Phillies Minor League Report: Clearwater sets attendance record
Here's how the Phillies' minor league teams fared on Friday, July 3:
Lehigh Valley IronPigs – Triple A
The IronPigs and Rochester found out who the true baseball fans were on Friday night. How so? If they stayed until the end of the game, they're true fans. Rochester outlasted Lehigh Valley 6-5 in a 16 inning marathon.
The IronPigs scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at five, but that was all the scoring that would take place for the next 10 innings. Nate Hanson singled home the game winning run in the top of the 16th, which had to be a sigh of relief for everyone in attendance.
Tyler Henson had the best game at the plate for the IronPigs. He went 4-for-8 with two RBI's. Three of his four hits were doubles.
Lehigh Valley and Rochester will do battle in Upstate New York at 7:00 p.m. Saturday night.
Reading Fightin Phils – Double-A
Reading and New Britain did not disappoint in the offensive side of things on Friday night, combining for 31 hits in a 12-7 Fightin Phils win. Between the two teams, there was a run scored in every inning except the seventh.
J.P. Crawford and Harold Martinez led the way in the hits category, both collecting three on the night. Martinez also racked up four RBI's.
Reading's pitching on the night was by committee. Holby Milner and Colton Murray both threw three innings, Tom Windle threw two and Ryan O'Sullivan pitched in one. Murray was the only one not to give up at least one run, and came away with his first win of the year.
Reading starts a series with Trenton on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.
Clearwater Threshers – Class A-Advanced
As if the Threshers 3-0 win wasn't enough, Clearwater has something else to celebrate after Friday night's game against Tampa. 9,966 people piled into Bright House Field to watch the game, setting an attendance record.
Those lucky fans got to see the Threshers limit the Yankees to two hits on the night and only allowing two opposing batters into scoring position. Matt Imhof had a large part to do with that. The starter went six innings and gave up just one hit. He did walk four, but managed to strand those runners on base.
Rhys Hoskins continued his hot streak, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double. The only other RBI for the Threshers came from Willians Astudillo.
Clearwater and Brevard County start a series Saturday night at 6:35 p.m.
Lakewood BlueClaws – Class A
The BlueClaws used a big fifth inning to produce all their runs in a 6-2 win over Delmarva. Lakewood hung a six spot on Delmarva in the fifth inning thanks to RBI's by Herlis Rodriguez, Damek Tomscha, Cord Sandberg and a three run homer by Jiandido Tromp, his first of the season.
Chris Oliver got the start and pitched well for Lakewood. He went five innings and gave up just one run to improve to 4-5 on the year.
Lakewood and Hagerstown begin a series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.
Williamsport Crosscutters – Short-Season A
The Crosscutters just won't stop winning. Williamsport won its 13th game in 14 ties, this time 6-1 over the Auburn Doubledays.
Like the BlueClaws, the Crosscutters got all six of their runs in one inning, except for them in was right off the bat in the first. Williamsport batted around in the bottom of the first inning, jumping out to a huge lead that would be enough to support the pitching staff.
Franklyn Kilome improved to 2-0 after going five innings, only giving up three hits and one run, which was unearned.
Williamsport will look to keep the streak going when they travel to Brooklyn on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.