READING — The Reading Fightin Phils were the last team in the Eastern League to hold their home opener.
It was worth the wait for fans to see what has been billed as the future of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Roman Quinn dazzled with two bunt base hits and three stolen bases and Aaron Nola pitched six scoreless innings as the Fightins beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 7-1 on Friday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“The crowds on the road weren’t too good,” Quinn said. “There wasn’t too many people. It’s just exciting (in Reading).”
Quinn got the runs started in the bottom of the third with a leadoff drag bunt and stole second before Carlos Alonso walked. Aaron Altherr then knocked the first pitch he saw to the wall in right-center, scoring Quinn.
Brock Stassi added to his league-leading RBI total with a two-run single to shallow right that dropped over second baseman Blake Miller to score Alonso and Altherr, making it 3-0. Cameron Perkins followed with a single to get five straight batters on base, but Gustavo Pierre struck out and Gabriel Lino grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Quinn struck again in the fourth after a leadoff single by KC Serna and sacrifice bunt by Nola. The switch-hitting speedster dropped a another drag bunt for a squeeze play to score Serna to make it 4-0.
“It was open all night,” Quinn said of his bunt base hits. “My first bunt for base hit, I was trying to (reach base). Second one was just a squeeze and I got the job done.”
Three straight walks by Squirrels starter Jack Snodgrass put another run on the board. The last of those free passes was to Stassi, giving him another RBI and ending Snodgrass’ evening.
A sacrifice fly by Perkins scored Alonso before reliever Pedro Rodriguez struck out Pierre to end the inning.
Quinn, who entered the game second in the league in batting average (.478), finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Altherr was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Stassi was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, bringing his season total to 13.
It was more than enough run support for Nola. The 2014 first-round draft pick went six innings, scattered four hits, struck out five and walked one. He was relieved by Elvis Araujo to start the seventh. Nefi Ogando came in for Reading in the eighth.
Nola got in trouble early with the bases loaded in the top of the first. Kelby Tomlinson led off with an outfield single and Daniel Carbonell struck out before Mitch Delfino walked and Mac Williamson reached on an error. But Nola picked up Javier Herrera’s sputtering grounder in front of the mound for a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.
“I had to battle out of some jams in the first inning there,” Nola said. “I got behind on hitters. The defense was great tonight, turned a few double plays. The offense was obviously great and Lino caught a great game behind the plate.”
Richmond threatened again in the top of the fourth when Delfino led off with a double. Williamson grounded out before Herrera reached on catcher’s interference. Ricky Oropesa’s sacrifice fly in the next at-bat appeared to advance Delfino to third, but Herrera tagged from second and was thrown out by a dead-on throw from Altherr in right.
Reading got three inning-ending double plays. Pierre started the other by picking a one-out grounder by Williamson in the sixth to get Nola out of a two-on jam.
The Flying Squirrels got their lone run in the top of the eighth. Pinch-hitter Rando Moreno led off with a double and scored on an RBI groundout by Carbonell.
Tomlinson led Richmond’s offense, going 3-for-4.
The win was a far better outcome for Reading than last year’s home opener, when the Fightin Phils were no-hit by Portland’s Henry Owens in a rain-shortened, 5-0 loss to the Sea Dogs.
Quinn expects far more performances like Friday’s during the 2015 season.
“This is a blessing. It’s amazing,” Quinn said. “I’m embracing it all. I’m feeling pretty comfortable. We got a great team. I think we’re going to win a lot of games this year.”
Game Summary
RICHMOND (1) — Tomlinson ss 4 0 3 1, Carbonell lf 4 0 0 1, Delfino 3b 3 0 2 0, Williamson rf 4 0 0 0, Herrera 3 0 1 0, Oropesa 1b 4 0 0 0, Miller 2b 4 0 0 0, Williams c 3 0 0 0, Snodgrass p 1 0 0 0, Rodriguez p 0 0 0 0, Moreno ph 1 1 1 0, Casilla p 0 0 0 0. Totals 32 1 7 1.
READING (7) — Quinn cf 4 2 2 1, Alonso 2b 3 2 1 0, Altherr rf 3 1 2 2, Stassi 1b 4 0 2 3, Perkins lf 4 0 1 1, Pierre 3b 4 0 0 0, Ogando p 0 0 0 0, Lino c 4 0 2 0, Serna ss 4 1 2 0, Nola p 1 0 0 0, Araujo p 0 0 0 0, Martinez 3b 0 1 0 0. Totals 31 7 12 7.
Richmond (3-3) 000 000 010 — 1
Reading (4-3) 003 300 01x — 7
E — Richmond 0, Reading 2. DP — Richmond 2, Reading 3. LOB — Richmond 18, Reading 23. 2B — Delfino, Moreno, Alonso, Altherr, Lino. SB — Tomlinson, Quinn 3, Alonso. S — Nola 2. SF — Perkins.
Richmond IP H R ER BB K
Snodgrass L,1-1 3.1 8 6 6 5 2
Rodriguez 3.2 3 0 0 0 5
Casilla 1 1 1 1 2 0
Reading IP H R ER BB K
Nola W,1-1 6 4 0 0 1 5
Araujo 1 1 0 0 0 1
Ogando 2 2 1 1 0 2
WP — Rodriguez. PB — Williams. T — 3:04.