(June 6, 2019 – High Point, NC): Dan Minor was brilliant through five innings and four relievers combined on a six-hit shutout as the York Revolution won the finale of their four-game series against the High Point Rockers, 4-0 on Thursday night at BB&T Point Ballpark. The Revs avoid a sweep and snap a three-game skid while halting High Point’s five-game winning streak. The road trip continues this weekend with a three-game series at Somerset.
Minor (3-3) allowed just three hits in five shutout innings, striking out six and walking none before bowing out with a blister.
The Revs did the bulk of their damage offensively in the top of the fourth, scoring three times on four extra-base hits against Rockers starter Seth Simmons (5-2), the league leader in opponents average and WHIP who entered the night on a four-game winning streak, having allowed just two runs in 27.0 innings over those four starts.
With the game scoreless, Melky Mesa got the fourth inning started by nailing a leadoff double to the gap in left-center. Isaias Tejeda followed by drilling an RBI double to deep left, plating Mesa for the game’s first run. It was the 149th RBI of Tejeda’s career in York, tying Bryan Pounds for ninth in franchise history. Welington Dotel kept things moving with an RBI triple to right-center past the diving attempt of right fielder Tyler Marincov. Dotel scored as James Skelton launched a sac fly to deep left-center to make it 3-0. Angelys Nina added a two-out double on a smash down the third base line before the inning concluded.
Minor came up with the shutdown inning he was seeking in the bottom half, working around a one-out double by Viosergy Rosa for a scoreless frame. Minor followed with a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth before turning it over to the bullpen.
Julio Perez retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth inning and Jameson McGrane allowed only a one-out double by Marincov for a scoreless seventh. Peter Tago handled a 1-2-3 eighth inning to push the lead into the ninth.
The Revs came up with an insurance run as Dotel hammered the first pitch of the ninth inning over the wall in right at the base of the videoboard for a solo home run, his first of the season, increasing the lead to 4-0. Dotel went 2-for-4 on the night with a triple, a homer, two RBI, and two runs scored.
Pat Young came on for the ninth inning and was greeted with a leadoff single through the right side by Brett Austin. Young fell behind Dante Bichette, Jr. but came back to strike out the league’s leading hitter swinging for the first out. A walk to Rosa and a single through the left side by Marincov loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate. Young induced a grounder to third off the bat of Stephen Cardullo as Nina handled the ground ball and fired to second where Alexi Casilla made the turn to first for a game-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Notes: Minor has allowed three earned runs or fewer in six of seven starts. He has now struck out 37 compared to just five walks in 32.1 innings on the season. Minor has recorded more strike outs than innings in five of seven starts; he struck out five in the first two innings of Thursday’s game including striking out the side in the second inning. Minor carried a shutout through at least three innings for the fifth time in seven starts and fourth time in the last five. McGrane worked a scoreless outing for the 11th time in his last 12 appearances, having allowed just one run in 10.0 innings since May 4. Young had allowed just two hits in his first 10 outings before giving up a pair of singles on Thursday night. The shutout win is the fourth of the year for the Revs. The Revs avoid a sweep by winning the finale for the second straight series. It is their first ever win against the expansion Rockers after dropping the first six meetings. The win snaps a nine-game road losing streak for the Revs which tied the second longest in Revs history and was the longest since a nine-gamer in 2012. Justin Trapp singled in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to a season-high six games while having hit safely in 11 of his last 12 contests. Alexi Casilla doubled in the first giving him a hit in seven straight games, 16 of his last 18, and 21 of 25 games overall on the season. J.P. Sportman went 2-for-5 with a double, giving him multiple hits including an extra-base hit for a third consecutive game; he now has five extra-base hits in his last six games. The Revs totaled five doubles, one shy of a season-high, including one double from each of the first four batters in the order. Revs starting pitchers have allowed three earned runs or fewer in 28 of 40 games on the season, while walking just 2.3 per nine innings. York righty Duke von Schamann (0-0, 3.12) faces Somerset right-hander Liam O’Sullivan (1-3, 4.54) on Friday at 7:05 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 6:55 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
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