(September 8th, 2023 – York, Pa.): Andrew Cabezas struck out a career-high 10 batters and Tomo Otosaka headlined the offense by going yard for the second straight night as the York Revolution defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, 5-1 on Friday evening at WellSpan Park. The game was called in the top of the eighth inning due to rain.
The Revs entered play 3.5 games back of Lancaster coming into the final homestand of the regular season, a nine-gamer.
Cabezas set the tone early by striking out the side to strand two in the first.
York opened the scoring in the second inning. Alexis Pantoja singled up the middle advancing Jacob Rhinesmith to third with two outs, and with Pantoja stealing second, a wild pitch brought home Rhinesmith for a 1-0 Revs lead.
Cabezas struck out the side in order in the top of the third, and York rallied for another run offensively in the bottom half. Otosaka bunted for a hit, tying a Revs single season record with his 16th bunt hit of the year (James Shanks, 2010). Drew Mendoza reached on an infield single, and with one out, Troy Stokes Jr. was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nellie Rodriguez roped one past the shortstop for an RBI single, driving home Otosaka to make it 2-0 York.
Lancaster got its only run against Cabezas in the top of the fourth on a Shawon Dunston Jr. ground out with a runner on third, cutting the lead to 2-1. Rodriguez made a great running grab on a foul pop up at first base to end the inning, stranding the tying run at third.
Cabezas also benefited from his defense in the fifth as Trey Martin made a leaping grab in deep right for the first out, and after singles put runners at the corners, Andretty Cordero grounded into a slick 5-4-3 double play turned by Mendoza to Richard Urena at second as the Barnstormers again left the tying run at third.
Barnstormer starter Brady Tedesco got through five innings allowing just two runs on eight hits in his Atlantic League debut before giving way to reliever Brandyn Sittinger who came in for the sixth. Pantoja greeted Sittinger with a leadoff ground rule double followed by an RBI single up the middle by Martin to make it 3-1. Martin stole his 41st bag of the season tying Otosaka for the league lead. Otosaka then stole the show, driving a two-run blast over the Arch Nemesis in left for his second long ball in the U.S. and second in as many nights, increasing the lead to 5-1.
Cabezas (3-4) struck out two more in the seventh, tossing a brilliant seven innings of one run ball with only one walk and a career high 10 strikeouts. It was the fourth double digit strikeout game by a Revs pitcher this season as teammate Nick Raquet had notched each of the previous three, most recently doing so on July 6 vs. Charleston. Cabezas threw 75 of his 103 pitches for strikes and has now walked just one compared to 17 strikeouts in 14.0 innings combined over his last two starts.
Zach Neff came in for the eighth and got two comebackers for the first two outs before rain started pouring down on WellSpan Park. After a 30-minute delay the game was called with the Revs taking the opener of the series and climbing back within 2.5 games of first place with eight to play.
Notes: Neff’s scoreless outing is his eighth in-a-row. Martin’s 41 steals are tied with Otosaka and Sean Smith (2014) for third most in a season in franchise history. Revs batters extended multiple individual consecutive game hitting streaks, including Martin (6), Mendoza (8), and Jhon Nunez (7). York is now 12-7 in this season’s War of the Roses series. It is the Revs’ first rain-shortened game since September 15, 2021 when they won a six-inning decision vs. Lancaster, 6-4. York had not had an in-game rain delay since June 27; the Revs were delayed in-game for just the fourth time all season. The win is the 599th for the Revs in the history of WellSpan Park, 95 of which have come against the Barnstormers. Raquet (12-7, 3.85) faces Lancaster’s Matt Swarmer (3-1, 3.62) in Saturday’s contest at 6:30 p.m. as the Revs go for the 600th win in ballpark history. It is Ag & Farm Night with Milk Chugging Contest presented by Apple Valley Creamery, Inside-the-Park Fireworks, and WellSpan Wellness Weekend: Heart & Vascular. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
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