(July 9, 2024 – Central Islip, NY): Donovan Casey belted his second grand slam of the week, but the York Revolution dropped the opening game of a six-game road trip, 10-5 to the Long Island Ducks on Tuesday night at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.
Long Island jumped to an early lead in the bottom of the first as Ivan Castillo singled to right and Jackie Bradley Jr launched a two-run homer to center, leading 2-0 after two at-bats. Ryan McBroom later lined a solo homer off the left field foul pole as the Ducks built themselves an immediate 3-0 advantage.
The Revs thrust themselves in front in a big way in the third. York loaded the bases on singles from Kobe Kato and Ciaran Devenney and a walk by Matt McDermott. That set up Atlantic League RBI leader and Revs single half RBI record holder Casey who launched his second grand slam in five games and fourth home run in the last five on a 455-foot blast to left center, putting the Revs on top 4-3. It extended his hitting streak and consecutive game RBI streak to 10 games in the process.
Long Island answered with a run in the fourth as Aaron Antonini provided their third seeing-eye hit of the inning on a grounder through the left side, plating a run to make it 4-4.
York went back in front, 5-4 in the fifth, scoring when Antonini dropped a pop up in shallow right. An out was made at second as he recovered to throw in time for a force, as the one run was all York could manage from a bases loaded threat.
The Ducks seized control a half inning later. Bradley Jr ignited a five-run outburst with a leadoff single to right and Frank Schwindel connected on a go-ahead two-run homer to left center. Revs starter Zach Neff (4-4) was lifted with two on and one out, and reliever Alex Valverde was unable to strand those inherited runners as a bloop single loaded the bases, and Antonini received a two-out walk to force in a run. Castillo provided a backbreaker with a two-run single into right, extending Long Island’s lead to 9-5 before being picked off by Valverde to end the inning.
Chance Sisco tacked on one more run with a solo homer to right center in the sixth.
Long Island’s bullpen retired its first 10 batters faced before Kato reached on an infield single with one out in the ninth.
York righty Brett Schulze stranded two in a scoreless seventh in his debut while Will Stewart fired a scoreless eighth.
The Revs (43-23) have dropped three straight for just the second time all season and first time in nearly two months (May 12-15). They had gone 33-12 in the 45 games in between those two three-game slides.
York will look to even the series Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. as RHP Michael Horrell squares off with Stephen Woods Jr. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and FloBaseball.TV beginning at 6:15 p.m.
Notes: Casey has 21 RBI in his last eight games and now leads the league with 81 total RBI on the season.
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