Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The IronPigs dropped the finale of their penultimate road series of the season against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 7-3, Sunday afternoon at PNC Field in Moosic. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took five of six games in the set, built largely on a six-run burst over the first two innings.
Kameron Misner supplied the loudest swing for Lehigh Valley. His two-run homer in the top of the ninth, his 20th of the season, capped the scoring. Otto Kemp added his ninth double of the year, and Dylan Moore drove in a run with a second-inning single that scored Gabriel Rincones Jr., trimming an early deficit to two runs before Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pulled away again.
Drake Fellows started and took the loss, falling to 5-4 after allowing six runs on seven hits over four innings. He ran into trouble early. Yanquiel Fernández turned on a pitch for a three-run homer in the first, and Abrahan Gutierrez added a solo shot in the second before doubling home another run in the sixth. Tucker Davidson followed Fellows and settled things down, working two innings and allowing just one run. Mitch Neunborn and Kyle Backhus each threw a scoreless inning to close it out, combining to allow three hits without a run.
The loss dropped Lehigh Valley to 29-33 in the second half and 64-73 overall, while Scranton/Wilkes-Barre improved to 36-24 (73-62). It was the fifth loss in six meetings between the clubs in this set.
The IronPigs will host the Worcester Red Sox for a six-game series starting Tuesday at Coca-Cola Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Reading Fightin Phils
The Fightin Phils delivered one of their sharpest all-around efforts of the second half, beating the Hartford Yard Goats 6-2 Sunday afternoon at Dunkin’ Park. Reading’s offense wasted no time doing damage, tagging Hartford starter Sam Weatherly for four runs before he’d recorded two outs.
Bryan Rincon led off the game with a walk, and Pedro León followed with his 14th home run of the season, a two-run shot that put Reading ahead immediately. After Raylin Heredia walked, Raider Tello lined his third Double-A homer of the year to make it 4-0. León, Tello and Carson DeMartini each finished with two hits, and DeMartini added a two-run knock in the eighth that pushed the lead to 6-2. Rincon reached three times overall, drawing two more walks and swiping his 29th base of the season.
Braydon Tucker was sharp in the start, striking out seven Yard Goats over 3.2 innings before Hartford scratched out two runs in the fourth on a Dyan Jorge single and a Zach Kokoska homer. From there, Reading’s bullpen locked the game down. Sam Carlson picked up the win with 1.1 scoreless innings, Mavis Graves followed with two more scoreless frames, and Christian McGowan escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth on a two-out flyout. Estibenzon Jimenez closed it in the ninth.
The win pushed Reading to 36-26 in the second half and 66-65 overall, the most wins by a Reading team since 2019, and extended the club’s division lead to three games. The Fightin Phils’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot sits at four with six games to play.
Reading returns home to open a six-game series against the Erie SeaWolves on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m., its final regular-season homestand.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws
The BlueClaws closed out their 2026 season with a 1-0 loss to the Hub City Spartanburgers Sunday, a rain-shortened game at Fifth Third Park that ended after five innings. Jersey Shore managed just two hits and finished the year at 21-44 in the second half, 47-83 overall.
Wuilfredo Antunez supplied both of the BlueClaws’ hits, singling twice, but Jersey Shore couldn’t cash in against a parade of Hub City arms. Juan Amarante started and worked three scoreless innings, stranding runners in both the first and third while striking out five without a walk. Giuseppe Velasquez followed with a perfect fourth, striking out two. Jake Eddington took over in the fifth and allowed the game’s only run when Evan Morrison led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a one-out single by Paxton Kling.
Jersey Shore appeared to have an answer in the top of the sixth, plating two runs to take the lead. But lightning and rain forced the teams off the field before Hub City could bat in the bottom half, and the game was ultimately called and reverted to the last full completed inning — the fifth — wiping out those runs and handing Hub City the 1-0 win.
The loss closed a difficult season for Jersey Shore, which leaned on a wave of young talent down the stretch. Several players 21 or younger were on the roster at year’s end, including 18-year-old infielder Romeli Espinosa, catcher Alirio Ferrebus, outfielder Griffin Burkholder, catcher Angel Mata, infielder Juan Villavicencio and outfielder TJayy Walton, alongside Devin Saltiban.
With the regular season complete, Jersey Shore’s 2026 schedule has concluded. The BlueClaws will regroup this offseason before opening their 2027 campaign next spring.
Clearwater Threshers
Clearwater’s regular season ended in extra-inning heartbreak, a 6-4 loss to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels in 10 innings Sunday at BayCare Ballpark.
The Threshers finished with seven hits, four runs and five walks. Jack Hopko went 2-for-4 with two RBI, doubling home two runs in the bottom of the 10th. Tyler Minnick‘s fifth-inning single tied the game 1-1 by scoring Hopko, and Reece Moroney followed immediately with a single that drove in Minnick, giving Clearwater a brief 2-1 lead. Cade Climie and Lane Haworth each added a single, and Haworth stole a base.
Clearwater’s pitching staff struck out 14 Fort Myers hitters. Jacob Pruitt opened with two hitless innings despite three walks, and Brendan Sweeney followed with two more, allowing only an unearned run in the fourth. Elias Holbert and Manuel Colon each turned in a scoreless inning, and Richie Cortese struck out four over 1.2 hitless innings. Kyler Carmack surrendered the tying run in the eighth when a wild pitch let Colby Turner score from third.
The finish came in the 10th: Cal Higgins walked Merphy Hernandez, then gave up a two-out RBI single to Jimmy Keenan and a three-run homer to Carson Tinney that put Fort Myers up 6-2. Clearwater answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning on Hopko’s double, but Minnick flew out to end it.
The result closed the regular season for Clearwater at 74-55. The Threshers’ season continues, though — they open a best-of-three Florida State League Divisional Series against the Tampa Tarpons on Tuesday, with Game 1 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Home Runs — September 6, 2026
Lehigh Valley – Kameron Misner (20)
Reading – Pedro León (14)
Reading – Raider Tello (3)
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