Harrisburg Senators Weekly Recap: Reading Fightin Phils Series Results and Highlights

Hope you’re having a great start to the week, Senators fans! Welcome to From the Beat, your inside look at the latest headlines, analysis, and storylines from around the Harrisburg Senators organization as the 2026 season rolls on. Let’s dive in.

As the second half of the season comes into full form, so have the Senators once again as they are back on the full winning streak. It seems every series is bound to end with a Harrisburg win or series tie at the moment.

The Senators continued their long home stand this week against the visitors from Reading. As different as the scoring was for the two teams, the series itself was closer than you might guess by looking at the stats. Despite this, Harrisburg tied/won yet another series, four in a row now.

Game 1 — vs. Reading Fightin Phils — Philadelphia Phillies affiliate (July 21) — Senators 1-4

Despite out-hitting the Fightin Phils 6-5, the Harrisburg Senators fell 4-1 to Reading on Tuesday night. The Senators started strong, with Thomas Schultz tossing a quick first inning, but Reading took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. A costly error by Devin Ortiz on a pickoff attempt allowed Hettiger to score and extended the inning for the Fightins. Jean Cabrera was dominant on the mound for Reading, tossing six shutout innings with four hits allowed, and the Senators struggled to break through. Harrisburg’s bullpen held Reading scoreless for the next four innings, but the Fightins added two unearned runs in the eighth on errors and walks. The Senators finally scored in the ninth when Devin Fitz-Gerald singled and Branden Boissiere doubled to put runners on second and third, and Lomavita’s groundout drove in Fitz-Gerald. However, Harrisburg couldn’t complete the comeback, and Reading secured the victory.

Game 2 — vs. Reading Fightin Phils — Philadelphia Phillies affiliate (July 22) — Senators 12-2

The Harrisburg Senators evened the series with a dominant 12-2 win over Reading. The offense was fired up, with eight starters recording hits and scoring multiple runs. TJ White’s two-run homer sparked the attack, and Petry’s two-run shot in the fifth extended the lead. Riley Maddox earned the win with five scoreless innings, striking out six. The Senators added late runs on Thomas’s homer and an RBI groundout. Holden Powell finished in the ninth.

Game 3 — vs. Reading Fightin Phils — Philadelphia Phillies affiliate (July 23) — Senators 10-0

The Senators took the series lead with a 10-0 shutout win over Reading. Isaac Lyon pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five. Harrisburg scored seven runs in the second, including Caleb Farmer’s first Senators homer, back-to-back homers from Cortland Lawson and Branden Boissiere, and key hits from Petersen and Thomas. Farmer added his second homer in the eighth, and Lyon’s bullpen finished strong with scoreless innings from Chance Huff and Connor Van Scoyoc. The Senators have now outscored Reading 22-2 over the last two games, hitting eight home runs.

Game 4 — Reading Fightin Phils — Philadelphia Phillies affiliate (July 24) — Senators 3-0

The Harrisburg Senators secured their third straight win with a 3-0 shutout of Reading, holding the Fightin Phils scoreless for 21.2 consecutive innings. Harrisburg’s offense got an early lead in the first, with Pichardo's double driving in two runs. Rehabbing RHP Jake Irvin pitched 3.2 hitless innings, and Alex Clemmey finished with five scoreless innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. The offense added insurance in the eighth on doubles by Boissiere and Pichardo. Boissiere led with 3 hits, and Pichardo had 2 hits and 3 RBIs. The Senators have outscored Reading 25-2 over three games and now have eight shutouts this season, second-most in the league.

Game 5 — Reading Fightin Phils — Philadelphia Phillies affiliate (July 25) — Senators 5-6

The Harrisburg Senators nearly rallied from a six-run deficit but fell 6-5 to Reading, with the Fightins stranding the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth. Reading jumped ahead early, with Rincon homering off Randall in the first and adding two more homers in the fourth to extend their lead to 6-0. Harrisburg chipped away, scoring four runs in the fourth and fifth, highlighted by Thomas’s second homer of the series and a big bases-loaded sac fly from Pichardo. The Senators’ bullpen shut down Reading over the final five innings, striking out 15 batters and going hitless from the sixth through eighth. Harrisburg had a chance in the ninth, but McGowan escaped the jam, sealing the win for Reading.

Game 6 — Reading Fightin Phils — Philadelphia Phillies affiliate (July 26) — Senators 2-6

The Fightin Phils took the final game 6-2, closing out the series with Reading winning the last two after Harrisburg's three-game streak. Rincon’s three-run homer in the third gave Reading an early lead, and they added two more runs in the sixth and seventh. Tejeda, in his Senators debut, allowed three runs over five innings, with five hits, four walks, and five strikeouts. Harrisburg scored twice in the fourth on doubles from Boissiere and Brown but couldn’t mount a comeback. Harrisburg’s offense finished with six hits and struggled with runners in scoring position, going 2-for-11. Young closed the eighth with a perfect inning, and Powell finished with a scoreless ninth, stranding the bases loaded.

“Jhancarlos Lara can hit triple digits with a wipeout slider when he is right."

The fast throwing reliver who has started to make a dent in the stat sheets for Harrisburg as of late has one of the highest ceilings on the team, arguably.

Harrisburg heads to Portland, Maine to play the Sea Dogs next for their first matchup of the season. Looking forward to it!

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