(June 28, 2019 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution continued its improbable climb back into the Freedom Division’s first half race, knocking off the New Britain Bees, 9-5 on Friday night at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs have won three straight, 13 of 16, and 15 of the last 19 games to pull within 3.0 games of first place with eight remaining in the first half. The series with New Britain continues Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Revs starter Duke von Schamann (2-2) ran into trouble in the top of the first inning, but allowed little else the rest of the night to earn the win.
Darren Ford led off the game with a single up the middle. After Bijan Rademacher flied out, Alejandro De Aza skied a double off of the Arch Nemesis in left to put runners on second and third with one out. Jason Rogers lined a two-run single to left to score both runners and give New Britain a 2-0 lead, but York would respond in a big way in its half of the first.
James Skelton led off the frame with a single to right. Henry Castillo flied out for the first out of the inning, but the next batter, Telvin Nash, smashed a two-run home run over the Arch Nemesis to tie the game at 2-2.
After von Schamann worked a scoreless top of the second, York added two more runs in the bottom of the second. Justin Trapp lined a one-out single to set the table. After Skelton walked, Castillo smashed a single off the wall in right center to plate Trapp and move the lead to 3-1. Nash followed the Castillo knock by hitting a double down the left field line to score Skelton and extend the lead to 4-2.
“The Duke” pitched a second consecutive scoreless inning in the top of the third.
York added a run in the bottom of the frame on a Ryan Dent RBI single to left, expanding the lead to 5-2.
“It’s great,” said Dent after the game, commenting on the Revs’ lineup clicking as a whole. “It makes you want to come to the ballpark and be with your boys and get that work in. Everyone’s coming together, everyone’s starting to get hot. Everyone’s getting their work in. It’s a great feeling. We’re just hoping to finish strong here.”
New Britain scored an unearned run in its half of the fourth. Jonathan Galvez led off the frame by reaching first on an error. New Britain executed small ball to move Galvez to third and Logan Moore recorded an RBI ground out to cut the lead to 5-3.
After von Schamann worked a scoreless fifth inning, the Revs offense added another run on a Skelton broken bat RBI single to left in the bottom half to up the lead to 6-3.
von Schamann worked around a lead off single to toss another scoreless inning in the top half of the sixth.
York batted around as part of a three-run bottom of the sixth. Nash led off the inning with a walk. Carlos Franco followed up the base on balls by elevating an RBI double to left, scoring Nash and pushing the lead to 7-3. With runners on second and third, Welington Dotel drew a walk to load the bases. Dent followed by roping his second RBI single into left field to move the lead to 8-3. After reliever Christopher De Leon recorded the second out, Skelton drew a bases loaded walk to extend the lead to 9-3.
The Bees added a pair of runs on a Bijan Rademacher two-run homer to left-center, cutting the lead to 9-5 in the seventh. Pete Tago entered for Rob Carson and rolled a fielder’s choice to end the seventh before working a scoreless top of the eighth inning.
For the second straight game, Jameson McGrane was called upon to pitch the ninth inning. McGrane worked around two walks for a scoreless frame to give York the big series-opening victory.
Recap by Brett Pietrzak
Notes: New Britain also entered hot, having won five of its previous six. The Revs are within 3.0 games of first for the first time since May 7, following their 11th game of the season. York trailed by 13.0 games on June 11, having made up eight games in the standings in 17 days. The Revs (28-34) are within six games of .500 for the first time since May 25, after falling as many as 17 under on June 9 (13-30). York is 15-7 at home since May 20 and has won 10 of its last 13 at home. The Revs improve to 17-11 in June, marking their most wins in a month since going 18-12 in September, 2017 en route to a second half division title. Nash’s home run adds to his Revs record with 72 all-time at 45 at PeoplesBank Park. It is his league-leading 19th of the season, a Revs first half record, and now just 15 shy of matching the single-season club record. The homer was his 10th in June, tying his own single-month club record (10 in August, 2017). J.P. Sportman (2-for-5) extended his hitting streak to 25 consecutive games, already the third-longest in Revs history and league’s longest over the past two seasons; he singled in each of his first two at-bats and extended the streak in the first inning, after not doing it until the seventh inning or later in each of the previous four games (final at-bat in three of those four). Dotel singled in the third, extending his hitting streak to 14 games; he proceeded to steal second, the 100th stolen base of his Atlantic League career. Trapp picked up his 50th career Atlantic League steal in the fifth. Every Revs starter had at least one hit before an out was recorded in the third inning. Dent (2-for-4, two RBI) is now 14-for-28 on an eight-game hitting streak. von Schamann allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings, and has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of seven starts; he walked none for the third time in seven starts. McGrane extended his scoreless streaks to 17 appearances and 16.1 innings. The Revs forced Bees starter Devin Burke to throw 103 pitches in four innings; York has forced opposing starters to throw 304 pitches in 12.2 innings the last three games. York righty Corey Walter (1-3, 5.58) goes up against New Britain right-hander Sam Gervacio (2-3, 5.56) on Saturday night. It is Patriotic Bash presented by UPMC with Post-Game Fireworks presented by PA Lottery. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
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