(June 18, 2021 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution fell victim to the Atlantic League’s hottest team, dropping a 14-2 series opener to the Lexington Legends on Friday night at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs (8-11) slip to 3-4 on the current homestand and sit 2.5 games back in the North Division, while the Legends win their sixth straight and 12th in the last 13 games, improving to 13-4 and leading the South by 5.0 games. York will look to even the series on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
After a scoreless first from both sides, Lexington scored an unearned run in the second. With two outs in the inning, Chris Fornaci collected a base hit to left field. After a passed ball allowed Fornaci to move to scoring position, Tillman Pugh brought him in on a single to center.
In the fourth, the first four Legends to face Revs starter Austin Nicely reached safely. Roberto Baldoquin started the inning with a ground ball single to short. Moving to second on a passed ball, Baldoquin scored on a Sam Claycamp line drive single to center. Fornaci worked a walk to set the stage for Pugh who delivered a three-run home run to right center for a 5-0 lead.
York responded with back-to-back home runs in their fourth. Carlos Castro hit a line drive to left-center that cleared the wall for his fourth of the season and second in as many nights. Welington Dotel followed suit with an opposite field solo shot to right as the duo connected on consecutive long balls for the second time this season, cutting it to 5-2.
Lexington continued to pressure with a two-run sixth. Both runs scored via a broken bat single to right from Brandon Phillips.
The Legends broke it open in the eighth as six runs crossed on five hits. Courtney Hawkins earned an RBI base hit on a comebacker off Revs reliever Bruce Bell’s midsection. Jordan Pacheco had the biggest hit with a three-run home run to left-center. Darlin De La Rosa capped off the eighth with a two-run, pinch-hit double on a line drive to right for a 13-2 advantage.
Lexington plated its final run in the ninth on a Pacheco single to left.
Austin Steinfort (1-2) will make his fourth start of the year on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Lexington will counter with right hander Dustin Beggs (0-0, 4.85) as the Revs host a Juneteenth Celebration presented by Community Progress Council. Post-game Fireworks presented by Give Local York will follow. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
