READING — Brock Stassi didn’t drive in any runs Monday night, but that didn’t dampen the Eastern League RBI leader’s spirits.
Stassi finished 2-for-3 with two runs Monday in the Fightin Phils’ 8-1 victory over New Hampshire at FirstEnergy Stadium. And as far as Stassi’s concerned, that’s the important thing.
“Anything I can do to help the team win, especially this late in the year, is a plus,” said Stassi, who has 77 RBIs this year. “That’s what I’m trying to do, just have quality at-bats every time I go up to the plate — whether it’s RBIs or scoring runs, whatever it is ... walks to get on base ... anything I can do to help the team win.”
Monday’s win was Reading’s 13th in 14 games and extended the Fightins’ lead in the East Division to four games over second-place Binghamton.
Stassi got the offense started in the bottom of the second inning after three half-innings of three-up, three-down baseball. He led off the frame with a single to right before Andrew Knapp walked to set up Destin Hood’s RBI double to the right-field wall.
Knapp scored on Harold Martinez’s groundout and Hood came in on a wild pitch by Fisher Cats starter Taylor Cole to give Reading an early 3-0 lead.
New Hampshire had a chance to cut into that deficit in the top of the third with Dwight Smith’s one-out double. Jorge Flores singled to center in the next at-bat, but was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw home.
Reading pitcher Joely Rodriguez picked a high chopper in front of the plate by Roemon Fields and made a perfect turn and throw to first to get out of the inning.
Philadelphia Phillies’ top prospect J.P. Crawford started another Reading rally in the bottom of the third with a one-out double to left-center. Cameron Perkins followed by getting hit by a pitch before back-to-back singles through the right side of the infield by Stassi and Knapp, the latter scoring Crawford to make it 4-0. Angelo Mora then walked with the bases loaded to score Perkins and extend the lead to 5-0.
“Everybody contributed pretty much from one to nine. Everybody had something to do with this win,” Reading manager Dusty Wathan said. “We had some really good at-bats early in the game against their starter as far as trying to keep the line moving and the next guy getting a hit.
“We were one big hit away from blowing it open early,” Wathan added. “But we’ll take a 5-0 lead after a few innings every night. I think we kind of let them off the hook a little bit. We had a chance to knock them out of the game, but it’s a good offensive night for us.”
Rodriguez, acquired from Pittsburgh in an offseason trade for pitcher Antonio Bastardo, cruised through the next three innings, allowing just two base runners. A fielding error by the left-handed pitcher allowed Flores to reach base to lead off the Fisher Cats’ sixth, but a strikeout and a double play stemming from a one-hop pick by Martinez at third kept New Hampshire off the board.
The only Fisher Cat batter to get to Rodriguez was designated hitter Ryan Schimpf, who hit a solo home run over the center-field wall to lead off the seventh. Schimpf has now homered in each of his last four games and is tied for the Eastern League lead with 17.
“Rodriguez was outstanding tonight,” Wathan said. “He controlled the strike zone, his misses were close. I thought he did a very nice job pitching with the lead, coming right after them. He made them earn their hits. Obviously Schimpf got him for one to dead center, but you’ll take that outstanding effort.”
Tom Windle, recently moved to the Reading bullpen, pitched the eighth and ninth, allowing only one hit while striking out two.
Cole settled down for New Hampshire on the mound after the third. The Fightins were kept hitless for four innings, but would make up for it in the eighth by bringing nine batters to the plate.
Stassi led off the inning with a walk from New Hampshire reliever Gregory Infante before Knapp doubled to the left-center gap. Hood followed with an RBI single over third base to make it 6-1.
A couple New Hampshire blunders in the outfield then loaded the bases. Mora was credited with an RBI single after the ball bounced off right fielder Melky Mesa’s glove to score Knapp and make it 7-1. Martinez then hit a blooper to shallow center, where Fields slipped to ensure everyone advanced safely.
KC Serna made New Hampshire pay with Reading’s fifth straight hit, a liner to center, that scored Hood and extended the lead to 8-1.
Hood finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs in the No. 6 spot. The only Reading batter not to reach base Monday was leadoff hitter Nick Williams, who’s hitting .377 in 12 games since being acquired by Philadelphia from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade.
“We’re doing good at the plate,” Hood said. “We just want to do everything for the team and it seems to be working out for everybody.”
Monday’s game was the first of a seven-game homestand at FirstEnergy Stadium. After this four-game series with New Hampshire, the Fightin Phils entertain New Britain during the weekend.
Game Summary
NEW HAMPSHIRE (1) — Fields cf 4 0 0 0, Nolan ss 4 0 1 0, Cole p 0 0 0 0, Burns p 0 0 0 0, Infante p 0 0 0 0, Schimpf dh 4 1 1 1, Mesa rf 4 0 1 0, Chung c 3 0 0 0, Hobson 1b 3 0 0 0, Guerrero 3b 2 0 0 0, Smith 3 0 1 0, Flores 2b 3 0 1 0. Totals 30 1 5 1.
READING (8) — Rodriguez p 0 0 0 0, Windel p 0 0 0 0, Williams dh 5 0 0 0, Crawford ss 4 1 1 0, Perkins rf 4 1 0 0, Stassi 1b 3 2 2 0, Knapp c 3 2 2 1, Hood cf 4 2 2 2, Mora 2b 2 0 1 2, Martinez 3b 4 0 1 1, Serna lf 4 0 1 1. Totals 33 8 10 7.
N. Hamp. (59-59) 000 000 100 — 1
Reading (70-51) 032 000 03x — 8
E — New Hampshire 0, Reading 1. DP — Reading 2. LOB — New Hampshire 3, Reading 7. 2B — Smith, Crawford, Knapp, Hood. HR — Schimpf. CS — Mora.
New Hamp. IP H R ER BB K
Cole L,5-10 5 5 5 5 3 5
Burns 2 0 0 0 1 2
Infante 1 5 3 3 1 2
Reading IP H R ER BB K
Rodrigz W,5-2 7 4 1 1 1 5
Windle 2 1 0 0 0 2
HBP — by Cole (Perkins). WP — Cole. T — 2:27. A — 5,016.