READING - Chilly, 9:30 a.m. baseball games in the rain?
If that's what it takes to change fortunes, consider Austin Wright a supporter.
Reading's southpaw, winless entering Monday's 12th annual morning game, tossed 5.1 shutout innings to pick up his first win as the Fightin Phils' beat the Harrisburg Senators 6-0 in a rain-shortened, six-inning game at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Wright has battled injury and poor outings all season. In his six previous starts, Wright's outings lasted an average of just over three innings. He was 0-3, and the team was 1-5 in those starts. His 11.51 ERA told much of the story.
Monday, Wright waited out a 38-minute delay to begin the game and then allowed just two hits while striking out seven.
It was, by far, his best outing of an otherwise rough season.
"I just tried to go out there and pound the zone," Wright said. "I've never had (a game) at 9:30, but I like them."
After the first inning, Wright didn't faced more than four batters in an inning the rest of the game.
"Sometimes when it's cold and early it can be an advantage to pitchers," Reading manager Dusty Wathan said. "He's had a little bit of a rough go of it (this year) ⦠I think this really is going to help his confidence."
Aiding Wright immensely was an outfield that made some terrific defensive plays.
Right fielder Anthony Hewitt made a head-first, diving catch in the first inning
before Zach Collier made two great catches in the fourth inning from center field. The second grab required Collier to go crashing into the outfield wall at a full sprint and catching the ball on the wall.
"I saw it going to the fence and just tried to time it and go up and get it," Collier said. "Austin pitched a great game, but when some of those balls get out there we've gotta go get them."
Reading's bats provided plenty of firepower, and Harrisburg's defense gifted enough opportunities by committing four errors.
Collier scored the first run of the game in the second inning, a half-inning in which Reading didn't have a hit. Collier walked, went to second on a pitcher throwing error, to third on a groundout and then scored on Blake Treinen's wild pitch.
Tommy Mendonca hit a two-run double in the fifth inning and Hewitt hit his fourth home run of the season, a solo blast in the sixth inning as part of the six-run outburst.
The game went into a 34-minute delay after the sixth inning before umpires called the game at 12:53 p.m.
"Yeah, it's a good win for us and the team played an all-around good game," Collier said. "It's great for Austin to get a win and for us to get the runs in before the rain came.
"These early games are different for those of us who haven't played in Reading yet, and while it's early to get up, it's nice to have an evening off ⦠especially after a win."
NOTES: Catcher Cameron Rupp was promoted Monday to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Rupp batted .245 in 41 games with eight home runs and 21 RBIs. To replace him, the Fightins received Justin Dalles from Low-A Lakewood.
(Follow Anthony Burkhart and the Reading Fightin Phils on Twitter at @AnthonyBurkhart)
Game Summary