(May 3, 2019 – Central Islip, NY): In the first game played under the Atlantic League’s new extra inning rules in York Revolution history, the Revs knocked off the Long Island Ducks, 6-5 in 10 innings on Friday evening in front of 5,226 fans at Bethpage Ballpark. Having won back-to-back games and three of the last four, the Revs improve to 3-4 on the season.
Adopting the rule used throughout minor league baseball last season, the Revs took advantage of their opportunity in the top of the tenth, plating Ryan Dent who was placed at second to begin the inning as the hitter who made the final out in the previous frame. After Justin Trapp’s bid was denied as his line drive to third was caught, J.P. Sportman advanced Dent to third on a base hit to left. With runners at the corners, Alexi Casilla chopped a grounder to second baseman Steve Lombardozzi, whose only play was at first. The RBI ground out brought Dent home for the 100th run scored in his Revs career, and a 6-5 lead in the top of the tenth.
Julio Perez handled a scoreless bottom of the tenth for his second save, avenging a blown save from two nights earlier. With David Washington at second to begin the inning, Perez retired Hector Sanchez on a fly out along the right field line that advanced Washington to third. With the tying run 90 feet away, Perez struck out both Ivan DeJesus Jr. and Mike Olt swinging to end the game, giving the Revs the win in their road opener and spoiling the Ducks’ home opener in the process.
York built a 5-0 lead through the first five innings before the offense went silent.
Sportman started things with a double to left-center capping a nine-pitch at-bat to lead off the game, and scored on an errant pickoff throw by Ducks starter Darin Downs for a quick 1-0 lead.
The Revs rallied for three runs in the second as Welington Dotel and Nate Coronado ripped one-out singles and Dent walked to load the bases. Trapp smashed a two-run double down the left field line, and Sportman followed with a sac fly to deep center for a 4-0 lead.
Ducks shortstop Vladimir Frias robbed the Revs of another run, making a diving stop on Casilla’s grounder to end the second. Frias also helped squelch a potential rally on a diving double play ball with two on in the third. A wild pitch from Downs assured the Revs of a run in the third, however, as Melky Mesa crossed the plate to give York a 5-0 lead.
Revs starter Daniel Minor was outstanding early, retiring nine of his first ten batters and not allowing a hit over the first three innings.
Long Island got on the board in the fourth as Lombardozzi stroked a leadoff single, and with one out, Washington connected on a towering opposite-field two-run homer to left.
Minor struck out six, walked one, and allowed just two runs on two hits over 3.2 innings in the no-decision.
A two-out error kept the Ducks fourth inning alive but reliever Jay Miller retired Olt on a fly out to end the threat, leaving a runner at third.
Miller stranded a runner at second base in a scoreless fifth and handed the ball to Jonathan de Marte who retired Olt on a ground out to strand two runners in the sixth.
Lefty Jarret Martin, signed earlier in the day, made his return to York with a scoreless seventh inning on a comebacker for a double play and a strike out.
Jeffrey Rosa ran into trouble in the eighth as the hard-throwing righty hit the first two batters with pitches. A wild pitch advanced both and a passed ball brought home Lombardozzi to cut York’s lead to 5-3. Rosa retired the next three batters, however, to end the threat.
Josh Judy struck out Olt to begin the ninth but Daniel Fields hammered a solo homer to right, making it a one-run game. Judy bounced back to strike out Frias, but a single from Rey Fuentes kept the game alive, and Lombardozzi ripped a two-out RBI double to left-center, tying the score. After a walk to Lew Ford, Judy fanned Washington to keep the game alive and force extras.
The Ducks bullpen was airtight, allowing the comeback to materialize. Righty Tim Adleman struck out six and allowed just one hit over four innings.
Jose Cuas retired six of seven in the eighth and ninth, allowing only Coronado to reach on a hit-by-pitch. Prior that base runner, Ducks pitchers had retired 19 of 20 Revs batters since the third.
Notes: The win is the Revs’ first extra-inning victory on the road since a 6-5 win in 11 innings on July 17, 2017 at Southern Maryland. York pitchers struck out 17 batters in the game, the third-most in any game in franchise history and the most in a game of 10 innings or fewer. Martin recorded the 600th strike out of his pro career, fanning Fuentes to end the seventh. The two teams have now spoiled each other’s home opener as York lost to Long Island at home seven days earlier. York lefty Dustin Richardson (0-1, 5.40) faces Long Island righty Brett Marshall (0-1, 7.20) on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM and 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and WOYK 1350 on YouTube beginning at 6:15 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
