(September 13, 2019 – Lancaster, Pa.): Melky Mesa launched a dramatic game-tying home run to right-center in the top of the ninth inning but it was not enough as the York Revolution dropped their series opener 9-8 to the Lancaster Barnstormers on Friday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The Revs remain 4.5 games ahead for first place with nine to play in the Freedom Division second half and lowered their magic number to five with a Sugar Land loss on Friday evening.
York’s offense picked up right where it left off in a late-game comeback on Thursday at Long Island as the bats exploded for six runs in the top of the first. Welington Dotel slapped a one-out single up the middle and immediately stole second. Telvin Nash followed with a walk to set the table. Lancaster starter John Anderson retired Isaias Tejeda, but threw a wild pitch in the process to move the runners to second and third. Mesa came through with a clutch two-RBI single to right-center to give the Revs an early 2-0 lead. Carlos Franco followed with a single to keep the line moving. The next batter, Ryan Dent, extended the York lead to 3-0 with an RBI single to right. Newly-acquired second baseman Emmanuel Marrero introduced himself to the Atlantic League by blasting a three-run home run to deep left field to extend the lead to 6-0.
Revs starter Austin Nicely tossed a scoreless first inning in his first Atlantic League start.
Both starters traded scoreless frames into the bottom the fourth when the Barnstormers cut into the York lead as K.C. Hobson recorded a two-out RBI single and Caleb Gindl hit a three-run home run to right to make it 6-4 after four innings.
Lancaster tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a Darian Sandford RBI ground out, cutting the lead to 6-5.
The Revs responded with a run in the top of the sixth thanks to an RBI double to right-center from Tejeda, his league-leading and Revs record 40th two-bagger of the season, driving the lead to 7-5.
Lancaster’s offense rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Gindl lined a one-out single to center and Melvin Mercedes walked to set the table. Joe Terdoslavich and Parker Morin recorded back-to-back RBI singles to tie the game at 7-7. After Michael Martinez walked to load the bases, Josh Bell hit a weak RBI groundout back to reliever Josh Judy to give Lancaster an 8-7 lead.
Lancaster called upon closer Scott Shuman to try and slam the door in the ninth. Mesa messed up that plan as he hammered a one-out solo home run to right center field tying the game at 8-8
The Barnstormers acted quickly in the bottom of the ninth, however as Sandford singled and stole second before Hobson lined a walk-off double to right-center, giving Lancaster the 9-8 victory.
Recap by Brett Pietrzak
Notes: The Revs fall to 8-6 on the season in War of the Roses play against the Barnstormers. The six-run first inning marked the fifth time this season the Revs have scored five or more in the first inning of a game. Dotel stole three bases giving him 34 on the season, matching Travis Witherspoon (2016) for third-most in a season in club history. He now has 53 in his Revs career, moving past Eric Patterson into fifth all-time. Marrero becomes the 10th player in Revs history to go yard in his Revs debut and fifth to do so in his first plate appearance. Tejeda’s 40 doubles are tied for sixth-most in a season in league history and are the most since Jovan Rosa (New Britain) totaled 40 doubles in 2017. Nash scored twice, joining Scott Grimes (2010) as the second player in Revs history to total 100 runs scored in a season. Nash walked twice, giving him 96 walks on the year, five shy of matching the league’s single-season record. Mesa’s home run was his 19th this season and 39th of his Revs career, moving past Patterson and Michael Burgess into ninth on the franchise’s all-time list.
Up Next: York righty Mitch Atkins (10-5, 2.90) faces Lancaster right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo (2-11, 4.98) on Saturday at 6:30 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 6:10 p.m. with Darrell Henry & Brett Pietrzak on the call.
Roster Moves: The Revs made a flurry of roster moves on Friday. York activated left-handed starter Austin Nicely whose rights were acquired from Evansville of the Frontier League for a player to be named later, along with infielder Emmanuel Marrero whose rights were acquired from Lake Erie of the Frontier League. Reliever Phil Walby was activated after missing the series at Long Island due to illness. The Revs released right-handed pitchers Ricky Eusebio, Ricky Schafer, and Joe Jones.
CLICK HERE FOR BOX SCORE
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO MONDAY’S HOME GAME VS. LONG ISLAND