Matt Rizzotti drove in three runs on three hits to lead Reading to a 6-2 win
over the Binghamton Mets to claim the Eastern Division Wild Card spot in the
playoffs. Rizzotti had two doubles and a single on the day as the R-Phils
collected a total of 12 hits.
Tyson Brummett (4-8) threw six strong innings for Reading, giving up two
earned runs on eight hits. Brummett didn't walk a batter and struck out six
before yielding to Mike Cisco to start the seventh. Cisco threw two shutout
innings and Justin Friend threw a scoreless ninth to send Reading to the
post-season for the second time in three years.
Binghamton scored quickly in the bottom of the first when Matt Den Dekker led
off the B-Mets portion of the inning with a base hit, but was quickly erased on
a double-play. Juan Legares doubled to left and the next batter, Brahiam Maldonado singled to drive in Legares as Binghamton took a 1-0 lead against
Brummett and the R-Phils. Binghamton would hold their lead until the top of the
fourth when Brent Clevlen doubled, stole third and then scored on an RBI single
by Derrick Mitchell against Binghamton starter Jeurys Familia (4-8).
Reading opened the fifth with singles from Brummett, Michael Spidale and
Ozzie Chavez to load the bases with nobody out. Familia came back to get Carlos Rivero and Clevlen to pop out to keep the bases loaded with two outs, but
Rizzotti then singled to right to score two runs and put Reading up 3-1.
Rizzotti would drive in his third run of the day in the seventh when he would
double home Chavez.
Binghamton had cut Reading's lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth when
Allan Dykstra hit home run number 19 on the season to cut Reading's lead to 4-2.
That inning would also signal the end of the day for Brummett. While Cisco kept
Binghamton off the board, Chavez walked to lead off the ninth, right ahead of
Clevlen's home run that extended Reading's lead to 6-2.
Binghamton didn't exactly go quietly in the ninth. Kai Gronauer doubled with
one out, but Friend came back to get former R-Phil Niuman Romero to ground out
and pinch-hitter Dusty Ryan to strikeout swinging to end the game and send
Reading to the post-season.
Reading will go to New Hampshire for games one and two of the Eastern
Division Series before the series shifts to Reading for game three on Friday
night. If necessary, game four would also be in Reading and the series would
wrap up in New Hampshire if it goes the full five games.