(June 2, 2018) – The York Revolution built an early lead but a pair of big innings from the Sugar Land Skeeters helped halt the Revs' three-game winning streak in a 9-5 loss on Saturday night in front of 4,679 fans at Constellation Field.
The Revs struck first on a Welington Dotel double to deep right-center in the top of the first, plating Alexi Casilla who had reached on a single. The double extended Dotel's hitting streak to 14 consecutive games, the longest in the league this season.
York opened a 4-0 lead an inning later as Zach Wilson singled to left, Michael Burgess walked, and Jose Cuevas launched a three-run homer to left-center, his first of the season.
Sugar Land answered right away with five runs in the home half, taking a 5-4 lead before two innings were completed. Courtney Hawkins provided an RBI double down the third base line for the Skeeters' first run, and Anthony Giansanti poked a two-run single through the right side, cutting York's lead to a run. With two outs, Barrett Barnes connected on a two-run homer to left-center, putting Sugar Land on top.
Skeeters starter Brett Marshall retired 10 of 11 after Cuevas' home run before Jared Mitchell worked a one-out walk in the fifth. After advancing to second on an errant pickoff attempt, Mitchell moved to third on a Casilla infield single and scored on Dotel's sac fly to center, tying the game at 5-5.
Revs starter Mitch Atkins settled in, allowing nothing further in 5.2 innings of work. Atkins stranded a pair of singles in both the third and fourth innings, and retired eight consecutive batters before a two-out error in the sixth.
The Revs threatened in the seventh as Luis Cruz led off with a walk and Mitchell smacked a one-out single to left after southpaw Hunter Cervenka was brought in to face him. A Casilla line drive was snared by first baseman Matt Chavez for an inning-ending double play, denying York of the lead.
Sugar Land took control with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Chavez gave the Skeeters the lead with an RBI single up the middle, and three more crossed the plate with two outs on a Hawkins RBI single and a Giansanti two-run double to left-center.
The Revs immediately brought the tying run to the plate, loading the bases with no outs in the eighth as Dotel reached on an infield single, and reliever Kyle Winkler walked the next two. Closer Felipe Paulino entered to rescue the Skeeters, however, retiring all six in a two-inning save, his league-leading tenth of the year. Paulino induced a check-swing tapper back to the mound off the bat of Michael Burgess for a force at the plate on the first out, before striking out Cuevas and Cruz to escape the eighth. His 1-2-3 ninth inning closed it out.
Cervenka (3-1) picked up the win, while Ricardo Gomez (0-2) was saddled with the loss out of the Revs bullpen.
Dotel went 3-for-3 with a double, sac fly, and two RBI to lead the York offense.
Giansanti had the biggest night for the Skeeters, going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI to lead a 13-hit attack.
It sets up a rubber match in the series on Sunday evening 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. ET with Darrell Henry on the call.
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