(May 24, 2019 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution inched back from an early deficit but could not complete a comeback bid, falling to the Lancaster Barnstormers 4-3 on Friday night in front of 4,359 fans at PeoplesBank Park for the 2019 “War of the Roses” series opener. The Revs see their season-best four-game winning streak snapped and will look to even things as the series continues Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
For the second straight game, the Revs found themselves locked into a pitchers’ duel early. Revs starter Matthew Grimes quickly retired his first six batters faced, working a 1-2-3 top of the first and second inning to start his evening. Lancaster starter Kyle Davies faced the minimum all the way through his first 4.2 innings as he induced a double play after Alexi Casilla reached base with a single in the first, and retired 12 in-a-row from that point forward.
Grimes ran into his only trouble of the ballgame in the top of the third inning. Zach Shank and Anderson De La Rosa singled to start the frame for the Barnstormers. Darian Sandford attempted to bunt both runners along and Grimes threw toward third in search of the lead out, but his throw pulled third baseman Henry Castillo off the bag resulting in an error. With the bases loaded and no outs, Michael Martinez topped a soft bouncer to the right side that was fielded by first baseman Telvin Nash who was unable to find a force out, and could not retire Martinez as first base was left uncovered. The infield single brought home Shank to give the Stormers the 1-0 lead. Dan Gamache was unable to get a run home as he hit into a fielder's choice play at the plate, but Caleb Gindl singled home De La Rosa to move the lead to 2-0, and Joe Terdoslavich rapped a two-run double to right-center scoring both Martinez and Gindl and spiking the Lancaster advantage to 4-0.
The game remained 4-0 until the bottom of the fifth. After Melky Mesa smoked a double to left-center field, Welington Dotel recorded a two-out RBI single for the third consecutive game on a rip up the middle, cutting the Lancaster lead to 4-1.
After Grimes worked a scoreless top of the sixth, the Revs cut into the lead again in their half of the inning. James Skelton led off the frame by doubling down the right field line. The next batter, Justin Trapp, slapped a single to center plating the York catcher and cutting the deficit to 4-2.
Grimes recorded the first two outs in the top of the seventh, but was replaced by Orleny Quiroz when Gindl reached on a two-out bloop hit. Quiroz struck out Terdoslavich to end the frame, leaving runners at the corners. Quiroz and Julio Perez combined to strike out the side in the eighth, working around a leadoff double from K.C. Hobson.
Alejandro Chacin came on to pitch the eighth for Lancaster but struggled to find the strike zone as the Revs loaded the bases with one out on three Chacin walks. Closer Cody Eppley was called upon to record the last two outs of the inning and won a battle to strike out Nash for the second out. With Isaias Tejeda at the plate, Eppley launched a wild pitch to the backstop allowing Skelton to score from third and slicing the deficit to 4-3. But after falling behind 3-0, Eppley retired Tejeda on a fly out to right to end the threat, leaving the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.
Robert Carson allowed just an infield single in the top of the ninth out of the York bullpen to keep it a one-run game.
Mesa (3-for-4) led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt courtesy of Dotel. With Mesa on second and one out, Ryan Dent smoked a line drive directly at the shortstop Martinez who threw to second to double up Mesa, ending the game and denying the Revs of the late-inning comeback.
Lancaster starter Kyle Davies (2-1) earned the win, limiting the Revs to two runs on six hits over seven innings while walking none and striking out six.
Grimes (1-3) suffered the loss despite a quality start, allowing nothing after the big third inning and lasting 6.2 innings, charged with four runs (three earned). He walked none and struck out four.
Notes: Revs pitchers have struck out 18 and walked none over the last two games, while fanning 30 and walking just two over the last three games. With three walks from Chacin in the eighth, the only three walks of the game, Lancaster has now issued the most walks in the league (108), one more than the Revs. Grimes walked none for the second straight start. Grimes has allowed three earned runs or fewer in five of six starts and now holds a 2.80 ERA. Quiroz, Perez, and Carson all worked their third consecutive scoreless outings. Perez leads the league with 14 appearances. York’s four-game winning streak was the league’s longest active. Mesa now owns a nine-game hitting streak during which he is batting .432 (16-for-37). York’s bullpen now owns a 2.35 ERA over the last 10 games (30.2 innings, eight runs). Castillo played in his 500th career game while Dotel played in his 1,000th. Dotel (1-for-3, RBI) is now 6-for-11 with four RBI over his last three games. Skelton (1-for-2, double, two runs) is now 7-for-11 with three doubles and five runs in four games played on the homestand. It was the 242nd regular season meeting all-time between York and Lancaster (York now 124-118) and the 250th meeting including postseason. York righty Daniel Minor (1-2, 3.66) will face Lancaster right-hander Buddy Baumann (2-1, 1.38) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The night includes Post-Game Fireworks and it is Salute to Veterans presented by AARP featuring a Patriotic Jersey Auction presented by CommunityAid. There is also a Salute to Veterans BBQ Picnic catered by Smok'n Hogs BBQ in the Bullpen Balcony. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
