Reading Phillies Defeat New Britain Rock Cats 11-9 - AA, Eastern League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com – New Britain, CT – Reading pounded out 15 hits – including home runs by Greg Golson and John Suomi – and escaped a ninth inning comeback scare from the Rock Cats on its way to an 11-9 victory.   

Rock Cats starter Jay Rainville (1-2, 9.53) was hammered for 10 runs on 13 hits through 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one. 

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Reading jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Luke Appert (3-for-4, 2 R) doubled and Golson delivered a two-run homer. The Rock Cats answered back in the bottom of the inning. Luke Hughes and Trevor Plouffe reached base on back-to-back singles before Brock Peterson knocked them both in with a double to center field that tied the game.  

Reading exploded for six runs in the third, including a bases loaded three-run double by Jeremy Slayden. Suomi hit a two-run homer in the inning to put the R-Phils ahead, 8-2.  

Hughes opened the bottom of the third with a solo home run. Erik Lis added a two-run double that brought the Rock Cats within striking distance, 8-5.  

In the sixth, the Rock Cats’ Steve Tolleson scored from third on a bases loaded walk. Reading manager P.J. Forbes was ejected from the game after arguing the call. Plouffe added an RBI single for the ‘Cats that closed the gap, 10-7.  

Jason Miller pitched 3 1/3 effective innings in relief for the Rock Cats, limiting the R-Phils to one run on two hits and striking out four. Danny Graves, the former MLB All-Star who joined the Rock Cats earlier today, tossed two scoreless innings. Graves struck out three and retired three-straight in the ninth. 

Reading’s Fabio Castro entered the game with a perfect 2-0 record and a league-leading 0.47 ERA. He left New Britain with his perfect record intact, but with his ERA inflated to 2.25 after allowing five runs on seven hits through five innings. Castro (3-0) struck out five.

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