For 31 years, Reading waited for another outright Eastern League championship. Last night, the Fightin Phils made sure nobody had to wait one more day. They beat Erie 13–4 at FirstEnergy Stadium, swept the championship series, and sent Baseballtown into one hell of a celebration.
And because this team apparently enjoys making us sweat, Erie jumped out to a 2–0 lead in the first. Reading tied it in the fourth on an Aidan Miller double and a wild pitch, only for Erie to go back ahead, 3–2. Then came the sixth inning. Carson DeMartini worked a bases-loaded walk to tie it, and Caleb Ricketts stepped up and launched a grand slam to put the Fightins in front for good. Bryan Rincon added an RBI single before the inning was over. Just like that, 3–2 Erie became 8–3 Reading.
DeMartini wasn’t done. He hit another grand slam in the eighth, giving him five RBIs on the night and turning the final innings into a championship party. Estibenzon Jimenez struck out the last batter, and that was it, the Fightins were champs.
The playoff numbers tell you how much of a team effort this was. Reading went 4–0, outscored Hartford and Erie 44–12, and put up 34 runs in its two home playoff games. Rincon and Ricketts each drove in seven runs across the four games. Rincon had five RBIs in the 21–4 playoff opener against Hartford and homered in the game that finished that series. Ricketts drove in four with last night’s slam after bringing home the only run in Sunday’s 1–0 win at Erie. DeMartini went 4-for-7 with five runs scored in the Hartford series, then delivered those five RBIs when the title was on the line.
The arms deserve their flowers, too. Luke Russo gave Reading five scoreless innings in that 1–0 win at Erie, and Jimenez closed out both the Hartford series and the championship clincher. One night this team won a pitching duel, the next it hit two grand slams. That’s a pretty damn good way to finish a season.
I got to cover the Fightins this year from afar and also in the booth a few times, so watching them finish it off means a little more to me. From that ridiculous 21-run playoff opener to the final strikeout last night, these guys gave Reading a run to remember. Enjoy every second of it, Baseballtown. Your Fightin Phils are champions!
-Jawn Kruk
Side Jawn Sports
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