(May 5th, 2023 – York, Pa.): It was a grand opening at newly-renamed WellSpan Park as the York Revolution shut out the Staten Island FerryHawks, 4-0 on Friday night in front of 5,868 fans on-hand for the Revs’ home opener. Starter Nick Raquet (2-0) was dominant and record-setting, combining on the shutout.
The Revs got things going early against FerryHawks starter Jordan Simpson (0-1), scoring a run in the second inning for an early lead. Singles from Troy Stokes Jr. and Jacob Rhinesmith set the table as Stokes Jr. went first-to-third on Rhinesmith’s hit, and scored on a Jalen Miller sacrifice fly to deep left field making it 1-0, Revs.
York took a 2-0 lead with another sacrifice fly in the third, this time by Trey Martin on a drive to deep left-center. It was set up by a leadoff walk to Alejandro Rivero and a Nellie Rodriguez single, advancing Rivero to third.
The Revs added to the lead in the sixth, taking advantage of walks and hit batsmen, scoring twice without a hit. Martin walked with one out to start the rally and Stokes Jr. was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Rhinesmith worked a walk to load the bases as lefty Alex Katz came on to relieve Christian Allegretti. Katz promptly hit Miller to force in a run, and on the next pitch plunked Ryan January forcing in another one. Katz caught a line drive comebacker and notched a strike out to leave the bases loaded, but the Revs’ lead grew to 4-0.
Raquet was dominant over seven shutout innings, yielding just two hits and no walks. He did not have a strikeout until the fourth inning as eight of his first nine outs came on ground balls, but after notching his first punchout, the K’s came in a torrent. Raquet set a new Revs record by striking out seven consecutive batters, breaking the mark of six set by Ryan Baerlocher in 2007 and Logan Williamson in 2015. He struck out the side in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings, finishing his outing by retiring his final 12 batters with 10 of those coming on strikeouts. Raquet lowered his ERA to just 0.69 through two starts.
Justin Goossen-Brown pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and induced a game ending 5-4-3 double play to cap a 13-pitch at-bat against Kevin Krause to end it in the ninth, combining on a three-hit shutout, the Revs’ first shutout win in a home opener since 2008.
Notes: Raquet’s strikeout total came one shy of his career-high and was the most by a Revs pitcher since teammate Jorge Martinez, Saturday night’s scheduled starter, fanned 10 Charleston Dirty Birds on July 28, 2022. It marks the 29th double-digit strikeout performance in Revs history and the 12th to come with no walks. It marked the ninth 10+ strikeout effort by a lefty in Revs history, the fourth with no walks, and the first since Ross Detwiler whiffed 11 Road Warriors on May 26, 2018. It is just the second double-digit strikeout performance in the league so far this season. The crowd of 5,868 is the largest at WellSpan Park since July 4, 2021, and is the most in a home opener since 2009. It marked the third largest Opening Day crowd in stadium history behind only the 2008 and 2009 openers.
Up Next: Martinez (0-1) faces Austin DeCarr in Saturday’s matchup at 6:30 p.m. It is Go Green Night presented by York County Solid Waste Authority featuring a Silicon Wine Glass Giveaway and postgame Inside-the-Park Fireworks. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
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