(August 27, 2024 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution controlled Tuesday’s game from the outset against the Long Island Ducks and were able to hold off a furious late game Ducks comeback attempt to take the first game of a seven-game homestand by a 12-11 score at WellSpan Park.
The Ducks got the first two runners of the game on base against York starter Michael Horrell but the righty kept them scoreless thanks in part to a big ground ball double play.
Matt McDermott got the scoring started by blasting a solo home run to left field in the first. It was McDermott’s fourth home run in as many at-bats at WellSpan Park dating back to his three-homer game on August 18 vs Hagerstown.
Zander Wiel followed two batters later with a solo home run to deep left of his own, doubling the early York lead to 2-0.
JC Encarnacion tied things back up quickly with a two-run home run to left center in the second in what would otherwise end up being a quiet start to the night for Long Island.
York got another solo blast to lead off the second inning from Michael Berglund on a shot to right field, continuing a night on which they saw the ball very well from Ducks starter Daniel Corcino (6-8).
David Washington added York’s fourth solo home run of the night in the third inning with a shot 453 feet over the batter’s eye in center field. It was the 31st home run of the season for Washington, a new career high and the third most in a season in Revs history, and the 100th of his Atlantic League career. He became the 13th player in league history to reach the century mark, as the milestone bomb pushed York’s lead to 4-2.
Berglund added another run later in the inning by blooping an RBI single into shallow right field, giving the Revs a 5-2 cushion.
Horrell allowed a pair of walks in the top of the fifth but got out of it scoreless by getting cleanup man Aaron Antonini to pop out to second base to end the Ducks threat.
York put up three more insurance runs in the fifth inning, sparked by Alerick Soularie who doubled home a pair high off of the Arch Nemesis, stole third base, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Berglund to expand the lead to 8-2.
The Ducks got a run in the sixth on a solo homer to left center from Leobaldo Cabrera who would end his day with four of the Ducks’ hits. Horrell (5-6) bounced back to end his night and secure a quality start with back-to-back strike outs.
The first two York hitters walked in the bottom of the seventh inning before Soularie drove home both on a triple down the left field line. Berglund brought home Soularie with another sacrifice fly as both hitters, batting back-to-back in the lineup, finished with four RBI on the night. Alejandro Rivero capped off the four-spot with his first home run of the season, a solo shot over the Nemesis to make it 12-3 as the Revs slammed five home runs one home game after crushing six (August 18).
Long Island used a huge eighth inning to put themselves back in the game. Antonini led off the inning with a home run, and after a Cabrera single, Encarnacion reached on an error and Zach Racusin reached on an infield single to load the bases. Nine-hole hitter Kole Kaler singled home a pair and Nick Heath followed with a three-run blast to right center as Long Island suddenly cut within 12-9. Reliever Frankie Bartow’s night ended allowing six runs (five earned) over just two thirds of an inning as his ERA against the Ducks climbed above 20.00 while owning a 2.70 mark against the rest of the league.
Lefty Denny Bentley entered with two outs and walked Ryan McBroom who moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a bloop single from Antonini. Two more walks loaded the bases for Encarnacion who worked a bases loaded walk of his own, cutting the Revs lead to 12-11 and forcing York to turn to closer Matt Turner.
The lefty’s entry into the game was delayed due to an apparent issue with his throwing hand, but Turner stayed in the game to get Racusin to ground out and strand the bases loaded.
Turner stayed on for the ninth and retired all three batters faced on ground outs to prevent a collapse and secure a series opening 12-11 win for York. The save was Turner’s 15th, just one off the league lead.
Notes: York has won four straight home games, having scored double digits in each of the past three. Washington has homered in four straight home games; he is now three homers shy of tying Chris Nowak (2012) for second most in a season in Revs history and also from moving into a tie for 11th on the league’s all-time list. York improves to 70-37 overall with the victory, one win shy of matching last season’s overall total. The Revs stole two bases giving them 292 steals as a team on the season, 13 shy of tying an Atlantic League record. York righty Tom Sutera faces Long Island’s Chris Ellis on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. It is Bark in the Park and Winning Wednesday presented by PA Lottery. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.