Lehigh Valley IronPigs

The IronPigs needed extra innings, but they walked off with a 5-4 win over the Worcester Red Sox at Coca-Cola Park.

Worcester scored an unearned run in the first on a sacrifice fly, then broke it open with two runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Franklin Arias and Mikey Romero, building a 3-0 cushion.

Lehigh Valley clawed back all night. Otto Kemp‘s solo home run — his 15th of the season, a 404-foot shot to left-center — cut the deficit to 3-1 in the sixth. A fielding error let another run score in the seventh, and Dylan Moore‘s sacrifice fly tied it at three in the eighth. Worcester regained the lead in the 10th, but the IronPigs answered immediately. With Kameron Misner serving as the runner placed on second base, Keaton Anthony drew a leadoff walk to put two on with nobody out. Gabriel Rincones Jr. struck out, but Misner and Kemp pulled off a successful double steal that led the Red Sox to intentionally walk Colby Thomas to load the bases. Carter Kieboom followed by lining a two-out single to left to score both runners for the win. Kieboom finished 2-for-5 with two RBI.

Starter Casey Lawrence worked five innings, striking out five while allowing three earned runs. The bullpen took it from there: Tanner Banks fired 2.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts, Michael Mercado added a clean frame, and Kirby Snead earned the win despite surrendering the 10th-inning run, which was unearned. Lehigh Valley improved to 65-73 on the season with the comeback victory.

Reading Fightin Phils

Reading’s bats went quiet against Erie, and the Fightin Phils fell 6-1 to the SeaWolves at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Catcher Luke Shliger did most of the damage, homering twice — a two-run shot during a four-run third inning and a solo blast in the seventh. Chris Meyers chipped in with a solo homer of his own in the fourth.

Bryan Rincon supplied Reading’s only offense, golfing a two-out solo home run to right field in the bottom of the third for his 24th of the season. It was the club’s lone extra-base hit until Dante Nori tripled with two outs in the eighth, though he was stranded there. Reading finished with five hits, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven men on base.

Shortstop Aidan Miller was activated from the Lehigh Valley injured list on Tuesday and assigned to Double-A Reading. He went 0-for-3 in the game.

Cody Bowker, Reading’s Pitcher of the Month for August, took the loss after five innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits — including a two-run homer from Shliger and a solo shot from Meyers — while striking out six. Evan Gates gave up Shliger’s second homer of the night during two innings of relief. Daniel Harper closed things out with two hitless, scoreless innings. Reading fell to 66-66 on the season.

Clearwater Threshers

Clearwater dropped Game 1 of the FSL West Division Series, 2-0, to the Tampa Tarpons at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The Threshers managed only three hits — singles from Matthew Ferrara, Jonathan Hogart and Will Vierling — and went hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position, stranding seven baserunners in the shutout.

Nestor Cortes started and was tagged for both Tampa runs on two hits in a single inning of work, taking the loss. Brad Pacheco steadied things with 5.2 innings of one-run relief, scattering three hits and four walks while striking out five. Luis Avila retired his only batter, and Andrew Hoffmann closed with a scoreless inning and a strikeout. Tampa’s offense was quiet too, managing just five hits of its own.

Reading hitters struck out 11 times overall, with Cade Climie going down on strikes in all three at-bats. Clearwater now trails the best-of-three series 1-0. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at home, and a decisive Game 3 will be played Friday if necessary.

Home Runs — September 8, 2026
Lehigh Valley – Otto Kemp (15)
Reading – Bryan Rincon (24)