(September 14th, 2023 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution offense enjoyed one of its biggest nights of the season, annihilating the High Point Rockers 17-8 in Thursday’s series rubber match at WellSpan Park.
York righty Cody Brittain made his third professional start, facing High Point lefty Justin Nicolino in the final meeting between the two teams this season.
Brittain mowed through a very quick 1-2-3 first inning, but in the top of the second gave up a solo home run to Brian Parreira who launched an opposite field shot over the Arch Nemesis in left to kick off the scoring. High Point later added a run on a wild pitch, one of a club record five issued by Brittain on the night and one of four in the inning. Shed Long Jr. added a seeing eye two-run single up the middle suddenly making it a 4-0 ballgame in High Point’s favor.
The Revs stormed back right away in the bottom of the second inning. Richard Urena singled to begin the frame, Ryan January walked, and Alexis Pantoja laced an RBI single to right center to get the Revs on the board. Trey Martin followed with a three-run blast down the line in left field, tying the game at 4-4 on his 18th home run of the season.
High Point went back ahead with a run in the fourth on two-out RBI double to right by Long Jr.
The Revs tipped the scales back in their favor with two in the fifth against lefty reliever Bryce Hensley, with one scoring on a wild pitch, and Urena smacking a go-ahead single up the middle for a brief 6-5 lead.
The lead changed hands again in the sixth as the Rockers scored twice for a 7-6 advantage. Brittain was lifted with two aboard after a two-out hit by pitch, and reliever Nelvin Correa got weak contact from Long Jr. and pinch hitter Joe Johnson, but both went for RBI singles through the right side of the infield.
York took the lead for good against former Revs righty Mitch Atkins in the bottom of the sixth. Martin reached on an error to start the inning and stole his second bag of the night giving him a league-leading 45 steals on the year. With two outs, the floodgates opened as the Revs strung together a season high-tying six consecutive hits for the first time since mid-June, erupting for six runs (all unearned) and a 12-7 lead. Nellie Rodriguez tied the game with an RBI double to left and Jhon Nunez gave York the lead with a deep opposite field single against the Nemesis in left. Alejandro Rivero singled to keep the rally going, and Urena doubled down the line in right bringing home a run. January blooped a two-run single to right field and Pantoja drove in another run with an RBI double to left center.
High Point got a run back in the seventh as Quincy Latimore doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score on a passed ball and a wild pitch, cutting the lead to 12-8.
The Revs enjoyed another big inning with four more runs in the seventh including three more unearned runs. Drew Mendoza reached on an error and later scored on another miscue. Nunez smashed an RBI single to right center, and January capped the rally with a two-run double to the right center gap. Atkins absorbed both big innings, charged with 10 runs (one earned) in two innings of relief.
York added one more in the eighth after Jacob Rhinesmith doubled to left and scored on Nunez’ two-out single to right.
Emilker Guzman handled a scoreless eighth and Will Carter got out of a ninth inning jam unscathed with a 4-6-3 double play to end it, the Revs’ third double play turned on the night.
York’s 17 runs came within one of a season-high while the 19 hits tied a season-best for the fourth time (first time since August 6 vs. Spire City). Of those 19 hits, seven were doubles which tied a season-high for the third time and first time since June 24 vs. Spire City.
Offensive leaders included Nunez who drove in three runs with his second four-hit game of the year, January who drove in a season-high four runs on his second three-hit game of the season, and Urena who enjoyed his first four-hit game in a Revs uniform. Pantoja also had two hits and two RBI, and Martin posted three RBI, all on his second inning home run.
It was the Revs’ biggest offensive performance all-time against the Rockers as they finish the season series by winning six of the final seven, ending the campaign 8-6 head-to-head against High Point while securing their first ever season series victory. It marked the most runs and hits allowed in a game by High Point, who owns the league’s top team ERA, this season.
Notes: The Revs scored 11 runs and 17 runs in the two victories in the series, marking just the second time this year that High Point allowed double digit runs in two games in the same series. York also ripped 16 hits and 19 hits in the two victories, the only time the Rockers allowed multiple games of 16 hits or more in the same series this year. York overcame a team record six wild pitches in the game. The Revs have won five of the last six series and 11 of the last 16 games. Mendoza slugged a double in the second inning extending his hitting streak to a season-best 13 games; he is now batting .345 for the year which leads the league by five points and is tied for the league lead with 40 doubles. Mendoza’s 40 doubles are one shy of a Revs single-season record set by Elmer Reyes last season and he becomes just the third player in Revs history to rip 40 doubles in one year (also Isaias Tejeda, 2019). He becomes just the 11th player in league history to post a 40-double year; the total ranks tied for seventh most in a season in league history. The Revs improve to 69-54 overall, the league’s third-best overall record. They hold the North Division’s best overall record by three games with three games remaining. They have clinched their best record since at least 2016 in terms of games above the .500 mark and one more victory would give them their best mark since 2014 and a top-four season in franchise history. York must win its final three games and have Lancaster, the second half division leader, lose its final four games to avoid elimination from playoff contention. That quest continues Friday night when the Revs host the Spire City Ghost Hounds at 6:30 p.m. It is Ladies Night presented by UPMC. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
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