(May 14, 2019 – Sugar Land, TX): The York Revolution enjoyed a big day at the plate for the second straight game, but lost to the Sugar Land Skeeters 10-9 in 11 innings after the Skeeters erased a five-run deficit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Denied of what would have been back-to-back victories to start their seven-game trip to Texas, the Revs will look to rebound on Wednesday night at Constellation Field.
With the game tied at 3-3 in the eighth, the Revs loaded the bases with no outs against Skeeters reliever Matt West who had not allowed a run in nine outings on the season, and just one earned run in 26 appearances in the Atlantic League. Isaias Tejeda got the ball rolling with a base hit while Welington Dotel and Nate Coronado walked to load the bases with no outs. A Ryan Dent sac fly to center brought home Tejeda with the go-ahead run as the Revs led 4-3. With two outs, James Skelton (4-for-6) launched his first Revolution home run, a towering, tape-measure three-run shot to right to make it 7-3. Henry Castillo followed with a blast to right of his own, as the back-to-back jacks gave the Revs a commanding 8-3 advantage.
Sugar Land got one back in the bottom half as Jared Mitchell led off with a solo homer to right-center off reliever Robert Carson who was lifted a batter later with an apparent injury. Right-hander Josh Judy came in to finish the inning, leaving the tying run on deck.
Telvin Nash crushed a home run to left to lead off the ninth. His fourth of the season, second in as many games, and 57th of his Revs career gave the Revs another five-run cushion at 9-4.
Jarret Martin entered looking to bounce back from a tough outing the night before, and quickly got a pair of weak ground outs and jumped ahead of Anthony Giansanti with two strikes. A hit by pitch followed, however, as Giansanti became the first of four consecutive Skeeters batters to reach base with two strikes. Mitchell battled his way on with a walk on a full count and Juan Silverio bled a seeing-eye RBI single through the right side, cutting the lead to 9-5. Amalio Diaz was brought in to make his Revs debut in search of the save, but lost Jason Martinson to a walk on a full count, loading the bases. Denis Phipps promptly climbed in and drilled a game-tying grand slam to left field, as the lead was gone in shocking fashion.
Skeeters righty Jean Machi (2-0) did not allow a hit in the 10th or 11th to earn the win.
Revs reliever Julio Perez worked out of a jam to keep it tied in the 10th, throwing home to retire Cody Stanley on Alvaro Rondon’s attempt at a game-winning squeeze bunt. In the 11th, however, a wild pitch put Giansanti at third as the winning run, and Silverio’s rip through a drawn-in infield capped the Skeeters incredible comeback.
Revs starter Matthew Grimes was strong for the fourth time in as many outings, limiting Sugar Land to three runs (two earned) on five hits as he became the first York starter to go seven innings in a game this season.
The Revs scored the game’s first run in the top of the second on Coronado’s RBI fielder’s choice, but Sugar Land answered in the home half with a flare to center for an RBI single by Stanley.
Martinson’s two-out double to left brought home an unearned run for the Skeeters in the third, but the Revs went back ahead with two in the fourth for a 3-2 lead as Nash led off with a double to left-center, Tejeda ripped an RBI double down the left field line, and Coronado skied a sac fly to right.
Sugar Land drew even once more in its half of the fourth on Rondon’s RBI ground out.
Neither team scored again until the late-game theatrics commenced in the eighth.
Notes: The five-run eighth was the Revs’ biggest inning of the season. Skelton is the first Revs batter to tally four hits in a game this year. Nash is now two homers shy of matching Chris Nowak for second on the Revs’ all-time list, and nine away from tying the all-time record of 66 held by Andres Perez. The nine runs on offense tied a season-best. The Revs have scored 17 runs in the first two games in Sugar Land, matching their highest two-game total at Constellation Field along with a doubleheader on May 20, 2017. They have scored eight or more in consecutive games at Sugar Land for the first time in the history of the series between the two teams. York falls to 1-2 in extra innings while Sugar Land improves to 2-1. The 11-inning game is the longest of the season thus far for the Revs. The five-run lead is the largest ninth inning lead squandered in a loss in Revs history; the previous high was three runs in a 7-6 defeat at Sugar Land on August 17, 2017. Castillo (2-for-5) extends his hitting streak to a Revs season-best nine straight games. Grimes extended his streak to 15.2 innings without an earned run through the first inning, and leads the league with a 1.16 ERA through four starts. York righty Daniel Minor (0-1, 5.19) faces Sugar Land southpaw Roy Merritt (1-1, 2.25) on Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. ET. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and WOYK on YouTube beginning at 7:45 p.m. ET with Darrell Henry on the call.
