TRENTON-Coming into the four-game series with Reading, the Thunder knew they had to take all four games to win a division title. After last night's late heroics from Dustin Fowler and Mike Ford gave the Thunder a win in the first game, there was some momentum heading into Saturday night at ARM & HAMMER Park What hope Trenton had at coming back...
TRENTON-Coming into the four-game series with Reading, the Thunder knew they had to take all four games to win a division title.
After last night's late heroics from Dustin Fowler and Mike Ford gave the Thunder a win in the first game, there was some momentum heading into Saturday night at ARM & HAMMER Park
What hope Trenton had at coming back to take the Eastern League Eastern Division crown from Reading was dashed in back-to-back at-bats in the top of the third. Dylan Cozens smoked a 1-2 breaking pitch from Dan Camarena over the right field fence for a three-run two-out home run. Just two pitches later, Jake Fox crushed a ball over the advertising boards in left field.
Once the visitors tacked on runs in the following two frames, they had all the runs they would need, in a 10-5 victory that clinched the division title for the Fightin Phils.
With the win, the Eastern League Division Series starts Wednesday night in Trenton (86-54), with the first of two games. The series then shifts to Reading (88-51), for game three Friday night, and games four and five if necessary Saturday and Sunday.
Thunder, Reading preview the main event this weekend
Cozens broke the single-season Reading records for home runs and RBI with his third inning blast.
The soon to be Eastern League MVP now has 39 HR (Darin Ruf, 38, 2012) and 123 RBI (Greg Luzinski, 120, 1970). Cozens now has his sights set on the EL record of 41, set by Ken Strong (Hazelton, 1930) and Rick Lancelotti (Buffalo, 1979).
With the three-four-five hitters in the Fightin Phils lineup putting up monster power numbers (99 HR, 307 RBI combined), the playoff series between the two teams may come down how well the Trenton pitchers can keep balls in the parks.
Cozens, Rhys Hoskins (37) and Jake Fox (23) have more home runs combined than eight of the Eastern League teams, to help
Top 5 candidates for Thunder MVP in 2016
The Yankees have made numerous moves throughout the organization over the past few weeks, many of which have impacted the Thunder roster.
With three relievers (J.R. Graham, Mark Montgomery and Matt Wotherspoon) all promoted to Scranton Wilkes-Barre in the last week, there are some new faces in the pen.
One of the pitchers that was promoted from Tampa with Justus Sheffield is James Reeves, who is 6-2 with a 2.27 ERA. The lefty has bounced from a starter's role to the bullpen, with 12 starts in his 30 appearances. He should come out of the pen for Trenton, in what should be a fantastic playoff series with Reading.
"I came in this year as a reliever, and then they moved me to starter," Reeves said. "And then in Tampa, I went back to relief. Coming here, I think I will be a reliever.
It is an awesome first experience for me. I got to play in the playoffs last year in short season (Staten Island.) It is definitely different to get to play in front of these fans here in Trenton up in Double A, against a team of the calibre that Reading is, with these guys.
Reeves may start the 2017 with the Thunder, and with as well as he has pitched all year in Tampa (5-1, one save, 2.27 ERA), he now gets a chance to get some innings in a big spot for Trenton.
"I started in Charleston this year, and then to Tampa, and now I am here," Reeves said. "It is cool. I get to see a bunch of levels. This is definitely a cool place to be right now, just going back to the last question about the playoffs. We are in the hunt in September here.
It is awesome to play up here in front of these crowds. In Charleston, they have really good crowds the first couple weeks. Then in Tampa, in the Florida State League, it is a little thinner. But it is definitely cooler when you get to throw in front of some people again, and get that energy from the crowd."
Reeves played his college ball at the Citadel, which shares the stadium in Charleston with the RiverDogs. So his first few weeks of this season were like a reunion.
"We shared that stadium, so that was pretty cool getting to play there again," Reeves said.
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Mark Eckel will be at ARM & HAMMER Park Sunday night, to sign copies of his new book, "The Big 50: The Men and Moments That Made the Philadelphia Eagles."
The book, which is his fourth, will be on sale for $16. Eckel will be on the concourse before the game, as the two playoff teams play in the third game of the series.
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean