(October 7, 2021 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution saw a pair of long winning streaks come to a close, dropping the home regular season finale, 10-3 to the Charleston Dirty Birds on Thursday evening at PeoplesBank Park. Charleston punches its ticket to the postseason, clinching a second half South Division title, while the Revs see their season-best five-game winning streak and eight-game home winning streak come to a close. York’s magic number is four heading into the final weekend of the regular season with a road trip to Long Island beginning Friday night.
The Revs jumped out to an early lead in the first thanks to back-to-back home runs for the fourth time in 2021. James Harris worked a leadoff walk and Jack Kenley immediately followed with a home run to right for the 2-0 lead after two batters. For his 18th home run and completing the back-to-back sequence, Melky Mesa cleared the wall in left center for a 3-0 margin.
Charleston flew back to tie it 3-3 in the third. Yovan Gonzalez singled up the middle to lead off the third and Connor Kopach walked. The Dirty Birds scored their first runs on a throwing error from York. As Nate Easley reached on a bunt single, an errant throw allowed both Gonzalez and Kopach to score for a 3-2 margin. With one out, Teodoro Martinez singled to left center for the tie game, 3-3.
An inning later, the Dirty Birds took the lead with a pair of runs. Charleston got the leadoff man aboard for the second straight inning as Olmo Rosario singled to left. After a Gonzalez walk, Connor Kopach bunted into a fielder’s choice and Austin Nicely threw to Carlos Franco to retire the lead runner, Rosario, at third. For the first run, Easley hit into a fielder’s choice but a fielding error from Gregorio at short plated Gonzalez for a 4-3 Charleston lead. Scott Kelly followed with a RBI single up the middle to cap the scoring in the fourth, 5-3.
After a scoreless fifth, a pair of doubles put Charleston up by five, 8-3, in the sixth. Rosario again collected a leadoff hit on a second single to left. An RBI double from Gonzalez made it 6-3. With two outs, Kelly walked and Martinez drove home both runners on his double to left field.
Charleston’s offense did not let up. In the seventh, Edwin Espinal just missed on a home run as he struck the upper part of the Arch Nemesis and settled for a hard-hit single. After Rosario’s third base hit put two aboard, Gonzalez smacked his second run-scoring double for a 9-3 lead. With two runners in scoring position, Kopach put the Dirty Birds in double digits with a sac fly to center for a 10-3 advantage.
The Revs were held scoreless after the fast start, limited to just five hits on the night. Arik Sikula (11-7) worked five innings to pick up the win for Charleston, allowing just one additional hit after the early back-to-back homers, retiring 10 consecutive batters at one point.
The Revs finish the home schedule with a 32-28 record. Their eight-game home winning streak was tied for the third longest in franchise history and was the longest since 2015.
The Revs, tied for first place with the Ducks, must win at least two of three at Long Island this weekend while also finishing ahead of Southern Maryland who currently sits half a game back but has one additional game to play with a doubleheader scheduled on Saturday vs. Lexington.
York righty Jhoendri Herrera (3-4, 9.95) starts Friday’s opener against Long Island right-hander Joe Iorio (13-2, 4.70) at 6:35 p.m. Revs fans can catch the action live on the WOYK YouTube channel beginning at 6:15 p.m. with Darrell Henry on the call from Central Islip, NY.
