(August 31, 2021 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution made its way back from an early five-run deficit, taking the lead in its final at-bat for a 7-6 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Long Island Ducks on Tuesday evening at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs earn a split in Tuesday’s action after a comeback bid fell just short in a 6-5 loss in the opener. The doubleheader was scheduled for Tuesday due to anticipated heavy rains Wednesday as a result of Hurricane Ida, and the two teams are scheduled to complete their series on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Long Island took the early lead in game one with a run in the first inning. Steve Lombardozzi singled to right and stole second. With two outs, L.J. Mazzilli delivered his own right field single to score Lombardozzi for the 1-0 lead.
In the second, three more Ducks runs crossed as the first four batters of the inning reached. Deibinson Romero single to center to start it off and after Ramon Flores walked, Hector Sanchez drove home the first run on a ground-rule double to the right field corner. A second walk was issued to Daniel Fields loading the bases. The Revs turned a 3-2-3 double play for the first two outs, but Lombardozzi refused to give way and doubled to right center for a 4-0 lead.
Welington Dotel answered for York in their second inning with a solo home run to right center field to make it 4-1.
Cutting the Ducks’ lead in half at 4-2, York scored again in the third. Lenin Rodriguez and Darian Sandford led off the inning with back-to-back base hits. With two outs on the board, Melky Mesa lashed a single to left center to score Rodriguez.
York again used to the long ball to keep close in the fourth. Osmy Gregorio homered for the sixth time this season on a drive to left-center and pulled the Revs within a run, 4-3.
Long Island pushed their advantage back to two, 5-3, in the fifth. Taking advantage of four walks, the Ducks scored a run without needing a hit. Lew Ford worked the first free pass of the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. After tagging and moving to third on a fly out from Chris Shaw, Ford scored on a passed ball to make Long Island’s lead two runs once more.
The Revs refused to go away and used home run power to make it a one-run game again as Mesa crushed the 51st home run of his Revs career on a drive to left center to make it 5-4 after five innings.
An insurance run crossed for Long Island in the seventh. The Ducks loaded the bases as Johnni Turbo and Mazzilli both singled. Romero was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Flores who skied an RBI sac fly to center for the 6-4 lead.
York came within a run in their seventh. James Harris belted the Revs’ fourth home run of the game, all solo shots, on a towering drive to left, but Rob Griswold allowed nothing else to earn the save out of the Ducks bullpen.
In game two, the returning Carlos Franco started the scoring for York in the first. After Jack Kenley worked a one-out walk to cap a terrific 10-pitch battle, Franco doubled to right in his first start back from the Mexican League for the 1-0 lead.
Long Island emphatically responded with a six-run second inning. Sal Giardina led off with a single to right. With one out, Fields went yard on a blast to right for the 2-1 lead. The Ducks loaded the bases as Ty Kelly walked, Turbo collected an infield hit, and Vladimir Frias walked as well. Clearing the bases, Lombardozzi crushed a double to left center for a 5-1 advantage. For the 6-1 score, a Revs error allowed Lombardozzi to cross home plate.
York began the crawl back in the third. Mesa cracked a leadoff double to left center and Nellie Rodriguez was issued a free pass. With two on and one out, Dotel drove in Mesa on a base hit to left center. After a fielder’s choice made it two outs, Gregorio earned his own single up the middle for the second Revs run of the inning, 6-3.
Home runs again proved big as the next two York runs scored on solo shots. In the fourth, it was Kenley’s turn as he ripped one over the wall in right for a 6-4 score. To make it a one run game, 6-5, Franco erased what little rust he might have had after nearly a month since his last game with a missile to right center to lead off the fifth.
York wrestled for the lead in the sixth with two runs scoring on just one hit. Harris reached on a Ducks fielding error and Kenley followed with a walk to set the stage. With one out, Nellie Rodriguez hit a swinging bunt single back to reliever Dylan Peiffer who errantly threw to first allowing Harris to score the tying run, 6-6. Franco again came in clutch with an RBI fielder’s choice for the 7-6 lead.
Jim Fuller came in to close it in the seventh. After Mazzilli led off with a single to right, Giardina was retired on a fantastic running grab by Mesa in deep left-center. Mazzilli was also ruled out on an appeal that he missed the bag at second, clearing the bases with two outs. Following an ejection of Ducks manager Wally Backman arguing the call, Fuller retired Flores on a fly out in foul territory in left for his league-leading 20th save.
After the off-day Wednesday due to projected rainfall from Ida, York will finish its series with Long Island Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It’s a Throwback Thursday as York travels back to the 80s! Tickets are available at yorkrevolution.com, 717-801-HITS, or in-person in the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
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