Final score: Trenton 3, Reading 2

Synopsis: Sean Black and Jeremy Bleich pitched valiantly for 8 2/3 innings, Cesar Cabral got a huge out in the ninth, and Jeff Farnham drove in the game-winning score to give the Thunder a victory and keep the game from heading to extras. 

What went right: Reading seems to be the cure for what ails the Thunder. They've won three straight against the Fightin Phils and have looked quite good doing so. Not surprisingly, they also haven't made an error in those three games. 

During their winning streak, Trenton has held Reading to just four runs on 19 hits, seven walks and has fanned 22 hitters. 

Obviously, the star of today's game was Farnham, who was tasked with being the only catcher (Shane Brown, just activated off the DL before the game, was the backup catcher). Not only did he ably guide Black, Bleich and Cabral through the game, but he also collected the game-winning hit off of Mike Nesseth in the ninth. 

Getting a win was great motivation for sure, but so was getting to finally hang up his catcher's gear for the day and finally chill after a nasty, humid day on the banks of the Delaware. 

"I was starting to feel it in that ninth inning," he said. "You're sitting there thinking and your mind starts wandering and you're wondering 'Is this going to go three more hours?' It was definitely a good time to get a hit and get it done."

Considering how little he's gotten to play this year, moments like this are big for Farnham, a fact that wasn't lost on his manager: 

“Couldn’t be happier for the guy,” manager Tony Franklin said. “This guy does everything we ask of him. He’s always finding himself in a backup role, and when we ask him to play he goes in and does a very good job.”

It's also important to note the hustle of Jose Pirela to start the inning. He slapped what looked like a routine single to right but hustled out of the box and made it into second with a mad dash. Franklin wasn't sending Pirela -- he just decided out of the box that he was going to get himself a double. 

“That’s hustle,” Franklin said. “I very seldom tell these guys what to do on the bases. I don’t think they need base coaches. I think their instincts are good enough.”

Picks to Click: Here is my game story from Sunday's action. 

Flicks to Click: Here is a short highlight reel from Sunday's action.