(June 4, 2024 – Charleston, WV):  Matt McDermott’s two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth gave the York Revolution a late lead, only to suffer a head-scratching walk-off 5-4 loss to the Charleston Dirty Birds in Tuesday evening’s series opener at GoMart Ballpark. The Revs (22-14) see their first-place lead in the North Division shrink to 1.5 games with the loss.

York jumped on top early as David Washington silenced the West Virginia crowd with a titanic solo homer to right leading off the second inning. His league-leading 12^th of the year and 82^nd of his Atlantic League career provided the Revs with a 1-0 lead.

McDermott led off the third with a walk and stole second, setting up the opportunity for the Revs to manufacture a second run. Rudy Martin Jr’s fly out advanced McDermott to third, from where he scored on Donovan Casey’s ground out to second base to make it a 2-0 game.

Revs starter Zach Neff held the Birds scoreless and without a hit through the first three frames, but Charleston got on the board in the fourth when Jonathan Soto served a two-out RBI single into shallow right, cutting the York lead to 2-1. The inning ended when McDermott pulled off the hidden ball trick from shortstop, tagging out an unaware Juan Santana at second base.

McDermott again sparked things in the fifth with a leadoff base hit to right. After moving to third on a wild pitch and a throwing error, McDermott was left there when Charleston’s drawn-in infield produced a ground out that kept the Revs’ leadoff man at third base. But Washington’s clutch two-out, two-strike single to right brought McDermott home as the lead grew to 3-1.

Neff found himself an out away from getting through five innings with the lead, but Clint Frazier’s two-out single to left prolonged the inning and Keon Barnum ripped a first pitch two-run double to right, tying the game at 3-3 and saddling Neff with a no-decision.

Both team’s bullpens dominated over the next several innings.

Revs righty Alex Valverde recorded the final out of the fifth and worked around a leadoff single for a scoreless sixth.

Will Stewart retired the side in order in the seventh in his first relief outing of the year, and Moises Lugo stranded a runner at third base with a pair of strikeouts for a scoreless eighth.

The Revs endured a stretch of 12 consecutive batters retired on the offensive side before Alfredo Reyes kept the ninth inning alive with a base hit to left. Pinch hitter Jacob Rhinesmith squibbed a jam shot single through the left side putting runners at the corners with two down, and McDermott came through in the clutch with a go-ahead RBI single up the middle for a 4-3 lead.

Matt Turner entered the night on a seven-appearance scoreless streak looking to close it out but issued a pair of walks to begin the inning while not seeing eye-to-eye with the home plate umpire on the strike zone and Delino DeShields Jr beat out a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.

Turner got a clutch grounder to short off the bat of Gabriel Cancel with the infield in. McDermott threw home for the force at the plate and catcher Paul Mondesi gunned down to third in plenty of time to retire Lyndon Weaver for what could have been a potential game-saving double play, but obstruction was called on McDermott as Weaver ran into the Revs’ shortstop despite McDermott simply being in the position from where he completed his defensive play and follow through on his throw home. Weaver was initially ruled safe, a determination that was upheld after an overly lengthy meeting between all three umpires. Revs manager Rick Forney, having taken one step toward the field in search of an explanation, was immediately ejected by third base umpire Greg Losh for his first ejection in two seasons as manager, being tossed almost immediately after the call was signaled as being upheld despite Forney still being just in front of the Revs dugout.

As the end of the game was suddenly marred with controversy, Frazier delivered a walk-off two-run double to left center as the Revs were dealt their first walk-off defeat of the season.

York will look to rebound with RHP Michael Horrell (1-1, 4.15) facing Charleston lefty Mack Lemieux (0-1, 3.44) 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 FloBaseball.TV beginning at 6:15 p.m.

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