(July 2, 2021 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution built an early lead but dropped their series opener to the Lancaster Barnstormers, 9-5 on Friday evening at PeoplesBank Park.
York started the scoring in the second, scoring three times without a hit. Barnstormers starter Augie Sylk issued four walks in the third, including three consecutive free passes. Walner Espinal worked a walk with the bases loaded for the first run. The other two scored off a fielding error from Caleb Gindl in right field for a 3-0 York lead.
Lancaster cut the lead to one with two runs on just one hit in the third. Cleuluis Rondon and Gindl worked back-to-back walks to start the inning. After a ground out moved both into scoring position, Blake Gailen drove in Rondon on a sac fly to left. Trayvon Robinson collected an infield hit that deflected off Espinal’s glove to make it 3-2.
Yan Sanchez stretched York’s lead back to two, 4-2, with a solo home run to right in the bottom of the third, his second long ball in as many nights.
The Barnstormers continued to pressure and tied the game, 4-4, in the fourth as Blake Allemand scored on a wild pitch and Gindl drove in the second run of the frame on an infield hit.
Both teams traded runs in the sixth. Anderson De La Rosa gave Lancaster a brief 5-4 lead with a solo home run to left but York tied it up again in its half of the sixth. James Harris just missed a home run over the Arch-Nemesis but reached safely on a hard-hit single. With Andrew Dundon at the plate, Harris stole second and Dundon worked a walk to set the table for JC Encarnacion. The righty bat smacked an RBI double to the right field corner for the brand-new ballgame at 5-5.
The tie did not last long as Lancaster scored a pair of unearned runs against reliever Brandon Fry (2-2) in the seventh. Robinson led off reaching on a Revs error and stole second. LeDarious Clark drove in Robinson with a pinch-hit ground rule double to right-center and scored on a base hit to left from De La Rosa.
The Barnstormers added single runs in the eighth and ninth.
Gindl walked leading off the eighth and moved to third following a Melvin Mercedes base hit and Blake Gailen fly out. As Mercedes stole second, Gindl raced home and beat the throw back to the plate for an 8-5 lead.
De La Rosa chipped in an RBI ground out to close the scoring in the ninth.
The Revs will look to rebound on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. when left hander Johan Lopez makes the start in his Revs debut, opposite Lancaster left-hander Tommy Shirley (2-1, 3.44). Saturday is Seinfeld Night: The Game About Nothing. Tickets are available at YorkRevolution.com, 717-801-HITS, or in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
