(May 23, 2019 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution earned a thrilling 5-4 victory, completing a four-game sweep of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs with their second comeback win of the series in front of a near-record Baseball in Education Day crowd of 5,814 on Thursday at PeoplesBank Park. Off to a 4-0 start on the seven-game homestand, the Revs welcome the Lancaster Barnstormers for the first of three on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
York starting pitcher Mitch Atkins and Southern Maryland starter Daryl Thompson were tremendous early in the game, matching one another with scoreless ball into the fifth. Atkins retired 11 Crabs in-a-row at one point and 13 of his first 14 overall, allowing just one hit through the first four innings, while Thompson allowed just three hits into the fifth.
The Crabs scored the first run of the ballgame in their half of the fifth inning. After Atkins retired Jose Julio-Ruiz on a ground out to start the inning, Corey Vaughan blasted a solo home run to left center field giving the Crabs a 1-0 advantage. Atkins rebounded nicely, as he induced the next two batters to pop out.
The Revs responded in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alexi Casilla and Henry Castillo hit singles to set the table. Cleanup hitter Telvin Nash ripped an RBI double down the third base line to score Casilla and tie the game at 1-1 while also giving the Revs runners on second and third with no outs. Thompson bounced back to retire the next two Revs without allowing those runners to score, but Welington Dotel came through and smacked a two-out, two-run single up the middle, scoring both runners and giving the Revs their first lead of the game at 3-1.
The Crabs offense woke back up in the top of the seventh inning. After Atkins retired Frank Martinez to start the frame, Tony Thomas reached on an infield single to deep short. The next batter, Julio-Ruiz, chopped a fluky high-hop double over the head of Nash at first and all the way to the corner in right, giving Southern Maryland runners on second and third with one out. Vaughan drove a ball to deep center to earn his second RBI of the day recording a sac fly that scored Thomas, cutting York’s lead to 3-2. With two outs, Craig Maddox tied the game on a double to right-center field, denying Atkins of a chance at the win.
Right-hander Julio Perez was called upon to finish the seventh inning. Rian Kiniry greeted Perez with a single, but Dotel threw a strike from right field gunning out Maddox trying to score from second to end the inning and keep the game tied at 3-3.
Atkins pitched 6 ⅔ innings allowing three runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking none in the no-decision.
The Revs retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh. James Skelton and Casilla singled to give the Revs a pair of baserunners. After a Nash walk to load the bases with two outs, Isaias Tejeda dropped a single in front of Thomas in left, giving the Revs a 4-3 advantage.
Jarrett Martin worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning out of the Revolution bullpen, and York tacked on an important insurance run on a two-out RBI double to right-center from Justin Trapp in the bottom of the eighth, increasing the lead to 5-3 and giving Trapp a pair of doubles on the day.
“We’re a great team,” said Trapp. “We started out pretty slowly, but I just know with this team, we’re good hitters, we have good pitching, and we’re on the right track. I feel like this team is going to turn it around really fast.”
The Revs turned to Josh Judy in the ninth inning to go for his third save of the series. Martinez led off the inning with a solo home run to right cutting the lead to 5-4. Thomas followed with a single to left, putting the tying run on base. Judy came back to strike out Julio-Ruiz for the first out, but Thomas stole second and advanced to third on an error on the play as the tying run stood 90 feet away with just one out. With the infield in, Judy retired Vaughn on a towering pop up to shallow right with Casilla racing out to haul it in from his second base position. Judy had to leave the game with an injury apparently suffered while backing up the plate, but Pat Young came in and struck out Maddox, the only batter he faced, to earn his first Atlantic League save.
Notes: Thursday’s crowd of 5,814 came within 77 of the record for Baseball in Education Day or Camp Day games. Coupled with Wednesday’s crowd of 6,457 (biggest Wednesday in stadium history, biggest overall since 2017), it marks the highest two-day total since September 19-20, 2015 and the highest ever two-day weekday total. It marks the second time ever that the Revs have drawn at least 6,400 and at least 5,800 in consecutive games (also September 19-20, 2008); it is the first time it has been done on weekdays. The four-game sweep is the 14th in Revs history, all of which have occurred at home. The four-game winning streak is the league’s longest active streak and the Revs’ longest streak of the season. Atkins’ quality start is the 16th of his Revs career, fifth-most all-time. Atkins reached 1,500 minor league strike outs with his third whiff of the day. Judy’s six-appearance scoreless streak was snapped; it was the longest by a Revs reliever on the season. Young tied that mark with his sixth straight scoreless outing, and has now totaled six innings of no-hit ball to begin his Revs career. The save was the fifth of his pro career. Nash’s RBI was the 499th of his pro career. Castillo played in his 499th career game. Dotel played in his 999th career game. Melky Mesa extended his hitting streak to eight straight games with a fifth inning single. Skelton (2-for-3) went 6-for-9 in the series; his double in the third inning was his fifth straight plate appearance with a hit, a Revs’ season-best. Tejeda’s RBI was the 145th of his Revs career; his next will move him into the top 10 in franchise history, tying Jose Herrera for 10th. Revs pitchers held the Crabs to just nine runs (2.25 ERA) and a .214 average in the four-game sweep. York struck out 10 Southern Maryland hitters with no walks on Thursday, one day after striking out 12 batters, a season-high for a nine-inning game. York righty Matthew Grimes (1-2, 2.51) faces Lancaster right-hander Kyle Davies (1-1, 2.35) in Friday’s opener. It is Guaranteed Win Night as all in attendance receive a voucher for another game if the Revs do not come out victorious. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
Recap by Brett Pietrzak
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