Skip to main content

Reading's Season Ends as Ruf's Continues On

The highs and lows of professional baseball are no better evidenced by Darin Ruf's day on Sunday. Shortly after grounding into a double play to end the Reading Phillies' season, the slugger learned that he would be joining the big league Phillies.

Pained by the loss, just moments after the Trenton Thunder eliminated the R-Phils from the Double-A Eastern League playoffs, Ruf reflected only on the disappointment of his team falling short of a championship, not what could lie ahead. It was Ruf's first time in the playoffs as a professional and, more than anything, the EL most valuable player and Phillies Paul Owens Award winner wanted to lock down a title for his team.

Despite outhitting the opposition 13-5, the Reading Phillies came up short, leaving eight runners on base in the final game of the best-of-five series.

Reading was victorious in the opening game of the series, but the Thunder, who are looking for their third Eastern League championship in six years, rebounded to win the next three contests.

Trailing 5-4, the R-Phils had the exact scenario they would have drawn up if given the chance...two runners on base for their top offensive player, Ruf. Pinch hitter D'Arby Myers led off the inning with a single against Thunder closer Ryan Pope. Following a failed sacrifice attempt by Tyson Gillies, who had three hits in the game, third baseman Cody Asche laced a single of his own, to put runners at 1st and 2nd for the man who smashed 20 home runs in the month of August and added his first blast of the postseason just three innings prior. This time, though, Ruf would bounce into a season-ending double play.

"Every player wants to be in that position, but when you don't get it done it feels awful," Ruf stated. "It’s tough, because you battle all year for your teammates, and it comes down to that one last at-bat. But I feel awful for the rest of the guys, for all of us, that we have to go home now."

But going home isn't what Ruf will be doing, as he is slated to join the parent club in Philadelphia as they begin a series against Miami on Monday.

Unable to appreciate the tremendous season he had (.317 avg, 38 HR, 104 RBI) or the historic month his posted in August (20 HR, 36 RBI in 31 games), Ruf speculated, following the game 4 loss, that it might be a few days before he would take the time to reflect. The focus of the Phillies' 20th round draft pick from 2009 was solely on the disappointment of how Reading's season ended.

It wasn't long before Ruf's attitude deservedly took a turn as he was given the news that he earned a promotion to the Major Leagues. Reminiscing over his landmark year with have to wait quite a bit longer, as his 2012 season has just been extended by about three weeks.

In the deciding game of the best-of-five series, lefty starter Adam Morgan took the loss, allowing five runs and five hits while striking out three and walking one in six innings. Right-hander Kyle Simon retired all six batters he faced in relief.


Trenton starter Nik Turley, making just his second Double-A start, picked up the victory by going five innings while allowing three earned runs.

Reading jumped out to a 1st inning lead when Leandro Castro drove home Cody Asche with a single. Trenton tied the game in the 2nd inning on a run scoring double by Tyler Austin.

The decisive run came with two outs in the 6th inning as Trenton shortstop Addison Maruszak stroked a solo HR off Morgan. The other big blow for the Thunder was a two-run homer by catcher J.R. Murphy that capped a three-run 4th inning.

The Phils would battle back, chipping away at Trenton's lead, plating two runs in the 6th on Ruf's homer and on a bases loaded sac fly by Jiwan James. An RBI single by Asche in the 7th got Reading within a run, but that was all they could muster.

Reading manager Dusty Wathan, who always sees the bigger picture of player development, even in the face of a playoff loss, saw positives and was pleased with his team.

"I think it was an outstanding year. The guys played hard all the way to the end, as you can see. Every one of these games, we were in the game. I think that's all we can ask of a team, is to play hard and try to get the most out of them. These guys improved a ton. We sent some guys up, a couple guys to the big leagues all the way from here, so I was really happy with this season," Wathan said.

Ruf will now join Tyler Cloyd, Steven Lerud and B.J. Rosenberg as players who spent time at Reading this year that are currently on the big league roster.


More notes...

Asche, who will play off-season ball in the Arizona Fall League, batted .429 in the series.

Catcher Tommy Joseph is also slated to play in the AFL.

According to the Phillies, Ruf will wear jersey number 18 with the big club. It is unclear if Ruf's plans to play in the Venzuelan Winter League with the La Guaira Tiburones will be impacted by his stint in MLB.
________________________________________

You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery.  A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League.  The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance.  He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood.  In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and available promo codes

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network.  ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston.  RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA).  In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA.  Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason.  Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston.  In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP.  Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts.  Verlander has 11 starts allowing one run or fewer in