Fisher Cats 3, Fightin Phils 2

MANCHESTER – The second quality start this season from Richard Gallardo and clutch hits from Jay Harry and Jackson Hornung propelled the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a 3-2 Wednesday win in seven innings against the Reading Fightin Phils (16-18) at Delta Dental Stadium. Game 2 was postponed and will be made up as a single admission doubleheader on Friday with game one beginning at 4:05 p.m.

Box Score

Gallardo (W, 3-0) secured the win behind six strong innings of two-run ball. He allowed five hits and struck out four in his second quality start of the season. Reliever Yondrei Rojas (SV, 1) tossed a perfect seventh and recorded his first save since returning from the Injured List on May 6.

Reading starter Braydon Tucker went five innings and allowed one earned run. Righty Andrew Baker (L, 0-1) allowed back-to-back triples and a pair of runs in his lone inning of work and suffered his first loss of the season.

Top takeaways:

• Richard Gallardo tossed a quality start, his second of the season (6 IP, 2 ER).

• Victor Arias ripped three hits and his first home run at Delta Dental Stadium.

• Yondrei Rojas secured his first save of the season.

• Jay Harry, Arias each triple in back-to-back at-bats in decisive sixth inning.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, New Hampshire rallied and took the lead. Back-to-back triples from outfielders Victor Arias and Harry tied the game. One batter later, left fielder Hornung cracked an RBI single and gave the Fisher Cats a 3-2 lead.

Following three scoreless innings, Reading broke through in the fourth. Shortstop Bryan Rincon wacked a leadoff triple. The next hitter, second baseman Aroon Escobar ripped an RBI double. Three batters later, left fielder Austin Murr lined an RBI single which made it 2-0.

New Hampshire answered in the bottom of the frame. The center fielder Arias (2) smashed a solo home run and cut the Cats’ deficit to one.

New Hampshire and Reading continue the series on Thursday at 6:03 p.m. RHP Gage Stanifer (1-2, 6.08 ERA) will start for the Fisher Cats, and the Fightin Phils will counter with RHP Luke Russo (4-1, 5.11 ERA) start. Coverage begins at 5:43 PM on WKXL, Bally Live, MLB.tv, MiLB.tv, and the Fisher Cats Radio Network.

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