Coyle & Spring 5 RBI, 'Dogs win 13-9

Portland with their first ever 4-game sweep in Reading, PA

Reading, Pa. -- Sean Coyle and Matt Spring each drove in five runs, leading the Portland Sea Dogs (54-27) to a 13-9 win over the Reading Fightin Phils (33-45) on Sunday afternoon at First Energy Stadium. With the win, Portland completed their first ever 4-game sweep at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Spring (3-for-4) and Reading's Jake Fox provided the fans with an in-game home run derby. Both Spring and Fox homered twice and drove in 5 runs.  Sean Coyle went 3-for-4 with 5 RBI and finished the series with 11 RBI.  Reading hit five homers in the loss, receiving two from Kelly Dugan and Fox - Edgar Duran added a solo-homer in the sixth.

The 'Dogs are 27 games over .500 for the first time this season and lead minor league baseball with a .667 winning percentage.

Derrik Gibson (2-for-3) led off the game with a single, improving his batting average to .400 this month. With one out, Coyle nailed a run-scoring triple and scored on a single by Stefan Welch. Spring capped off the inning with a three-run homer to left-center field.

Reading responded in their first turn, cutting the deficit to 5-2 on a two-run shot by Fox.  Spring would
connect on his second homer in the third, giving the 'Dogs a 7-2 advantage, but Fox responded with a three-run homer to dead center, bringing the Fightins within two.

Portland put together their second 5-run inning, knocking Ryan Demmin (1-2) out of the game after 3+ innings. With the bases loaded, Colton Murray relieved Demmin, and allowed a bases-clearing double to Coyle.  De La Cruz and Jonathan Roof added run-scoring hits.

Demmin took the loss for Reading, giving up 10 runs on seven hits over 3+ innings of work.

RHP Mike McCarthy (7-3) earned his 7th win, despite giving up three homers. McCarthy worked five innings on seven runs, six hits, two walks and two strikeouts.

RHP Wilfredo Boscan took over for McCarthy and pitched three innings on two solo-homers (Dugan and Duran).  Miguel Celestino stranded two in the ninth to seal the victory.

Portland is 10-4 against Reading this season. The Fightins dropped their 12th straight game, setting a franchise record.

The Sea Dogs open up a four-game series against the Trenton Thunder (Yankees affiliate) on Monday night at Arm & Hammer Park. RHP Luis Diaz (2-0, 1.29) makes his third start of the year for Portland.  Trenton sends LHP Eric Wooten (2-3, 4.86) to the mound for his seventh appearance of the season. Radio coverage begins at 6:45 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network. MiLB.TV coverage begins at 7:00 PM.