READING, Pa. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats salvaged one game of their three-game set against the Reading Fightin’ Phils, winning 5-2 in a Wednesday matinee.
Reading’s Damek Tomscha opened things up in the first with his third home run of the series and his 14th Eastern League home run of the season.
Tomscha’s blast provided the Fightins a slender lead that disappeared in the third, courtesy of Cavan Biggio’s league leading 21st home run of the season, a two-run blast that also brought Andrew Guillotte across the plate.
Another home run, this time from Jan Hernandez, let Reading tie things up in the fifth. That blast was quickly followed by two straight singles, but New Hampshire starter Tayler Saucedo was able to escape without any further damage.
Reading stranded a man 90 feet from home an inning later and their squandered opportunities caught up to them in the ninth. There, the Fisher Cats batted around the lineup, putting up three runs that proved too much to overcome in the face of relief work from Dusty Issacs and Justin Bergen.
Bergen retired the final four Reading batters, giving him his fifth save of the year, and Issacs would get the win, climbing to 3-2.
Despite the no decision, it was a good start for Saucedo, giving up just six hits in six innings of work, not allowing any walks for the first time in his four Eastern League appearances.
The loss would go to Luke Leftwich, his fourth of the year, with Reading starter Ranfi Casimiro allowing five hits a six-inning outing.
At the plate, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Harold Ramirez each grabbed two hits for the Fisher Cats, with Biggio’s two RBI putting him just five behind Altoona’s Will Craig for the league lead.
The Fisher Cats now head to Hartford for a four-game set with the Yard Goats. Thursday’s matchup pits New Hampshire’s Jon Harris (7-4, 4.92 ERA) against Hartford righthander Jesus Tinoco (6-8, 5.44 ERA)
Tinoco is 1-2 with a 5.89 ERA in four appearances against New Hampshire this season.
