Max Scherzer strikes out 6 in rehab start, as Ponies drop Tuesday night matchup to Reading 7-6

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WBNG) - Max Scherzer struck out six and allowed two runs in his rehab start as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies dropped their series opener against the Reading Fightin Phils 7-6.

This was Scherzer’s first time pitching in a live game since being placed on the injured list with a strained left oblique on May 19.

Following his start he commented “ I feel good about today. I feel like I was able to do everything I wanted to do and stress the oblique and it feels good afterwards. So it didn’t tighten up on me but you really don’t know until tomorrow.”

The scoring began in the third inning when Reading’s Vito Friscia hit an RBI double to put the Fightin’s up 1-0.

Binghamton then responded in the bottom of the inning as Francisco Alvarez hit a three-run homer and Zach Ashford had a bases clearing double to make the score 6-1 in favor of the Rumble Ponies.

Reading then started to chip away at the Ponies lead with a Jhailyn Ortiz home run in the fourth to make it 6-2. Then a two run fifth inning with RBI hits by Ali Castillo and Josh Ockimey cut Binghamton’s lead to two. Finally, in the sixth, after home runs by Wendell Rijo and Jonathan Guzman, Reading went up 7-6.

The two teams will continue the series Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Mirabito Stadium.

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