(September 4, 2018) — Mitch Atkins struck out 10 batters through seven dominant innings and led the York Revolution to a 4-1 win over the Road Warriors on Tuesday night at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs move to six games over .500 on the season at 60-54 and 28-23 in the second half.
Atkins allowed a leadoff double to Osvaldo Martinez to start the game, but retired each of the next eight batters he faced.
Ryan Dent gave the Revs a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when he blasted a two-out solo home run over the Arch Nemesis in left off Road Warriors starter Andres Caceres. It was Dent’s 15th homer of the season and third in his last four games.
The Road Warriors came back in the top of the third when Martinez drilled a two-out solo homer to left-center to tie the game at 1-1.
After Jared Mitchell reached on an error by Road Warriors second baseman Melvin Rodriguez in the fifth, Henry Castillo ripped an RBI double down the third base line to give the Revs the lead again at 2-1.
The Revs tacked on two more runs in the sixth. Welington Dotel hit a broken-bat RBI single up the middle and Dent added a two-out RBI single up the middle to make it 4-1 Revs.
Atkins was locked in early and ran with the lead he was spotted. He retired 11 straight batters after the Martinez homer in the third with four strikeouts during that stretch.
Atkins (12-6) finished the night after seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He earned his league-leading 12th win and team-high 13th quality start.
James Pugliese needed just seven pitches to log a 1-2-3 eighth inning, holding the Revs’ 4-1 lead.
Dustin Richardson worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his second save of the season.
Caceres (2-4) was pulled from the game after five and one-third innings. He allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk, and took the loss.
Notes: Atkins becomes the first pitcher in Revs history to record three separate 10+ strikeout games. It’s the eighth time in Revs history that a pitcher has recorded 10+ strikeouts and 0 walks in a start. Atkins is the second Revs pitcher to record 10+ strikeouts and 0 walks twice, joining Ryan Baerlocher (2007). Atkins is the first Atlantic League pitcher to 12 wins this season. He is the sixth pitcher to win at least 12 games in a season in team history, as his 12 victories are tied for fifth most in a single season. Atkins now has 127 strikeouts, 24 more than the next closest active pitcher in the league; that total already ranks fourth in Revs history for a single season, 12 shy of the franchise record of 139 (Chris Cody, 2013). It was his 14th start with one walk or fewer (fourth consecutive), and sixth start with no walks this season. It was his ninth start with at least seven strikeouts. Atkins has now worked 6.0+ innings in eight straight starts (15 starts overall) and went 7.0+ innings for the seventh time this season. The Revs are 18-10 in their last 28 games; they’ve won eight of their last 10, 10 of 14 and 12 of 17. Dent became the 3rd Rev this season to reach the 50-RBI mark when he hit a solo home run in the second inning. Castillo has eight RBIs in his last 10 games.
Up Next: The Revs and Road Warriors will play a single-admission doubleheader (two 7-inning games) starting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Game 1: Revs RHP Joe Van Meter (4-3, 3.68) vs RW RHP Alberto Rodriguez (1-4, 5.21). Game 2: Revs LHP Robert Carson (9-6, 3.43) vs RW RHP Mariel Checo (0-1, 4.07). Kids eat free with a voucher available at PeoplesBank Financial Centers. It is also PeoplesBank Client Appreciation Night. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
Story by Michael Marcantonini
Broadcaster/Media Relations Asst.
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