(June 26, 2019 – Waldorf, Md.): The York Revolution pulled within 4.5 games of first place in the first half standings with a 4-1 victory over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Revs have won 12 of the last 15 games and 14 of the last 18, while notching a fifth consecutive series win. York is off on Thursday before hosting New Britain to start a three-game weekend series Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The Blue Crabs plated the game’s first run as Joe Benson doubled down the left field line with two outs in the first and scored on Cory Vaughn’s single to left, but York pitchers held the Crabs to just three hits the rest of the night.
York took the lead for good in the top of the second, scoring twice in the inning. Isaias Tejeda started things with a base hit to left and James Skelton worked a walk to put two men on. J.P. Sportman’s fly ball to right advanced Tejeda to third. With one out and Skelton running from first, Welington Dotel executed a perfect hit-and-run on a chopper into right for an RBI single, plating Tejeda to tie the score at 1-1. Angelys Nina added a sac fly to center, bringing home Skelton for a 2-1 lead.
Henry Castillo led off the third with a double off the left field wall and scored on a Tejeda single to left, increasing the lead to 3-1.
Blue Crabs starter Brandon Cumpton (3-7) settled down to last six innings with his final three innings scoreless, but was bested by the Revs’ performance on the hill.
York starter Ian Thomas handled the first four innings and allowed only the first inning run to score, striking out five with just one walk.
Five relievers combined to allow just one hit over the final five innings.
Phil Walby was guilty of a pair of one-out walks in the fifth but recorded a big second out when Edwin Garcia attempted to take second on a wild pitch on ball four, drawing a throw to second which caused Kent Blackstone to stray away from third. Nina intercepted the throw at second and fired to third where Blackstone was tagged out to help kill the Blue Crabs’ threat. Walby retired Benson on a ground out to second to end the inning.
Peter Tago (2-1) earned the win with two strike outs in a perfect sixth.
Josh Judy worked around a leadoff single by Frank Martinez and a two-out walk to Blackstone to log a scoreless seventh.
The Revs plated an insurance run in the eighth in historic fashion. Skelton led off the inning by drilling a triple to the gap in right-center. With the infield in, Sportman chopped an RBI single up the middle for a 4-1 lead, extending his hitting streak to 24 consecutive games. The streak now stands alone as the third-longest in Revs history and is the longest in the league over the last two seasons.
Julio Perez fired a perfect eighth inning and Jameson McGrane struck out the side in the ninth, allowing only a two-out walk to Tony Thomas to pick up his third save.
Notes: York has nine games remaining in the first half while first place Sugar Land has 10 remaining. The Revs are within 4.5 games of first for the first time since May 13. A night after Mitch Atkins completed a three-hitter, six Revs pitchers combined on a five-hit victory. Sportman extended his hitting streak in the final at-bat for the third time in the last four games and in the seventh inning or later for the fourth consecutive game. McGrane extended scoreless streaks to 16 consecutive outings and 15.1 innings, season-bests for a Revs pitcher. He has allowed just four hits in 15.0 innings over his last 16 appearances, no hits in seven innings over his last six games (13 strike outs), and just one hit in 9.1 innings his last eight outings. Dotel (1-for-4, RBI) extended his hitting streak to 13 consecutive games, the Revs’ second-longest of the season while adding his 20th RBI in the last 16 games. Dotel stole second base in the second, his 98th career steal in the Atlantic League. York is now 6-1 against Southern Maryland on the season. The Revs have won six of their last seven road games. Telvin Nash walked three times, tying a Revs season-high; Nash now leads the league with 42 walks, halfway to matching the Revs single-season record (84, Scott Grimes, 2010). Tejeda went 3-for-5, posting his ninth three-hit game of the season. Ryan Dent went 2-for-3 and is now 12-for-24 on a season-best seven-game hitting streak. York righty Duke von Schamann (1-2, 2.87) faces New Britain right-hander Devin Burke (1-2, 1.38) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. It is Pride Night at PeoplesBank Park. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
