(June 1, 2018) – Joe Van Meter impressed in a spot start, Jared Mitchell provided all of the offense on one swing, and Junior Rincon collected another bases loaded save as the York Revolution won another thrilling contest, 3-2 over the Sugar Land Skeeters on Friday night in front of 5,560 fans at Constellation Field. The win is the sixth in the last seven for the Revs (16-12) who remain 4.5 games back in the Freedom Division but pull within two games of Sugar Land (20-12) for second place.
The Revs overcame a canceled team flight and a day filled with adjusted travel plans to nab the series opening win.
Van Meter was sharp from the get-go, stepping into the rotation spot vacated when Ross Detwiler's contract was purchased by the Seattle Mariners earlier in the day.
After allowing a leadoff single, Van Meter set down the next three batters to end the first inning, retiring the final two on strikeouts. He recorded three more strikeouts, all swinging, in the second inning, and became the first Revs pitcher since Logan Williamson (2015) to strike out five consecutive batters in a game, coming within one of tying a club record.
Derek Norris' two-out RBI single to center in the third put the Skeeters ahead 1-0, but Van Meter rebounded to go 1-2-3 again in the fourth.
The Revs were limited to two hits over the first four innings by Sugar Land starter Matt Sergey, but broke through in the fifth. Michael Burgess drew the game's first walk to get things started and Jose Cuevas singled up the middle. Rubi Silva sacrificed both runners ahead and Tyler Clark worked a walk to load the bases. The Skeeters called on lefty reliever Dan Runzler to face left-hand hitting Jared Mitchell, but Mitchell won the matchup by drilling a bases-clearing three-run double over the head of center fielder Kyle Kubitza, springing the Revs in front, 3-1.
Van Meter began the fifth inning with a strike out of Colin Walsh, his eighth of the night. A walk to Alvaro Rondon, the only free pass issued by Van Meter, ended his night after 4.1 innings in his first start since June 24 of last season. Albert Cordero brought home Rondon with a two-out double to left-center, cutting York's lead to 3-2, but reliever Zac Treece fanned Norris to end the inning and keep the Revs in front.
Luke Westphal handled the first two outs of the sixth before giving way to Robert Carson who retired Walsh on a fly out, stranding runners at the corners. Carson followed with a perfect seventh, and Grant Sides retired the Skeeters in order in the eighth.
Rincon set down his first two batters faced in the ninth, but Walsh walked and Rondon singled to keep the game alive. Anthony Giansanti reached on a fielder's choice on which Rondon beat a flip to second base to load the bases, but Rincon retired Cordero on a fly ball to center on the very next pitch, securing his sixth save and his second straight with the bases loaded.
Van Meter (2-0) was awarded the win, while Sergey (1-3) suffered the loss for the Skeeters. Rincon has nailed down the save in all three games on York's current winning streak.
Notes: York is a season-high four games over .500. The Revs are now two games above .500 both on the road (7-5) and at home (9-7). It was the season's first meeting between the two Freedom Division rivals. Mitchell has hit safely in seven straight, and is 11-for-21 with six extra-base hits in his last five games after going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Welington Dotel extended his hitting streak to 13 consecutive games with an infield single in the fourth; the streak matches Southern Maryland's Frank Martinez for the league's longest of the season to date. Revs righty Mitch Atkins (0-3, 6.92) will face Skeeters right-hander Brett Marshall (2-1, 2.12) on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 1350, woyk1350.com, The New WOYK app, and WOYK 1350 on YouTube beginning at 6:45 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
CLICK HERE FOR BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY
CLICK HERE FOR WOYK GAME BROADCAST ON YOUTUBE
CLICK HERE FOR WOYK AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO REVS' NEXT HOME GAME