(July 20, 2019 – New Britain, CT): The York Revolution rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh, coming from behind for a 7-6 win over the New Britain Bees on Saturday night at New Britain Stadium. The Revs have won four straight, improving to 5-1 with one game remaining on their current road trip. Staying half a game in front in first place in the Freedom Division at 7-2 in the second half, the Revs have secured an 11th consecutive series win and go for the sweep on Sunday before returning home.
The Revs went in front in the top of the first inning as James Skelton jumped on the game’s first offering from starter Akeel Morris, nailing a deep double off the wall in right field. After advancing on a Justin Trapp sacrifice bunt, Skelton scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.
New Britain rallied for four runs on five singles in the second inning to go on top. Jared James and Logan Moore singled to set the table ahead of a Rando Moreno sac bunt. Revs starter Corey Walter worked ahead of Tyler Clark 0-2, but Clark fisted a broken bat RBI single over short and into shallow left to tie the game. Joe Poletsky followed with an RBI single to left-center, and with two outs, Jason Rogers made it a big inning with a ground ball two-run single through the left side of the infield as the Bees went up 4-1.
Skelton answered back in the top of the third, capping a full-count at-bat with a line drive home run off the foul pole in right to draw within 4-2. It was the eighth home run of the season for Skelton who has gone yard in three consecutive games, securing a new franchise record 13th consecutive game with a home run for the team.
New Britain added a run in the fourth as Poletsky, 3-for-24 entering the night, ripped his second knock of the game on a leadoff double to right-center. Rogers brought him home with a one-out RBI single up the middle for a 5-2 lead and his third RBI of the night.
The Revs took advantage of a defensive miscue by reliever Sam Gervacio to score twice in the fifth. Zach Sullivan started things by legging out an infield single on a dribbler toward first and Skelton worked a walk to put two aboard. Trapp followed with his second sacrifice bunt of the night, on which Gervacio fired errantly past third base, allowing both Sullivan and Skelton to race home, bringing York within 5-4. Trapp advanced to second, but Gervacio rebounded with a strike out and a pop up on a terrific sprawling over-the-shoulder play made by Moreno at shortstop. Carlos Franco singled to right with two outs, but Trapp was nailed at the plate on the throw from right fielder Bijan Rademacher.
New Britain boosted momentum by plating a run of its own in the home half on an RBI single to left by Moreno, making it a 6-4 game. Walter finished strong, however, retiring six of his final seven and lasting six innings to keep his team close.
Bees reliever Tyler Danish retired the first two batters in the top of the seventh, but Telvin Nash singled to center to ignite the game-deciding two-out rally. Nash advanced to second on a wild pitch and Isaias Tejeda reached on an infield single. Franco kept the rally going with an RBI single to right. Tejeda made an aggressive play on the bases going first to third, drawing a throw from Rademacher which allowed Franco, representing the go-ahead run, to take second. Welington Dotel legged out a game-tying RBI infield single to short with Tejeda scoring, and a wild pitch brought home Franco with the go-ahead run for a 7-6 lead.
Julio Eusebio made his Revs debut out of the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh and was greeted with a leadoff double high off the right-center fence by Logan Moore. Eusebio bounced back to retire Moreno on a pop up and Clark on a ground out before handing it over to lefty Cesar Cabral who retired Poletsky on a pop out to end the threat. The escape kicked off a stretch on which the Revs bullpen retired the final nine Bees batters of the game.
Josh Judy fired a perfect eighth inning against the top of the order for his 12th consecutive scoreless outing.
Jameson McGrane nailed down his eighth save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning against the middle of the order, striking out the final two batters to end it.
Notes: The comeback win is the 16th of the season for the Revs. It is their fifth when trailing heading into the final three innings of a game and second in the last three days / four games. At 7-2, the Revs are off to their best start to a half since the beginning of the 2011 season, and their best second half start ever. York has won 16 of 19 and is 28-7 since June 10. The Revs improve to 20-19 on the road, having won 11 of 13 and 15 of the last 18. The Revs have won four straight on the current road trip, their third winning streak of four or more games on the road this season; it is the fourth time in franchise history the Revs have enjoyed three such streaks in the same season, and first since 2014. The Revs are 7-0 in one-run games since June 15, tying a franchise record for consecutive wins in one-run games (third time, first since the 2016 second half). York’s 13 consecutive games with a homer breaks the club record of 12 set in May 2016. The Revs have hit 26 home runs in those 13 games including 14 through the first six games of the current road trip. With three runs, Skelton has scored 32 times in his last 28 games played. Tejeda’s infield hit in the seventh extended his season-best hitting streak to 11 games. Cabral has worked five scoreless outings to begin his Revs career. Judy has retired 21 of 23 batters over his last eight outings. McGrane worked his seventh straight scoreless appearance, 24th in his last 25, and 28th in his last 30 outings. York righty Sam Burton (0-0, 5.40) makes his second start on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. opposite New Britain right-hander Rainy Lara (5-6, 5.20). Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and WOYK on YouTube beginning at 1:15 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
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