The York Revolution received another outstanding start from right-hander Matthew Grimes, but were held quiet offensively for most of the night in a 3-2 loss to the Somerset Patriots on Wednesday evening at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs suffer a sweep to the Patriots, falling to 4-8, while Somerset, the league’s hottest team, improves to 9-2 having won seven straight. York will look to rebound when it hosts the High Point Rockers for the first time ever in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
In his third start of 2019, Grimes worked five and a third solid innings, allowing just one unearned run on four hits. He has now allowed just one earned run over 16.1 innings on the season, good for a 0.55 ERA.
On the other side, Patriots starter Logan Darnell worked a perfect first but left the game during the first at-bat in the bottom of the second due to an upper body injury. Nate Roe worked a 1-2-3 second inning after replacing Darnell.
The Revolution got to Roe in bottom of the third inning. After recording the first two outs, Roe allowed the Revs’ first hit of the game when James Skelton hit an infield single toward third. Justin Trapp followed with a line drive single into left field to give the Revs two runners on with two outs. Henry Castillo answered the call with a clutch two-out RBI single to right to plate Skelton and give the Revs a 1-0 lead. Melky Mesa jumped on board the two-out base hit train when he lined a single of his own to left-center to score Trapp and push the lead to 2-0.
Grimes was dealing all game as he didn't face any major threats until the top of the sixth inning. After Alfredo Rodriguez led off the inning by reaching on an error, Grimes retired Ramon Flores on a swinging bunt. Will Kengor stepped in next and delivered yet another extra base hit, doubling to right-center to score Rodriguez and cut the York lead to 2-1. Reliever Peter Tago was called on to relieve Grimes and answered by striking out the next two Patriots he faced to preserve a 2-1 lead.
The Pats rallied again in the top of the seventh as Mike Fransoso led off the inning with a single to left-center and Steve Nyisztor was hit by a pitch while attempting a sacrifice bunt to give the Patriots runners on first and second with no outs. Gabriel Bracamonte dropped down a sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position, and with the infield pulled in, Craig Massey smacked a ground ball through the hole at first and second to tie the game at 2-2. The Patriots took their first lead of the game when Flores beat out a double play attempt to register a fielder’s choice RBI, giving the Patriots their first lead of the game at 3-2.
The Revs threatened in the ninth when Isaias Tejeda led off the inning with a single, but closer Mike Antonini recorded a strike out and a double play ball to pick up the save for the Patriots.
York’s offense managed just three hits after the third inning as Somerset notched its second one-run victory of the series.
Notes: Tejeda (2-for-4) extended his hitting streak to six consecutive games and now has 12 hits in his last 22 at-bats. Ian Thomas worked his fifth consecutive scoreless outing and Jarret Martin handled his third straight scoreless outing at the back end of the Revs’ bullpen. The Revs’ tough start comes as nine of the first 12 games have been played against teams with the top two records in the league (Somerset and Long Island). York righty Daniel Minor gets the ball on Thursday against High Point. It is a Boomer’s Book Club Night presented by Harrisburg University. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
Recap by Brett Pietrzak
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