(August 16, 2024 – York, Pa.):  The York Revolution continued their win streak against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars on Friday night, winning their 10th straight matchup by a 5-4 scoreline in front of 4,516 fans at WellSpan Park.
York starter Zach Neff allowed baserunners in each of his first three innings but held the Boxcars scoreless, helped out by a pair of ground ball double plays in the second and third innings.
Hagerstown starter Marvin Gorgas retired the first six hitters he faced on the night before issuing a leadoff walk to Michael Berglund in the third inning. Two batters later with Berglund in scoring position after a stolen base, Kevin Higgins delivered his first extra-base hit and RBI with York, lining a double off of the Nemesis to score Berglund for the game’s first run.
David Washington scorched a one-out double to the top left corner of the batter’s eye in center field in the bottom of the fourth. Jacob Rhinesmith followed with a single to right to score Washington from second, and Alerick Soularie followed with an RBI double down the left field line for his first hit at WellSpan Park, plating Rhinesmith all the way from first for a 3-0 lead.
Neff ran into trouble against the Hagerstown offense in the top half of the fifth. After Cito Culver doubled to start the inning, a walk was quickly followed by a Joe Campagna double to put Hagerstown on the board. Two batters later, leadoff hitter Andrew Moritz doubled off the wall in left field to tie the game at 3-3.
Neff (7-5) rebounded to toss a scoreless sixth, working around a two-out walk to cap off a quality start.
For Hagerstown, reliever Rob Klinchock pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning but Washington led off the sixth inning with an opposite field missile over the Nemesis in left field to put York back in front, 4-3. It was Washington’s 28th of the season, third most in the league and fourth most in a season in Revs history, and the 97th of his Atlantic League career.
Right-hander Oliver Garcia made his Revolution debut in the seventh, working around a two-out walk for a scoreless inning and a hold.
Frankie Bartow followed with a scoreless eighth inning that included a pair of strikeouts.
Alfredo Reyes provided a huge insurance run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning with an opposite field RBI single, and York turned to Matt Turner in the ninth to protect a 5-3 lead.
After a strikeout to start the inning, Turner ran into a bit of a jam as Dariel Gomez singled and Campagna doubled to left, putting the tying two runners in scoring position with one out. Ozzie Abreu hit a groundball to shortstop and Matt McDermott made an aggressive attempt to throw to third, successfully cutting down the lead runner. A run did score on the play, but with the tying run at first base and two outs, Turner got Moritz to ground out to second base to end the game, earning his 13th save to tie for the league lead and locking down a 5-4 Revs win.
York will look to continue their momentum on Saturday night when Ethan Lindow (10-4, 4.97) faces RHP Yeudy Garcia (2-4, 3.86). The night features a much-anticipated appearance by the ZOOperstars, Post-Game Fireworks presented by America250PA, and a Pre-Game Block Party. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: The Revs improve to 65-33 overall, one game back of Gastonia for the league’s best overall record. They improve to 30-18 at home and 22-13 in the second half, remaining within 1.5 games of first place. York improves to 13-3 against Hagerstown having won a record 10 consecutive matchups against one opponent. Rhinesmith extended his hitting streak to eight games. Soularie’s double marked his ninth hit with York and fifth extra-base hit. Higgins has hit safely in all seven of his starts with York.