The Reading Fightin Phils (17-12) raced out to an early 4-0 lead before holding off a spirited Baysox rally in a 4-3 win over Bowie (17-16) on Wednesday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading.
Reading jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first on the strength of a two-run double fromJiandido Tromp.
In the home half of the third, the Fightin Phils tacked on a pair more to make it a 4-0 game as consecutive one-out singles put two men on before Osmel Aguila plated both runners with a two-run double of his own.
Baysox starter John Means (1-3) allowed the four runs on seven hits while fanning four over five innings of work.
Bowie cut the lead to 4-2 with two runs in the fourth as a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out before a wild pitch charged to RHP John Richy allowed a run to score and C Yermin Mercedes followed with an RBI groundout.
Sean Coyle led off the fifth for the Baysox with a single, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Austin Wynns’ two-out RBI single to bring the visitors within a run at 4-3.
Richy (n/d) surrendered three runs on eight hits to go along with two walks and three strikeouts over 4.2 IP.
RHP Mario Sanchez (1.1 IP, H, K) earned the win for Reading to move to 1-0 on the year. RHP Jesen Therrien (1.0 IP, K) retired the side in order in the ninth to notch his seventh save.
Wynns (2-3, RBI, R) and Tucker Nathans (2-4) both had a multi-hit game for Bowie. Mercedes collected a single in the sixth and has now hit safely in each of the first four games of his Double-A career.
RHP Lucas Long (3.0 IP, 3 K) did not allow a hit over three shutout innings of relief for manager Gary Kendall’s squad.
The Baysox return home to open a four-game set with the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Thursday night at Prince George’s Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. with RHP David Hess (4-1, 3.27) slated to take the mound for Bowie against Richmond RHP Cory Taylor (1-3, 5.47).
