(June 25, 2022 – York, Pa.): York Revolution fans did not have to wait until postgame for fireworks on Saturday night as York exploded for 22 hits including four home runs in the eighth inning in a 19-1 victory over the Staten Island FerryHawks at PeoplesBank Park.
Staten Island struck first for the second night in a row. After a one-out triple by Dilson Herrera, he was driven in on a Ricardo Cespedes double to left with two outs in the first for a 1-0 lead.
York found its answer three batters into its half of the first. After a leadoff double, Troy Stokes Jr. stole third base and scored on a Connor Lien ground rule double to left-center, Lien’s third extra base hit and fourth RBI of the series. With two outs, JC Encarnacion plated another on a seeing-eye single up the middle, and Josue Herrera drove a two-run double to left center field for a 4-1 lead after an inning.
Yefri Perez led off the bottom of the second with a single, and after stealing second, scored on a base hit to center from Stokes Jr. to make it 5-1.
Friday night’s walk-off hero Elmer Reyes got on the board in the fourth inning, depositing a single into left center field and scoring Perez who had reached on a walk, increasing the lead to 6-1.
York greeted reliever Jose Velez with three straight hits in the sixth, with the third, a Reyes ground rule double to left-center, extending the lead to 7-1. Velez walked the next two with the second one to Nellie Rodriguez plating yet another run. Carlos Franco followed with an RBI single to center, and Encarnacion plated another as he beat out a double play ball to make it a four-run frame. York batted around in the sixth to make it 10-1.
Josh Martin relieved Jorge Martinez with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh. Martinez (5-4) finished his day after just 87 pitches, surrendering only three hits in six innings for the second consecutive start while striking out five, winning his third straight.
Tuck Tucker made his pro debut in the eighth inning and rolled two ground balls and induced a fly out, retiring the side in order.
Encarnacion led off the bottom of the eighth with his fifth home run of the year on a blast to left-center against reliever Anthony Auletta. After three more reached, Kelsie Whitmore inherited a bases loaded jam with nobody out. Stokes Jr. followed with his fifth hit of the game, a two-run single to right center field to extend the lead to 13-1. The Revs refused to take their foot off the gas as Reyes blasted a three-run homer to left-center, making it a 16-1 game. Franco cemented himself as the second in the league to 20 home runs on the season when he blasted a two-run shot to the top of the lawn in right-center. Outfielder Joseph Monge relieved Whitmore, and Encarnacion greeted him with a moonshot over the Arch Nemesis in left, joining Melky Mesa (2019) as the second in Revs history with two home runs in the same inning. The Revs’ four homers as a team set a new franchise record for a single inning, highlighting the nine-run explosion.
Duke von Schamann pitched the ninth and was touched for a slow infield single with one out, ending a streak of 15 straight retired by York pitching. Von Schamann closed things down with a scoreless inning, however, giving York the 19-1 win, tying the largest margin of victory of the season along with a win in Lexington by the same score on April 28.
The offense erupted for a season-high 22 hits, York’s most in a game since 2019.
York will look to sweep the series on Sunday when Alex Sanabia takes the mound against Hector Guance, with the game getting underway at 2 p.m. The day features #InstaTokBook, Crab Feast catered by Captain Bob’s Crabs, Sunday Funday presented by Weis Markets, Bark in the Park, and an appearance by a Budweiser Clydesdale. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: Franco’s first inning walk extended his on base streak to 38 games, bringing him within seven of Nate Espy’s club record from 2007. Franco’s 20 homers are one shy of matching Telvin Nash’s franchise record for a first half. Stokes Jr.’s five-hit game is the 12th in Revs history and first since Mesa did it on September 7, 2021 in Lancaster; it is the first five-hit game of Stokes Jr.’s pro career. Reyes’ five-RBI game is his first since August 4, 2021 with Charleston (vs. Gastonia). Encarnacion’s two-homer game is the Revs’ eight of the year and second in as many nights, following Lien’s two-homer game from Friday; it is the second of Encarnacion’s career (May 30, 2019 with Delmarva, at Greenville). Franco and Encarnacion’s back-to-back homers in the eighth are the Revs’ second set of back-to-back home runs on the season (Strokes Jr. and Perez, June 15 at Lexington). Martinez moves to second in the league in ERA and tops among active pitchers (3.11), while jumping to second in strikeouts (74); his five wins are two off the league lead. He has allowed one run on six hits in 12.0 innings over his last two starts (both vs. Staten Island), and with one walk and five strikeouts on Saturday night, has now walked just three while striking out 30 in 24.1 innings over his last four starts. The 18-run margin of victory is one run shy of a franchise record. The 22 hits are tied for sixth most in a game in team history and the most since a 25-hit showing on July 2, 2019 at Southern Maryland. It marks the ninth time the Revs have tallied at least 22 hits. The nine-run eighth inning came within one run of the biggest inning of the season and marked the third time they’ve put up at least nine in an inning this season. The Revs improve to 26-30, moving within four games of .500 for the first time since starting the season 2-6. York is 22-16 since May 13, and has four wins and one split in its last five series, going 9-4 on that stretch. The three-game winning streak matches a season-best. York improves to 6-5 vs. Staten Island, having won six of the last eight meetings.
