Reading closed out week five slipping to 15-16 and losing ground to front running Akron, slipping to 2.5 games behind in the Southern division. Hitting leaders for the Phils include Jesus Merchan, 2nd in the lague in batting average hitting .390 and Javon Moran who is 10th at .325. Moran also leads the league in runs scored with 29, stolen bases with 14, and hits with 38. Joey Hammond is 4th in the league with 21 runs scored. Jason Hill is 4th in the league with 9 doubles. Mike Costanzo is 4th in the league with 5 homers and 9th in RBI’s with 17. Costanzo also leads the league in strikeouts with 45. Juan Tejada is 4th in the league with 21 RBI’s. Pitching leaders include Anderson Garcia tied for the league lead with 6 saves and Kyle Kendrick who continues to lead the league in Innings Pitched with 39. Tim McClaskey is 2nd in the league in homeruns allowed with five, and Matt Maloney is just behind him in 3rd place, having given up 4 homeruns.

Reading closed out their three game set versus Erie on last Thursday afternoon losing 5-4, allowing the SeaWolves to take 2 out of 3 against the Phils. Anderson Garcia blew his first save of the year giving up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to take the loss. Landon Jacobsen started for Reading and had some control issues giving up three runs on five hits and five walks over 4.2 innings. Catcher Jason Hill led the offense going 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI’s. Other Phils with multi hit games were Joey Hammond and Jesus Merchan.

The Phils opened up a homestand Friday against Connecticut and got off to a good start. Matt Maloney started and pitched very well for Reading going 6 innings, giving up only 4 hits and a run, giving him his 3rd win of the year (3-1). Chris Key and Ryan Cameron combined for three shutout innings in relief. Again, Jesus Merchan and his offense were the headline for the Phils, going 3-4 and raising his average to .400. The Phils stole three bases including two by Javon Moran (12). Joey Hammond also had a multi hit game for the Phils, going 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to 6 games. The Phils inconsistency continued Saturday night with a 4-3 loss to Connecticut. The Phils got behind early and were unable to recover, fighting from behind the whole evening. Kyle Kendrick started for the Phils and took the loss, going 7 innings and giving up 4 runs on 6 hits, walking one and striking out 4. 1B Juan Tejada provided the only offense for the Phils with a solo homer and a two run double. The Phils closed out their short homestand, allowing Connecticut to take two out of three with a fairly horrific effort in a 12-4 loss. The lowlights of the game included 4 errors commited, 16 hits alllowed and 5 unearned runs. Tim McClaskey (2-3)started and took the loss for Reading, going five innings and giving up 4 runs (all earned) on 6 hits. He struck out three and walked one. Connecticut had a six run seventh inning with pitcher Julio De La Cruz getting rocked, giving up 4 hits and a walk, and left without retiring a batter. Offensively, the other player worthy of mention was catcher Jason Hill, who went 2-3 with an RBI.

The Phils traveled to Bowie, MD to open a three game set on Monday and finally came out firing on all cylinders. The Phils opened the series with a 11-2 win behind Heath Totten (2-4) who allowed 2 runs in five innings. Bubba Nelson came in and pitched four scoreless innings in relief for his first save of the year. Offensively, the Phils had a huge night behind Javon Moran who was 4-4, with 3 runs scored and a stolen base, Joey Hammond who was 4-5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs and 6 RBI’s, and Pedro Swann who was 2-4 with a homer and 4 RBI’s. Most of the damage was done off Scott Williamson, Orioles pithcer, who was with Bowie on a rehab assignment. On Tuesday evening, the Phils up and down play went back down, with Reading taking a 5-4 loss in 10 innings. Anderson Garcia (0-2)gave up a 10th inning home run to former major leaguer Matt Cepicky and took the loss. Landon Jacobsen started for the Phils and gave up 4 runs on 10 hits over 6 innings. Javon Moran led the way offensively going 3-4 with 2 runs scored and a league leading 14th stolen base. Greg Jacobs had a 2 run homer his fourth of the year going 2-5 on the night. The Phils roadtrip ended with another loss to Bowie 7-3, dropping the Phils to under .500 for the first time this year at 15-16. Matt Maloney (3-2)started for the Phils and took the loss pitching six innings and giving up four runs (3 earned) while walking 2 and striking out 3. Jason Hill was 2-3 for two doubles and an RBI, Joey Hammond went 2-3 with 2 runs scored, and Juan Tejada went 2-5 with an RBI.

Philling: Reliever Ryan Cameron was called up to Ottawa follwing the recall of two relievers from Ottawa to Philadelphia. Allen Davis, a submariner, was called up from Clearwater and will take Cameron’s spot in the Reading pen. Davis had a save and a 1.74 ERA in Clearwater. Davis was last with Reading as a starter in the 2005 season.

Javon Moran left Saturday nights game after getting hit in the hand with a pitch. Moran sat out Sunday with the sore hand.

After the game on Sunday, SS Michael Garciaparra, who was picked up after being waived by Seattle was added to the Reading roster. INF Pete Shier was sent back to Clearwater. Shier went 1-13 in his stint with Reading.

In an interesting development, Reading expects Garciaparra to start at shortshop, replacing Jesus Merchan, who has been atop the league leaders in hitting thus far. Merchan and Joey Hammond are expected to share time at second base.

1B Juan Tejada has an ten game RBI streak through Wednesday.

Spotlight: 1B Juan Tejada, the 25 year old from the Dominican Republic has gotten off to a very good start. As this is being written he is in the midst of ten consecutive games with an RBI, an impressive streak. He is currently hitting at a .294 clip with 4 HR and 21 RBI’s, both impressive numbers for this yearly point of the year. 11 of Tejada’s 22 hits have gone for extra bases and he has a.588 slugging percentage. Also, on a team desperately struggling with their fielding, he has commited only one error thus far. Tejada has clearly been all Reading can ask for up to this juncture of the season. Ahead of Tejada in Ottawa in 32 year old Gary Burnham, and it wouldnt be surprising to see Tejada get a shot in Ottawa at some point during this year as Burnham cant really be considered a prospect at this late stage of his career.

31 year old Tim McClaskey, now in his second year in the Reading rotation, has gotten off to a relatively solid start. He is 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA in his 5 starts. He has a very good walk to strike out ratio at 2.5 K/1, and has only walked 6 hitters so far in his 25.1 innings pitched. Opponents are currently hitting only .237 against him and his 1.14 WHIP is quite impressive. He has been a victim of the gopher ball, having given up 5 thus far (which leads the team) and that has cost him. McClaskey remains a very useful AA pitcher but cant be considered much more than that at this stage.

Relief pitcher Bubba Nelson,25, was a 2nd round pick by the Braves in 2000. He has been extremely impressive so far this year, and people will be taking notice shortly. He is 1-0 is 11 games with a 1.72 ERA and one save. He is striking out 3.6 batters for each walk he gives up and opposing hitters are batting .132 against him, making him nearly unhittable thus far. Additionally, his 0.77 WHIP is outstanding, and a more prominent role either in the pen with Reading or a call up to Ottawa is not out of the question.