(August 31, 2022 – York, Pa.): On a night where Cannonball Charlie was given the night off for Sensory Awareness Night, the York Revolution delivered the biggest power display in team history, launching eight home runs in Wednesday’s contest. That would not be the only history made, however, as the Staten Island FerryHawks marched back from a 13-1 deficit to win the game, 15-13 in 10 innings at PeoplesBank Park.
Troy Stokes Jr. was the first to get the scoring started, launching a two-run home run over the Arch Nemesis in the bottom of the second. JC Encarnacion followed suit with a two-run homer of his own later in the inning, spotting the Revs an early 4-0 lead.
The next inning, Jhon Nunez and Yefri Perez went back-to-back, making it 6-0. It was the first time York hitters had launched back-to-back homers since Lenin Rodriguez and Encarnacion did it on August 7 against Charleston.
Staten Island reliever Eric Marinez got the first two outs of the fourth rather quickly before issuing a walk to Telvin Nash. Nellie Rodriguez followed with a blast of his own, his second in as many nights and 20th of the season. With the two-run shot to right, Rodriguez joined Chris Nowak and Melky Mesa as the only players in club history with multiple 20 HR seasons. That made it 8-1 York, as the Ferryhawks had plated a run in the top half on a groundout.
After a quiet fifth inning, the Revs offense reemerged to make history in the sixth. It started with Nash who drove a fastball to the lawn in right center, his 10th of the year and 104th of his Atlantic League career. With that homer, he moved into a tie with Jesse Hoorelbeke for eighth on the ALPB’s all-time leaderboard.
After Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, Nunez followed with his second home run of the night, uncorking a drive to right center, bringing his season total to five and York’s game total to seven, which tied a franchise record.
That record would last two more batters, as Stokes Jr. unloaded on his second of the game, a no doubt blast over the Arch Nemesis, making it 13-1. It set a new franchise record for homers in a game by York at eight and established a single-game high for any Atlantic League team this season. Stokes Jr. and Nunez also combined to become the seventh pair of Revs teammates with multiple homers in the same game and the first since Mesa and Nash did so in 2019.
Carlos Ventura entered to start the seventh, relieving Courtney Mack after a gem. Mack went six innings allowing just one run on two hits.
Ventura had a rough outing, however, getting just two outs before Chris Cespedes and Javier Betancourt unloaded back-to-back homers of their own to left field. With Cespedes’ being a three-run shot, Staten Island was able to cut the lead to 13-5 and end Ventura’s night. Tuck Tucker relieved him, getting his first batter to pop out and end the threat.
Disaster struck the Revs in the top of the eighth as the FerryHawks got two on with one out, setting the stage for Ricardo Cespedes to plate one with a single and Justin O’Conner to drive in two with a double, suddenly cutting the lead to 13-8. Doug Olcese walked in one more, and another scored on a popup that Perez could not squeeze at second with the infield fly rule in effect. Roniel Raudes entered to get a groundout on one pitch to end the frame, but not before the lead was cut to 13-10.
Ricardo Cespedes made a huge defensive play in the bottom of the eighth, robbing Nunez of what would have been his third home run of the night, a potential two-run shot to right center.
Staten Island completed the unthinkable in the ninth, scoring three runs to tie the game at 13-13. Two scored on an infield single coupled with an errant throw by closer Jim Fuller, and the tying run finally came around on a single up the middle from Chris Cespedes with two outs.
York got two on with two outs in the ninth but came up empty after Nash struck out swinging.
With the automatic runner on second to start the 10th, York snuffed out a bunt attempt as Nunez fired a bullet to nail the runner at third. That would not detract Staten Island, however, as a two-run double by Angel Aguilar capped off a 14-unanswered stretch of runs, putting the FerryHawks ahead 15-13.
The Revs were unable to score in the 10th, capping off the largest lead surrendered in a loss in franchise history, as York fell in devastating fashion. York’s 13 runs scored marked the most in a loss in franchise history as well.
York will try to have a short memory and regroup on Thursday as they aim to take the rubber match. Duke von Schamann will get the ball for the Revs in his final start before departing for Team Germany at the World Baseball Classic qualifiers with first pitch at 6:30 p.m. It is a Throwback Thursday (80s): tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
