(June 9, 2018) — The York Revolution’s game-tying eighth-inning rally fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Long Island Ducks Saturday night in front of 4,427 fans at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs have dropped their last two games after winning the series opener on Thursday.
Before the game, Revs scheduled starter Zac Grotz had his contract purchased by the New York Mets organization, so lefty reliever Robert Carson was tabbed for the spot start.
Carson opened the night with two no-hit innings, but the Ducks scored first for the second straight night when Travis Snider brought home two runs on a single to right field in the top of the third. Lew Ford followed with an RBI fielder’s choice to make it 3-0 Ducks. Two of the three runs were unearned after a fielding error by Carson on a slowly hit ground ball to start the inning.
Carson settled in after that, retiring the final eight batters he faced. He logged back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth, and turned the game over to the bullpen after five innings with the game still 3-0, after five strikeouts and only three hits allowed.
The Revs lineup woke up in the bottom of the fifth when Ryan Dent doubled to deep center off Ducks starter John Brownell to lead off the frame. Dent came around to score on Jared Mitchell’s RBI fielder’s choice grounder to make it a 3-1 game.
Luke Westphal relieved Carson and retired all six batters he faced. Ricardo Gomez took over in the eighth and worked a scoreless inning of his own.
The Revs made a bid at tying the game in the seventh when Mitchell ripped a shot to the gap in right-center, but Snider came up with a full-extension diving catch to save two runs.
With the game still 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth, the Revs got to the Ducks bullpen. Alexi Casilla, who was hit by a pitch to start the inning, stole second, got to third on a groundout and came around to score on a Michael Burgess single to right. The Revs tied the game two batters later on Rubi Silva’s single to right to make it 3-3.
But in the top of the ninth, Taylor Ard plated pinch-runner Anthony Vega, who stole second and third, with a two-out line drive single to left to give the Ducks a 4-3 lead off Junior Rincon.
After Ducks closer Francisco Rodriguez struck out the first two batters of the bottom of the ninth, Mitchell doubled to the left field corner to keep the game alive. The double extended Mitchell’s hitting streak to 15 games. Casilla was up as the winning run but grounded out to first on the next pitch to end the game.
Rincon (0-2) suffered the loss and Ducks reliever Dennis O’Grady (2-1) earned the win. The save was "K-Rod"’s eighth of the season.
The Revs and Ducks play the finale of the four-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. Left-hander Pat McCoy will start for the Revs while the Ducks will go with righty Matt Larkins. It is Cancer Survivor Day presented by Visiting Angels and Princess Day. There will be a Crab Feast in the Bullpen Balcony catered by Captain Bob's Crabs. It is also a Boomer's Book Club Day presented by Harrisburg University and $1 Dog Day courtesy of Hatfield Quality Meats. It is Sunday Funday presented by Weis Markets with a pre-game autograph session and catch on the field and post-game kids run the bases. 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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