Avina Belts 17th Homer as Somerset Falls 11-5 to Reading
The Somerset Patriots fell to the Reading Fightin Phils 11-5 at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ on Thursday evening. With the loss, Somerset slipped to 7-8 against Reading this season, including a 4-5 record at home. All nine batters for the Patriots recorded a hit in Somerset’s 35th game
The Somerset Patriots fell to the Reading Fightin Phils 11-5 at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ on Thursday evening.
With the loss, Somerset slipped to 7-8 against Reading this season, including a 4-5 record at home. All nine batters for the Patriots recorded a hit in Somerset’s 35th game this season with 10-plus hits.
With homers in the eighth and ninth innings, Somerset notched its 36th multi-HR game of the season, surpassing the 35 multi-HR games the Patriots registered in 138 regular season games last year. Somerset’s 36 multi-HR games are the most since the Patriots notched 40 such games in 2024.
Somerset’s 124 homers this season lead Double-A and are tied for sixth in MiLB at the time of the game’s conclusion. The Patriots are on pace for 203 homers, the most by Somerset since slamming a Double-A record 205 HR in 2022.
Chase Hampton (@Yankees No. 8 Prospect) spins his first strikeout of the night! pic.twitter.com/LapisgsCon
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 9, 2026
RHP Chase Hampton (1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 1 K) made his fifth start for Somerset since being activated off the 7-day IL on June 12. Hampton struck out Caleb Ricketts on a 75.9 mph curveball in the second inning.
RHP Hayden Merda (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K) matched a season-high with five punchouts for the second consecutive outing and fifth time this season. Across his last three outings, Merda has struck out 12 of the 18 batters he’s faced, while allowing just one walk and two hits across 5.1 IP in that span.
Jace Avina (@Yankees No. 19 Prospect) with an OPPO TACO for his 17th HR of the season! 🌮 pic.twitter.com/YIoHN3UQfn
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 10, 2026
CF Jace Avina (1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, R) powered his 17th home run of the season to right field in the ninth inning. Avina’s career-high 17 homers are tied for third in the Yankees farm system and tied for sixth in the Eastern League. Extending his hit streak to three games, Avina has reached base safely in 45 of his last 49 appearances to raise his OPS from .629 to .887 in that span. He’s tallied 13 homers in that stretch.
2B Connor McGinnis (1-for-5, 2B) extended his hit streak to five games with a double through the right side of the infield in the fourth inning. McGinnis has reached safely in 11 of his last 19 plate appearances across his last five games. In that span, he’s 9-for-17 with two BB, four 2B and three multi-hit games. Across his last 14 games, McGinnis is batting .370/.420/.543 with 5 RBI, 8 XBH and five multi-hit games. Since smashing his first career Double-A home run on June 16 at Portland, McGinnis has pummeled nine XBH to raise his OPS from .547 to .737 in 21 games.
Miguel Palma SMACKS his sixth HR of the season!
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 10, 2026
361 feet 📏
103.8 mph 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Mat8KbEKIk
DH Miguel Palma (1-for-4, HR, RBI, R) belted his sixth homer of the season off Colin Peluse in the eighth inning. Across his last four appearances, Palma is 6-for-14 with 2 HR, 7 RBI and 4 R.
C Manny Palencia (2-for-4) smacked a two-out single in the seventh inning for his eighth multi-hit game of the year. Palencia is 7-for-15 with a 2B, RBI and BB during his four-game hit streak. Across his last nine games, Palencia is batting .345 with a .387 OBP.
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Box Score
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