(May 30, 2019 – New Britain, CT): The York Revolution rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh inning but it was all washed away in a rain-shortened 3-0 loss to the New Britain Bees on Thursday night at New Britain Stadium. The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, reverting the score back to the last completed inning. York suffers a four-game sweep at New Britain as the Bees have now won nine straight. The Revs return home to open a three-game series against the Long Island Ducks on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
The Revs were unable to solve Bees starter Anthony Marzi (1-1) through six innings as the lefty held York to just three singles and faced one over the minimum. Alexi Casilla bunted for a base hit in the top of the fourth for the Revs’ first knock, and Isaias Tejeda and Henry Castillo both singled in the fifth but Tejeda was thrown out trying to stretch a double and Castillo’s single was followed by the second double play rolled by Marzi.
Things took a dramatic turn in the top of the seventh as conditions were worsening. Casilla led off with bouncing single through the right side and Melky Mesa jumped on a first pitch single to left. Telvin Nash drove a deep fly ball toward the 400 foot marker in dead center field but center fielder Alejandro De Aza ran it down before falling at the base of the wall for the first out. Tejeda followed with a walk to load the bases, forcing Marzi’s departure. Reliever Devin Burke struck out Castillo for the second out, but J.P. Sportman lined a bases clearing three-run triple that knuckled past De Aza in center and all the way to the warning track. Nate Coronado followed with an opposite field two-run homer to right as the Revs suddenly led 5-3 in dramatic fashion.
York starter Mitch Atkins quickly recorded the first two outs, but after jumping ahead of Darren Ford, allowed a solo homer to left-center which cut the lead to 5-4 and prompted his exit after a season-high 95 pitches and 6.2 innings. Jarret Martin entered needing one out for a potential victory, but with heavy rain muddying the playing field at a rapid rate, struggled to find the strike zone and walked all three batters faced. As Taylor Motter made his way toward the plate, home plate umpire and crew chief Manolo Alejandro called for the tarp, halting the proceedings. Once play was called for the night, all stats from the seventh inning were wiped off the board, and the score reverted to the 3-0 New Britain lead at the end of the previous fully completed inning.
The Bees scored in the bottom of the first as De Aza lined an RBI single that nicked off the tip of Nash’s glove on a leaping attempt at first base. Jonathan Galvez added to the lead with an opposite field solo homer to right-center in the fourth, interrupting a stretch on which Atkins retired 13 out of 14 batters.
Galvez added an RBI single that nailed the very top of the left field fence in the sixth.
Atkins (1-3) was charged with three runs on five hits over six innings, while walking one and striking out seven in the hard-luck defeat.
Notes: Atkins has walked just three batters and has struck out 27 in five starts. He has walked just one in his last three starts. He tied a season-high with seven strike outs for the third time and now has 164 strike outs in his Revs career, tying Ty’Relle Harris for 10th-most in franchise history. York righty Matthew Grimes (1-3, 2.80) faces Long Island right-hander Joe Iorio (1-0, 1.29) in Friday’s opener. It is a Boomer’s Book Club Night presented by Harrisburg University. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
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