9% were strikes.

Andrew Baker also had a strong outing of relief, in his first game since being called back up to Reading from JerseyShore yesterday. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning and struck out one.

The Fightins got on the board in the top of the third, scoring three runs in the inning. Robert Moore got the rally started, as he reached with a one-out single. Marcus Lee Sang and Carlos De La Cruz followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Caleb Ricketts drove in a run as he reached on a fielding error by Somerset pitcher, Zach Messinger. Carson Taylor then drew a walk with the bases juiced, which walked in the go-ahead run. Otto Kemp kept the inning alive as he earned an RBI with a sacrifice fly, allowing De La Cruz to score. The Fightins took a 3-1 lead.

The Fightins added on a run in the top of the fourth. After a Lee Sang walk and stolen base, De La Cruz earned his second hit of the night with an RBI single. De La Cruz went 2-for-5 in the game with two hits, a run scored, and an RBI. Reading increased their lead, 4-1.

The Patriots began a rally in the bottom of the ninth with Tommy McCollum on the mound. With a runner on second, Grant Richardson drove in a run with an RBI single to cut the deficit to two runs. Jared Wegner drew a walk to load the bases, putting the winning run on first base. Reading left-hander Tristan Garnett replaced McCollum on the mound, and earned the save (1) as Spencer Jones flew out to end the game.

The Fightin Phils return to the field Wednesday at the Somerset Patriots, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, at 7:05 p.m. RHP Zach Haake is scheduled to start for Reading, and he will go opposite LHP Ben Shields for the Patriots. A video stream is available via MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.

Reading returns to FirstEnergy Stadium from July 4-6 for the back half of a home-and-home series with the Somerset Patriots. Thursday is the Fourth of July and will feature Carpenter MEGA Blast Fireworks, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Lottery. It will also be a Stars and Stripes Patriotic Celebration and the R-Phils will wear Military Appreciation Jerseys. Friday features fireworks, thanks to Countryside Fuel, and Wrestling Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle will be in Baseballtown. The series finishes Saturday night with a Carpenter MEGA Blast Fireworks Show, presented by Meesha Aesthetics. The Fightin Phils will also pay tribute to Star Wars by wearing Star Wars' jerseys that will be raffled and auctioned off after the game. The Fightin Phils will be off Sunday and Monday July 7-8, then return home from Tuesday, July 9 through Sunday, July 14, against the Akron Rubber Ducks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

To buy tickets, call 610-370-BALL, go to rphils.com/tickets, or in person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office. The Fightin Phils Brentwood Industries Team Store is open both in-person and online 24/7 at rphils.com/shop.

The 2024 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.