Fightin’ Phils 9, Fisher Cats 6
- Updated: July 1, 2026
READING, Pa. – Starter Nolan Perry twirled three scoreless frames in his Double-A debut, but the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (4-3, 38-36) fell to the Reading Fightin Phils (5-2, 35-41), 9-6 on Tuesday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Perry struck out seven hitters in his three innings and allowed one hit. MLB Pipeline’s 15th-ranked prospect in the Blue Jays organization finished his first outing with the ‘Cats by striking out the side in the third. A 12th-round pick in the 2022 draft, Perry began his professional career in 2023 in the Florida Complex League and tossed 38 1/3 innings. After spending 2024 with Class-A Dunedin, Perry missed the entire 2025 season due to an injury.
The right-hander returned to the mound with Class-A Dunedin this season and held opponents to a .114 average in 21 innings. On April 16, the Carlsbad, New Mexico, native struck out 12 batters in a win against Clearwater. Perry earned his promotion to Vancouver on May 3 and struck out 28 batters in his first three outings with the Canadians, which helped him win Northwest League Pitcher of the Month.
Reliever Kelena Sauer followed with a perfect fourth inning on six pitches. Right-hander Chris McElvain (L, 3-4) was tagged for nine runs, four earned, in 3 2/3 frames. Reading starter Gage Wood held the Fisher Cats to two runs in five innings. Lefty Tristan Garnett (W, 3-0) notched the win, and righty Alex McFarlane (SV, 9) secured a five-out save.
Top Takeaways
- RHP Nolan Perry recorded seven strikeouts in three scoreless innings in his Double-A debut.
- OF Hedbert Perez reached base four times (two walks, single, double) in the Tuesday loss.
- INF Cade Doughty notched his first home run of the season in the fifth inning.
- OF Victor Arias extended his hit streak to four in a 2-for-5 night at the plate.
The Fisher Cats struck first in the opener. With two outs in the first, catcher Aaron Parker (8) swatted a solo home run and made it 1-0.
New Hampshire added a run in the fifth. Shortstop Cade Doughty (1) slugged his first home run of the season and extended the lead to two.
Reading climbed back into the game with a run in the fifth and another in the sixth on New Hampshire miscues, but the ‘Cats retook the lead in the seventh. Third baseman Cutter Coffey singled. The next batter, second baseman Nick Goodwin, ripped an RBI double and advanced to third on an error. Two batters later, designated hitter Jorge Burgos cracked a sacrifice fly that made it 4-2.
The Fightin Phils’ bats erupted in the seventh and eighth. Shortstop Bryan Rincon (12) and right fielder Raylin Heredia (15) walloped two-run blasts in the seventh. In the eighth inning, catcher Kehden Hettiger (7) launched a solo homer and center fielder Pedro León (4) smashed a two-run moonshot.
Trailing 9-4 in the ninth, the Cats rallied as Parker and left fielder Hedbert Perez notched RBIs, but New Hampshire fell in the opener, 9-6.
New Hampshire and Reading continue the series on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. first pitch. Righty Gage Stanifer (3-5, 4.00 ERA) will start for the ‘Cats and right-hander Luke Russo (7-3, 4.00 ERA) will counter for the R-Phils. Coverage begins at 6:40 p.m. on the Fisher Cats Radio Network.
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