(August 12, 2018) – The York Revolution were forced to settle for a four-game split with the Long Island Ducks, dropping a 6-5 walk-off decision in front of 4,382 fans at Bethpage Ballpark on Sunday night. The Revs have an off-day on Monday, and return home to PeoplesBank Park to host the New Britain Bees in the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday evening.
York took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, only to see the Ducks plate the final five unanswered runs. Each of the final three games in the series saw the lead change hands in the late innings, but after winning the first two of the four-game visit, the Revs were handed losses each of the final two nights, losing leads in the eighth inning both times.
York struck early, scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Jared Mitchell and Melky Mesa set the table with a pair of one-out singles, and Telvin Nash lined an RBI double to right field to plate the game's first run. Welington Dotel added an RBI ground out as the Revs held an early 2-0 lead.
Revs starter Logan Williamson was sharp again, limiting the Ducks to one run on four hits over six innings of work.
Williamson issued a pair of walks to begin his outing, but struck out Lew Ford and retired Taylor Ard on a double play for a scoreless first. The lefty stranded two more in the second, and allowed only a run on a two-out infield single by Ard in the third, settling in and seemingly getting stronger as the game went on.
Up 2-1, the Revs extended their lead with three runs in the fifth. Henry Castillo and Mitchell drew walks to set things up, and with one out, Mesa stroked a check swing RBI double to right, with another run coming home as right fielder Miles Williams' throw sailed up the left field line. Mesa hustled to third on the play, and scored as Nash laced an RBI single to left past a drawn-in infield for a 5-1 lead.
The Revs missed a golden opportunity to potentially put the game away in the top of the seventh. Ducks lefty Jake Zokan, making his Atlantic League debut, issued three consecutive walks with one out to load the bases and fell behind Travis Witherspoon on a 2-0 count. Zokan came back to strike out Witherspoon, and retired Ryan Dent on a deep drive to center field, leaving the bases loaded.
Estarlin Arias ran into immediate trouble in the bottom of the seventh, issuing three consecutive walks of his own to load the bases with no outs. The Revs reliever retired Jordany Valdespin on a fly ball to shallow center for the first out, but Daniel Fields came through with a two-run single to right, slicing York's lead in half. Ford legged out an attempted double play turn, allowing another run to score as York's lead was slashed to 5-4.
Williams led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to right-center against Revs righty Michael Click, and pinch-hitter Travis Snider worked his way on base with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt by Dioner Navarro, a walk to Anthony Vega loaded the bases, and David Washington lined a sac fly to left field, tying the game at 5-5.
York threatened with two outs in the ninth as Dotel reached on an infield single and took second on a throwing error by Valdespin at second base. Dotel stole third, but was stranded there as Logan Ondrusek notched an inning-ending strikeout.
Fields set things in motion for the Ducks in the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff walk off York right-hander Junior Rincon. Ford followed with a base hit up the middle, and after Fields stole third to force the infield in, Ard capped the Ducks' comeback with a walk-off single to right field.
Long Island scored the final five runs of the game as York's bullpen combined to allow all five of those runs on four hits and six walks in two-plus innings.
Conversely, York rapped seven hits and scored all five of its runs off Ducks starter Hector Silvestre, but managed only one hit, Dotel's infield hit with two outs in the ninth, over 4.2 innings against the Long Island bullpen.
Notes: Williamson has allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of his last eight outings; he owns a 1.81 ERA (44.2 IP, 9 ER) in eight outings (seven starts) since June 29 with four of those nine runs coming in one inning (his ERA is 1.03 over his other 43.2 IP on that stretch). Mesa (3-for-5) picked up his fifth game of three hits or more on the season. Nash (2-for-4) drove in two and has 14 RBI in his first 10 games with York in 2018; his double gives him nine extra-base hits. Tuesday is WellSpan Sports Medicine Silver Sluggers Tuesday. The night features Senior Fair presented by UPMC Pinnacle with activities for seniors 55+, free health screenings, a Greatest Hits Flashback Concert, free Carousel rides, senior deals for merchandise in the First Capital Federal Credit Union Team Store, and Post-game "Seniors Stroll the Bases". Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
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