IronPigs take exhibition game

By Tony Zonca

Reading, PA --  Home runs by Michael Cervanek and Chris Snelling propelled the Lehigh Valley IronPigs to a 6-2 victory Tuesday night over the Reading Phillies before 3,219 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The IronPigs, the Phillies organization's Triple-A club, totaled four hits off six Reading Double-A pitchers, but the two early bombs were more than enough to assure the victory.

Cervanek hit a second-inning solo homer off Carlos Carrasco, the top prospect in the Phillies organization.  Snelling followed with a three-run shot -- all three runs were unearned -- off Carrasco, who took the loss.

The victory went to Kevin Beirne, the second of four Lehigh Valley pitchers.  The teams combined for nine hits and five errors.  Jason Jaramillo, who added a solo home run in the sixth and a single in the eighth for the Pigs, was the only player with more than one hit.

J.D. Durbin got the start for the Pigs and allowed a run and a hit in four innings, with three strikeouts and a walk.

 PHILLERS:  Thanks to Capital BlueCross, proceeds from Tuesday night's ticket sales will benefit the Reading Phillies Baseballtown Charities. . . . The last exhibition game held at FirstEnergy Stadium was on May 8, 2000, when the R-Phils defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 behind a Pete Rose Jr. grand slam. . . . The Reading Phillies are wearing newly designed uniforms this season and on a new home playing surface.  All 104,000 square feet of grass on the field is brand new and 100 percent Kentucky Bluegrass. . . . The R-Phils were 10-3-4 in Florida spring training games; the IronPigs were 6-9-4. . . . Andrew Carpenter is slated to pitch the R-Phils opener Thursday at Altoona. . . . Catcher Tim Gradoville, starting his fourth season in Reading and first as a player-coach, suited up for the Pigs Tuesday night.

This story was posted on April 1, 2008