Skip to main content

Reading ELDS Game 3 Notes- Wathan, May & Ruf Speak

Game 3 of the Eastern League division series is set for a 7:05 PM start on Friday night. Notes and quotes on that contest lie ahead.

Jake Fox has been placed on Reading's inactive list, as his wife went into labor early Friday, at home in Michigan. The proud couple are new parents to a baby boy. Fox's stint on the inactive list must last three days, so he is not eligible to return until the Eastern League finals, should Reading advance. John Hill has replaced Fox on the R-Phils' active roster.

Justin Friend, who warmed up late in game 2's loss on Thursday night is available for game 3.

Read ahead for exclusive quotes for Wathan as well as Reading stars Trevor May and Darin Ruf as well as rising prospect Tyler Knigge...


Dusty Wathan speaking about his confidence level in game 3 starting pitcher Ethan Martin, who was acquired by the Phillies in the Shane Victorino trade in July and is undefeated since joining the R-Phils-

Obviously, (my confidence level) is pretty high. He's thrown the ball really well for us all year, since he got here. It's fun watching him pitch, so I'm excited to see what he can do tonight.



Trevor May on his game 2 start, in which he got a no decision, pitching 5 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run while walking two and striking out six Trenton batters-

I thought I could have went maybe one pitch better. You know, you'd always like to throw zeroes instead of one. I thought I battled pretty good and I got in a grove early. And one play here or there could have really made a difference in the game. Unfortunately, we came out on the losing end, but with all the work I've been doing toward the end of the year, taking a good start into the playoffs is definitely a boost of confidence for me personally. It was a pretty high-pressure situation and I feel like I responded pretty well, so I'm happy with that.



May on his streaky season-

I'm happy with what going up and down did to help me make some changes I needed to make. And I think I've righted a bunch of wrong that have made me a streaky pitcher. I've been streaky my entire career. It's just that the good streaks have been longer than the bad streaks and what I'm looking for is consistency to where the rough starts aren't as rough and being able to kind of be, when you don't have your best stuff, still being able to throw a quality start. All these things are things I've needed to work on and, you know, not letting things snowball on me. The stretch in the middle (of the season, from May to July when he won just twice over 15 starts) made me bare down mentally and fix things physically. It was a wake up call and it took a little longer than I would have liked but I was really happy it happened. Ideally, I wanted to take a step up at some point this year, but I gave myself a chance to get called up here and it just didn't happen. But, I'm taking a lot of positives out of this season...more so than negatives.



Darin Ruf on his positional comfort levels, after being a first baseman through much of his career and trying to add left field to his repertoire-

I mean, sometimes (there's a lack of comfort in left field), but I think that whatever's hit out there I have a chance of getting. It's gonna take a little while before I see every ball and know what it's gonna do. That way, the more balls I get, the better reads I can make in the long term. Line drives, balls with spin, balls that carry, they all travel differently and in the outfield you've got to take different paths, so the more opportunities, the more chances I get the more comfortable I'll be out there.


Ruf on playing ball in the off-season-

I'm going to Venezuela to play with Jorge Velandia's team, the Tiburones. I'll probably be doing the same thing. I'll be playing some first, playing some left field, DH'ing a little bit. I'll do that for about seven or eight weeks then I'll have my off-season.



Righty reliever Tyler Knigge speaking about the confidence level Wathan had in him, to let him work out of a jam in the 8th inning of game 1, while lights out closer Justin Friend was ready to enter the contest-

I'm glad he had faith in me. I knew I could get through that inning. That kind of decision takes a lot, especially when you have a closer like Friend. It just goes to show that he has faith in his whole team.


R-Phils lineup for game 3-

Gillies CF
Asche 3B
Ruf 1B
Hulett 2B
Castro RF
Joseph C
Tripp DH
Myers LF
Hanzawa SS
Martin SP

The lineup is facing Trenton hurler Mikey O'Brien (5-7, 4.20 ERA).

David Aardsma
, who rehabbed with Trenton on Thursday, is still with the team.
___________________________________________

You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Mike McGuire Living a Dream With Favorite Team

LAKEWOOD, NJ- Every young ballplayer grows up wishing he could play for his favorite team. Mike McGuire has an opportunity to do just that after signing with the Phillies organization in July. McGuire was a 43rd round draft pick taken by the Cleveland Indians in the 2008 amateur draft out of the University of Delaware. Early scouting reports liked McGuire's abilities, despite some arm trouble. He advanced as far as High A Level Kinston last season. While there, he posted an 0-3 record with a 5.46 ERA in 9 games, 8 of which were starts. The Indians weren't happy with McGuire's efforts this spring and released him. McGuire caught on with the Sussex Skyhawks of the independent Can-Am League, where he stayed in shape and pitched against other formerly affiliated minor leaguers. As a starter with the Skyhawks, McGuire went 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA in 8 outings. From there, just as all players in those independent leagues hope for, the 24-year-old McGuire got noticed. The Phillies wer...

Harry's Plaque Has Misprint

At the ballpark today for the first time since Harry Kalas was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on Friday, I noticed an error in the text on his plaque. Verbage on the plaque reads like this... Voice of Phillies baseball on radio and TV for 39 seasons. Teamed with Richie Ashburn from 1971 until 1997. Harry was on the air for all of Mike Schmidt's 548 home runs, five Phillies no-hitters, seven National League Championship Series, three World Series, the first and final games at Veterans Stadium and the Citizens Bank Park 2004 opener. Received the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award in 2002 for "Major Contributions to Baseball" and was inducted into the broadcasters' wing at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His calls were legendary, especially his signature home run call, "Outta heeere." On October 29, 2008, he brought utmost joy to Phillies fans: "The 0-2 pitch, swing and miss , struck him out. The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 Worl...