(June 10, 2019 – York, Pa.): Telvin Nash tied the York Revolution single-game record with three home runs and in doing so tied the franchise’s all-time career home run record of 66 while Melky Mesa went yard twice in an 11-0 blowout victory over the High Point Rockers on Monday night, kicking off a five-game, four-day home series at PeoplesBank Park.
Nash provided three of the Revs’ six home runs as a team which set a stadium single-game record at PeoplesBank Park and came within one of the club’s overall single-game mark.
In 1,678 regular season games in Revs history prior to Monday’s contest, Ian Bladergroen (August 15, 2010 at Lancaster) stood alone as the only Revs batter to go yard three times in a game. Having already secured his fourth multi-homer game in a Revs uniform by going yard in the first and fifth innings, Nash crushed a two-run bomb over the Arch Nemesis in left field to provide a historic exclamation point on the Revs’ huge night. The 66th home run of his storied Revs career tied the all-time franchise mark established by Andres Perez who played for the Revs in 2012-13 and again in 2015-16.
Nash broke out in a huge way after a strangely difficult stretch that saw him held hitless over the previous seven games.
“It’s another day at the ballpark,” stated a humble Nash after the game. “I was just trying to help my team win the best way possible… I went and looked at some old film from when I was going well and made some minor adjustments, and the rest is history.”
Mesa also smashed a pair of home runs as Monday’s game marked the sixth time in Revs history that two players clubbed multiple long balls in the same game. Ironically, the last time it happened was May 3, 2016 vs. Bridgeport when it was accomplished by Perez and Nash who are now tied atop the all-time chart.
J.P. Sportman cracked the Revs’ other home run as the six round-trippers broke the previous stadium record of five which had been done twice, once in 2007 and again in 2008. It was the Revs’ most homers in a game since setting the franchise record with seven in a game at Lancaster in 2010.
It was also a banner day for the pitching staff. With projected York starter Matthew Grimes having his contract purchased by the Lamigo Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League earlier in the day, the Revs turned to Ian Thomas to start in his place.
Thomas answered the call in the first inning, setting down the Rockers in order to start his day.
York got the bats going early in their half of the first inning. Newly-acquired Alvaro Rondon led off the game by slapping his first career hit in a York uniform up the middle for a single. After Rondon stole second, Alexi Casilla dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third. Mesa followed the Casilla bunt by launching a two-run home run inside the right field foul pole to give the Revs an early 2-0 lead. With two outs, Nash (left field) and Sportman (right-center) slammed back-to-back solo home runs to push the York lead to 4-0. The three home runs tied a franchise record for a single inning for the fourth time and third time at home. It was the first time the Revs had hit three homers in a single inning since June 11, 2013 at Somerset, and the first time at home since August 31, 2012 vs. Long Island.
The Revs tacked on another run in the bottom of the third on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Sportman, moving the lead to 5-0.
Thomas continued his brilliant evening, totaling 4.2 scoreless innings with just two hits allowed. He walked none and struck out three.
Jameson McGrane was brought in the finish the fifth. After walking Richie Shaffer, McGrane struck out Giovanny Alfonzo to strand two and keep the shutout intact.
The York offensive onslaught continued in the bottom of the fifth. Nash drove his second solo home run of the day to left center field, moving him just one long ball shy of the all-time record. Sportman followed with a single up the middle and Welingon Dotel smacked a double to right-center to plate Sportman and push the lead to 7-0.
McGrane (1-0) worked a scoreless top of the sixth inning and has now gone scoreless in 13 of his last 14 appearances.
Mesa added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase the advantage to 8-0.
Julio Perez worked a scoreless seventh inning in his team-high 21st appearance of the season and Josh Judy allowed just an infield hit in a strong eighth.
History was made for York in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mesa led off the inning by drilling his second home run of the game over the Arch Nemesis thrusting the lead to 9-0. After an Isaias Tejeda base hit, Nash cracked his third home run of the game on a blast to left, tying Perez for the franchise record and extending the lead to 11-0.
Pat Young entered the game in the ninth to preserve the shutout. After a leadoff walk, Young induced a double play to record two quick outs in the ninth and then got Shaffer to pop up to third to end the Revs’ most lopsided win of the season.
The Revs also played terrific defense in Monday’s victory. Rondon made an outstanding play deep in the hole at short in the second inning on his first defensive chance. Sportman ran down a pair of deep drives against the wall in left-center in the third. Third baseman Angelys Nina made a diving play on a ground ball in the top of the fourth.
Notes: The shutout win is the Revs’ fifth of the year. Each of York’s last two wins have come in shutouts against the Rockers with the other occurring last Thursday in North Carolina. York has won back-to-back games vs. High Point after dropping the first six head-to-head. The Revs beat Rockers starter Ryan Williams (1-1) five days after being held to two runs in six innings by Williams in a defeat on the road. York set a season-high with 17 hits while holding High Point to four hits, matching a Revs’ season-low for the pitching staff. It ties the sixth-biggest shutout win in team history. Nash adds to his PeoplesBank Park home run record, now with 43. It was the second three-homer game of his pro career, having also accomplished the feat on April 17, 2011 at Asheville (with Lexington). The Revs have won back-to-back home games as Monday kicked off a stretch of 11 of the next 15 at home. Mesa and Nash each had four RBI while Mesa, Tejeda, and Nash all had three hits. Mesa now has 23 RBI in his last 25 games. Sportman now has a season-high-tying seven-game hitting streak and has seven extra-base hits and 10 RBI over his last 10 games. Thomas has now allowed just one run in 15.2 innings over his last seven outings (three starts); he has allowed just one run in 11.2 innings as a starter. York and High Point will meet Tuesday in a single-admission doubleheader at PeoplesBank Park beginning at 5 p.m. with two seven-inning games. It is also a WellSpan Sports Medicine Silver Slugger Tuesday. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
