(August 29th, 2023 – York, Pa.): Andrew Cabezas allowed just an unearned run in his return to the mound but the York Revolution were dealt just their second shutout defeat all season, dropping their series opener 2-0 to the Long Island Ducks on Tuesday night at WellSpan Park.
It was a pitchers’ duel as both starters were strong out of the gate. York mustered only two hits offensively through the first five innings against Ducks starter Ian Clarkin, while Cabezas held Long Island to just one unearned run, an RBI single by Sam Travis after a leadoff error in the third.
Holding a 1-0 lead, the Ducks got a one-out single in the sixth that ended Cabezas’ day after 101 pitches in his first outing in 12 days. Lefty Zach Neff came in and was greeted with a single by Joe DeCarlo, but retired Jonathan Guzman on a ground out and got a spectacular over-the-shoulder grab from second baseman Richard Urena on a bloop off the bat of Scott Kelly to the end in the inning, preventing two runs from scoring.
Cabezas (1-4) finished with a final line of 5.1 innings, four hits, one unearned run, two walks and three strikeouts.
The Revs saw a potential turning point after Neff’s escape in the sixth, as Tomo Otosaka drilled a leadoff double to left center in the bottom half. Otosaka took third on a fly out to right by Drew Mendoza before Clarkin registered a strikeout for the second out. Clarkin (3-3) handed it over to right-hander Franklin Van Gurp with the tying run at third, and the Ducks’ reliever got out of the inning after Troy Stokes Jr. hit a ball 109 mph off the bat right at Guzman at third base for an inning-ending lineout.
Carlos Espinal fired a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the Revs and Nelvin Correa authored a scoreless eighth, stranding a pair of Ducks runners to keep it a 1-0 margin.
York threatened again with a pair of walks in the bottom of the seventh, but side-armer Jack Anderson came in and jammed Trent Giambrone who grounded to shortstop to end the inning with runners at the corners.
Big league veteran Al Alburquerque entered to face the Revs in the eighth and allowed hard singles by Mendoza and Stokes Jr. but got an inning-ending punch out to strand both.
The Ducks got an insurance run on a Ruben Tejada RBI double to left off Emilker Guzman in the top of the ninth, plating Kelly from first who had reached on a leadoff hit by pitch.
Jose Jose closed the shutout for the Ducks with the save in the ninth, setting the Revs down in short order as the Revs suffered their first shutout loss since June 20 at Charleston (also a 2-0 final).
Entering play, York had been one of just two teams in the league, along with Gastonia, to only be shut out one time all season.
The Revs will look to rebound on Wednesday with a twi-night doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. York lefty Nick Raquet (11-7, 3.79) faces Long Island’s Justin Alintoff (2-1, 4.66) in the opener which will have the Revs playing as the visiting team due to a rainout at Long Island on July 16. It is Winning Wednesday presented by PA Lottery, Bark in the Park presented by Cover Six Canines, and First Capital Federal Credit Union Customer Appreciation Night. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
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