(April 26, 2019 – York, Pa.): Ross Detwiler was outstanding through five innings and Corey Bass sparked the offense early with a three-run homer, but the York Revolution fell to the Long Island Ducks, 12-3 on Opening Night on a damp, blustery Friday evening in front of 3,732 at PeoplesBank Park.
In his first start with York since May 26, 2018, Detwiler allowed just one unearned run over five innings and retired 12 of 13 at one point.
The Revs had their work cut out for them, as they faced the 2018 All Star Game starter for the Liberty Division in lefty Bennett Parry.
The Ducks spotted their ace early run support as Steve Lombardozzi smashed a one out triple to right center field in the top of the first. After a Kirk Nieuwenhuis strikeout, designated hitter Lew Ford hit a ground ball to Ryan Dent that hopped away, allowing Lombardozzi to score from third. Ford was safe on the error and the Ducks took a 1-0 lead.
Parry pitched around two singles in his half of the first, but ran into trouble as Nate Coronado lined a one-out single in the bottom of the second. After a great at-bat from Ryan Dent ended with a full count walk, Bass launched a full count fastball to right center for his first career Atlantic League hit, a three-run homer scoring Coronado and Dent and giving the Revolution a 3-1 lead.
Detwiler was lights out from there allowing just three hits over the next three innings. His final line was five innings pitched, one run (unearned,) no walks, and four strikeouts.
Parry was also impressive, pitching himself out of jams all night. His final line was five innings pitched, eight hits allowed, three earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts.
Robert Morey was the first Revolution pitcher out of the bullpen in 2019 in the top of the sixth inning. Nieuwenhuis led off the inning with a single. Ford followed by dribbling a ball to third but Coronado sailed his throw over the head of Alexi Casilla at second base allowing Nieuwenhuis to score all the way from first on the error.
Morey tried to pump a fastball by Matt den Dekker on the very next pitch, but den Dekker drilled it onto the Louis Appell Lawn Section for his first home run as a Duck to give his team their first lead of the game at 4-3. The Ducks tacked on three more runs in the inning and left the sixth with a 7-3 cushion.
Rey Fuentes accounted for the next three runs as he hit a two-run single in the eighth and followed that with a bases loaded walk in the ninth. Lombardozzi walked immediately after to force in another run, propelling the Ducks total into double digits. A Nieuwenhuis RBI ground out drove the score to 12-3.
The Revs and Ducks will be right back at it Saturday as York right-hander Matthew Grimes is expected to make his Atlantic League debut against Ducks righty Tim Melville at 6:30 p.m. The night features Post-Game Fireworks and a Negro League Tribute with a York Monarchs Jersey Auction presented by PeoplesBank to benefit the Goodridge Freedom Center and a Solomon White Baseball Card Giveaway. It is also a Boomer's Book Club Night presented by Harrisburg University. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
Notes: The loss snaps York’s three-game winning streak on Opening Day, falling for the first time since the 2015 opener, also vs. the Ducks. It marked just the second time that York and Long Island squared off in a season opener. The Revs had also won eight of their previous 10 openers and are now 8-5 all-time on Opening Day. Long Island improves to 13-7 all-time on Opening Day. The night marked the start of the 13th season in franchise history for the Revs. It was also the start of Detwiler’s 13th pro season. Coronado and Telvin Nash each ripped three base hits to lead a 12-hit York attack.
Recap by Brett Pietrzak
