READING, PENNSYLVANIA

It was the New Britain Rock Cats in town to take on the Reading Phillies for this Eastern league tilt. I won't pretend that I knew any of the players other than Phillies' center fielder Marlon Byrd, who is expected to join the parent club in a couple of years.

Byrd takes a pitch

The Phillies got off to a 1-0 lead early, but New Britain replied with two in the second and then two in the third on Jeff Smith's home run. Byrd led off the bottom half of the third with a single and the next three batters also singled to bring Byrd home. A sacrifice fly made the score 4-3, which is how it stayed through 6.

In the 7th, Reading starter Brett Myers finally collapsed giving up 4 hits and 3 runs. In the eighth, Mike Cuddyer hit a homer to increase the Rock Cat lead to 8-3. The Phillies got 3 runs in the 9th, but Grant Balfour came in and ended the game to earn his 10th save. 

New Britain starter Ken Pumphrey got the win to go to 3-0, and I guess the Twins's liked what they saw as they recently promoted him to AAA-Edmonton with a 4-0 record and a 1.58 ERA.

Pumphrey pitches to a Phillie