(July 29, 2021 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution rallied from down five and used another big inning late in the game to break a tie in an exciting 12-10 victory over the Lexington Legends on Thursday night at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs take two of three in the series and win two of their three series on a now completed nine-game homestand. York hits the road for the next nine beginning with three more against Lexington as the Revs make their first visit to Kentucky on Friday night.
Both teams displayed home run power to open the scoring in the second inning. After back-to-back walks to Derek Reddy and Omar Artsen, Tillman Pugh went yard to left center for a 3-0 Lexington lead. A half inning later, JC Encarnacion answered with his own solo shot to left, getting York on the board at 3-1.
Lexington expanded their lead with two runs in the third. After a leadoff single from Ben Aklinski, Jordan Pacheco batted him in with a double to center and moved to third on a throw to the plate. Pacheco later scored on a wild pitch for the 5-1 advantage.
Roberto Baldoquin led off the fifth with a home run to left-center, pushing the Legends lead to five at 6-1.
In the home half of the fifth, York exploded with a seven-run frame on nine hits, including eight consecutive which tied a franchise record. Osmy Gregorio led off the inning with a line drive double to left field. Legends starter Christian Friedrich quickly retired the next two before the rally began. Plating Gregorio from second, James Harris belted a double off the left-center field wall for the first run of the inning. Wasting little time, Jack Kenley legged out an RBI triple to right center. Melky Mesa followed with an infield hit to score Kenley, beating a close throw from Chris Fornaci at third. Advancing Mesa to second and extending his hitting streak to 13 games in-a-row, Nellie Rodriguez drilled a single to left. Carlos Castro stepped to the plate delivering a first pitch, pinch-hit RBI single to left, and Encarnacion crushed an RBI double to left-center for a 6-6 tie. Gregorio headed to the plate for the second time in the inning, this time with runners at second and third, and delivered his second hit of the night on a base hit to left, scoring both runners to give York an 8-6 lead. Andrew Dundon collected an infield hit for the Revs’ eighth consecutive hit before the side was retired.
The Legends continued to put up a fight with runs in the sixth through the eighth. For the sixth inning run, Cole Sturgeon reached on a triple to right and scored on a ground out from Aklinksi, drawing Lexington within a run. Pacheco led off the seventh with a single, moved to second on an error, and stole third before ultimately scoring on a wild pitch for the second time with two outs and two strikes, tying the game at 8-8.
The Revs responded with one final haymaker, landing a four-run blow in the bottom of the seventh. Rodriguez and pinch-hitter Josue Herrera worked walks from reliever Jeremy Jeffress while Encarnacion (4-for-5) singled to left, loading the bases with no outs. A strike out and a force play at the plate had Jeffress on the cusp of escaping the inning, but Tyler Hill came through with a clutch two-run single to right-center, propelling the Revs back on top at 10-8. After a walk to Harris, Kenley greeted reliever Rob Carson with a two-run double down the left field line, giving York a 12-8 lead.
Pacheco brought Lexington within 12-9 on a two-out RBI single to left in the eighth, but Encarnacion made an outstanding diving catch on a liner in right-center, robbing Baldoquin and preserving the lead as two runners were stranded.
Sturgeon served an RBI double down the left field line with two outs in the ninth and the Legends would have had the tying runs in scoring position, but Pete Yorgen was thrown out attempting to score for the game’s final out as Mesa fired a perfect one-hop strike from the left field corner to catcher Lenin Rodriguez who lunged to apply the tag, securing the wild victory.
York begins a nine-game road trip Friday night with the first of three in Lexington at 7:05 p.m. Eduardo Rivera (2-2, 2.22) will make his first start of the year after pitching 5.2 scoreless relief innings Saturday vs. Long Island. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and the WOYK YouTube channel beginning at 6:45 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
Notes: The seven-run fifth came within one run of matching the Revs’ largest inning of the season, while the nine hits in the inning came within one of tying a franchise record. York registered eight consecutive hits for the fourth time in franchise history and first time since August 25, 2012 at Somerset. Jim Fuller picked up his league-leading 14th save. Rodriguez’ 13-game hitting streak is within one of matching his own season-opening streak for the Revs’ longest of the season.
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