(September 10, 2019 – Central Islip, NY): Carlos Franco cracked another opposite field home run but it was the only offense for the York Revolution in a 3-1 loss to the Long Island Ducks on Tuesday night in front of 4,652 fans at Bethpage Ballpark. The Revs have dropped the opening two games of their road trip but remain 3.5 games ahead in first place at 34-24 in the second half, with a magic number of nine to clinch a second half division title.
York fell behind early as Deibinson Romero launched a two-run homer to left-center in the bottom of the first to open the scoring.
Daniel Fields added a solo shot just left of the batter’s eye with two outs in the second as the Ducks led 3-0 early.
Revs starter Dan Minor (7-9) allowed nothing else in logging his second straight quality start, working all the way into the seventh inning. Minor allowed just three runs while working around 10 hits in 6.1 innings with one walk and six strike outs.
He was bested by Long Island lefty Brian Matusz who took a one-hit shutout into the seventh. Matusz retired the first nine batters before Justin Trapp singled to left leading off the fourth. Matusz (2-2) responded by setting down the next seven Revs batters and 11 of the next 12 with only Henry Castillo reaching on an error during that stretch.
Franco busted up the shut out with an opposite field home run to left-center with two outs in the seventh, his 12th of the season and 11th since just July 23. It was his seventh consecutive homer to leave to the opposite field.
That home run chased Matusz after allowing just his second hit. He became the second Ducks starter in as many games in the series to strike out nine without walking a batter.
Righty Anderson DeLeon entered to finish the seventh but was met with an immediate jam in the eighth as Zach Sullivan led off with a ground rule double to deep left-center and James Skelton walked. Castillo sacrificed both runners ahead, but DeLeon retired Justin Trapp on a fly out and Cody Mincey entered to strike out Welington Dotel swinging, stranding the tying two runners in scoring position.
Revs lefty Orleny Quiroz struck out Lew Ford to strand runners at the corners in the seventh and Robert Carson worked his ninth consecutive scoreless outing in the eighth to keep York within striking distance.
The Revs threatened again in the top of the ninth as Telvin Nash led off with a single to left and Melky Mesa doubled down the left field line putting the tying two runs in scoring position with no outs. Mincey came back to retire the next three batters, however, on a comebacker, a strike out, and a pop up for his third save.
Notes: York was shut out on just seven hits through the first 15.2 innings of the series and has totaled just one run on 11 hits in 18 innings while striking out 23 times in two games. The Revs have scored just five runs in 43 innings over their last five games at Bethpage Ballpark, all losses. It’s the first time the Revs have been held to a combined one run or fewer in consecutive games since being shut out in back-to-back games, May 15-16. York righty Duke von Schamann (8-6, 3.39) faces Ducks right hander Scott Richmond (1-0, 11.25) on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and WOYK on YouTube beginning at 6:15 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
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