Michael Burgess connected on his first home run of the season but it was an otherwise quiet day for the offense as the York Revolution dropped the rubber match of their season-opening three-game series to the New Britain Bees, 7-2 on Sunday afternoon at New Britain Stadium. The Revs (1-2) will have off on Monday before traveling to Southern Maryland for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday evening, in advance of their home opener at PeoplesBank Park on Friday evening vs. Somerset.
Burgess opened the scoring, staying back on a curve ball and driving a solo shot over the right field fence in the top of the second for a 1-0 lead.
New Britain countered with a run in the third on a two-out bases loaded walk by Jon Griffin. York starter Logan Williamson escaped further trouble, however, leaving the bases loaded as third baseman Ryan Dent made a leaping grab on a line drive off the bat of Conor Bierfeldt to end the inning.
Dent made spectacular plays to end each of the first three innings. Making his first start of the year, the former Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year made a sliding stab to start a double play to end the first, and made a flashy diving backhand pick on a hot shot to rob Mike Crouse, ending the second inning with two men on. Shortstop Angel Franco also made a tremendous tumbling grab to begin the second inning on a broken bat blooper from Craig Maddox.
Wednesday’s scheduled starter Chris Cody made his first relief outing since 2010 with a scoreless fourth, maneuvering past a leadoff double by Paul Kronenfeld.
New Britain broke the tie in the fifth, however, as Maddox laced a two-run single to left-center to make it 3-1. Righty Ty’Relle Harris (0-1) kept it close, leaving the bases loaded as New Britain stranded 14 runners on the day.
The Bees padded their lead in the sixth as Jovan Rosa rapped an RBI single into left, and Maddox followed with a two-run homer to right-center, increasing the lead to 6-1. Maddox went 2-for-4 with four RBI, and is now 6-for-10 with three extra-base hits and five RBI to begin the season. Reliever Melvin Mercedes’ next pitch hit Jon Griffin, but Mercedes would induce a double play to end the inning.
New Britain reliever Nate Roe plunked Joel Guzman with the first pitch of the seventh as the benches briefly cleared and both sides were warned.
The Bees tacked on one more run in the bottom of the seventh when Michael Baca came home on an error.
Guzman doubled down the left field line with two outs in the ninth and Burgess slammed an RBI double off the fence in left-center, driving in both York runs on the day.
Bees starter Brian Dupra allowed just two hits and one run through five innings, walking none and striking out a pair to earn the win. The Revs were held to just three hits before Guzman and Burgess doubled in the final at-bat, as the offense closed the day with five knocks. Four of the five hits went for extra bases.
Notes: Williamson allowed one run in three innings, making his first appearance since the 2015 season. Cody ranks second in Revs history with 86 starts; the relief appearance was the first of his Revs career. Chase Huchingson made his season debut, allowing an unearned run in the seventh. Luke Westphal became the first Revs reliever to appear in a second game, leaving the bases loaded in a scoreless eighth. York righty Victor Mateo makes his first start on Tuesday, squaring off with Southern Maryland’s Gaby Hernandez at 6:35 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 1350, woyk1350.com, and the WOYK app beginning at 6:15 p.m. with Darrell Henry and Matt Present on the call.