(June 17, 2021 – York, Pa.): Walner Espinal parked a two-run walk-off home run over the Arch Nemesis in left as the York Revolution came from behind to edge the Lancaster Barnstormers, 9-8 in 10 innings on Thursday evening for the Revs’ 500th win all-time at PeoplesBank Park. York avoids a sweep with the win and pulls within 2.0 games of first place halfway through its 12-game homestand which continues Friday at 6:30 p.m. against the Lexington Legends.
Both teams scored in their first innings at the plate. For Lancaster, each of their first four reached safely against Revs starter Duke von Schamann as Caleb Gindl worked a leadoff walk, Melvin Mercedes followed with a bunt single down the third base line and Alejandro de Aza singled to center. Trayvon Robinson brought home two on a sharp liner to left field for the early lead.
York got one of those runs back in their first. Yan Sanchez legged out a triple to deep right with one out and Carlos Castro collected his 17th RBI on a ground ball to short, allowing Sanchez to score, trimming it to 2-1.
Robinson struck again for Lancaster in the third. After de Aza was issued a walk, Robinson hit his second home run of the season to right for the 4-1 lead, supplying all four RBI for the Barnstormers to that point.
The Revs cut the lead to one in the fourth. Barnstormers starter Augie Sylk allowed the first three York hitters to reach. Sanchez hit a leadoff single to center and moved to second on a wild pitch. Castro delivered a second single to center and Devon Torrence committed a fielding error on the play, allowing Sanchez enough time to race home from third. Sylk hit Welington Dotel with a pitch and issued a walk to Andrew Dundon to load the bases. Espinal earned a base on balls with the bases loaded, allowing Castro to score.
Leading 4-3 in the seventh, Lancaster inched away with a run via an RBI double from Mercedes.
Down by two in the bottom of the seventh, York rallied for four runs on four hits. Relief pitcher Isaac Sanchez batted and worked a leadoff walk and Yan Sanchez collected his third hit with a one-out single to left. Castro stepped to the plate and smashed his first home run at PeoplesBank Park (third overall) to the right field corner, giving the Revs a 6-5 lead in dramatic fashion. With the bases empty, Dotel lined a single to left, stole both second and third, and scored on a base hit from Dundon for the 7-5 lead.
Lancaster threatened in the eighth, scoring on a Revs fielding error making it 7-6 York. Then down to their final out in the ninth, Lancaster tied the game at 7-7 with a Blake Allemand single to left.
In extra innings for the second time this season, both against Lancaster, York allowed one run in the top of the 10th. With Jared Lakind pinch running at second to begin extras, Torrence collected his second hit of the night and first RBI on a single to center. Revs reliever Brandon Fry (1-1) allowed nothing else, however, and stranded two in scoring position as Espinal elevated to knock down a humpback liner at second, throwing out Nick Shumpert at first to end the threat.
With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Espinal crushed one over the Arch Nemesis for a two-run home run and the Revs’ first walk-off win of the season.
von Schamann pitched six innings in his start. In the no decision, the right hander allowed four runs on seven hits, four walks, and struck out two.
Austin Nicely (1-1, 5.40) will take the mound for York in Friday’s opener against Lexington. Friday is Girl Scout Sleepover Night, Foodie Friday, and Fast Play Friday presented by PA Lottery. There will be No Moustaches Allowed at PeoplesBank Park with the Lexington Legends in town. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: The walk-off win is the Revs’ first since the final game of the 2019 season when Telvin Nash belted a walk-off home run against the Barnstormers. Espinal joins Nick Ferdinand (2015) as Revs to hit walk-off home runs in their first start; Espinal joined the team on Wednesday and reached on a hit by pitch in his debut. The walk-off homer is the 18th in Revs/PeoplesBank Park history. Castro enjoyed his third four-RBI game of the season and now leads the league with 20 RBI on the year in just 14 games played. The Revs boast the league’s top three in RBI with Castro leading the since departed Carlos Franco and Nellie Rodriguez who each drove in 18. Sanchez (3-for-4) is now on an eight-game hitting streak to begin his Revs career and posted his fifth consecutive multi-hit game and third three-hit performance in the last four. Dotel stole three bases giving him 59 all-time with York, one shy of becoming the fifth in Revs history to reach 60. The comeback win is the Revs’ third of the year and first when trailing after six innings. York improves to 1-1 in extra innings with both games occurring vs. Lancaster.
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