(July 19, 2022 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution welcomed the red hot Gastonia Honey Hunters for the first of three on Tuesday evening at PeoplesBank Park and the South Division’s first half champion showed no signs of slowing down, clubbing four home runs in a 19-5 series opening win.
York was able to strike first in the first inning as Melky Mesa, fresh off his walk-off single on Sunday, drove his seventh home run of the season, a two-run blast to left center measured at 435 feet, putting York up 2-0. It was the 65th home run of his Revs career, pulling within one of matching Andres Perez for second on the franchise’s all-time list.
Gastonia started a huge string of crooked numbers in the second inning with Reece Hampton’s three-run home run to right field with two outs, taking a 3-2 lead.
Two more crossed in the third on a bases loaded walk and a double play ball, pushing the Honey Hunters ahead 5-2.
York starter Eduardo Rivera (5-3) was chased without recording an out in the fourth inning. His day ended after eight hits and a season-high seven walks, exiting after an RBI single from Joseph Rosa. Zach Jarrett greeted reliever Josh Martin with an RBI single, pushing it to 7-2 with all seven charged to Rivera. After a strikeout from Martin, Luis Castro joined the power brigade, blasting a two-run shot to left-center to make it a 9-2 game and cap a five-run fourth inning.
Gastonia batted around in the fifth inning, starting with a two-run home run to right from nine hole hitter Jake Skole. Two batters later, Jack Reinheimer hit a no-doubt shot over the Arch Nemesis, making it 12-2. Two more crossed later in the inning on a hit by pitch and an RBI groundout, closing out the inning with a 14-2 score.
York was able to get back on the board in the fifth against Honey Hunters starter John Anderson. Yefri Perez kicked off the rally by slicing a leadoff triple to right and coming around to score on an Elmer Reyes single. Singles from Mesa and Nellie Rodriguez loaded the bases and a Carlos Franco walk provided Franco with his league-leading 82nd RBI as the Revs cut the margin to 14-4.
Jarrett tacked on another for Gastonia with an RBI single in the sixth, expanding the lead to 15-4.
York pushed across one more in the seventh as JC Encarnacion led off the inning by ripping a solo homer to left field on the first pitch, his eighth of the year. Encarnacion had entered the game in the previous inning as a defensive replacement for Mesa.
A two-run single from Luis Roman and an RBI fielder’s choice gave Gastonia a new season high in runs as they went up 18-5 in the eighth.
One more crossed in the ninth as Jaylen Smith beat out a potential inning-ending double play ball, making it 19-5.
Along with 16 Gastonia hits, York pitching also surrendered a season-high 13 walks, one shy of matching a franchise single-game record set twice last year.
York will aim to even the series on Wednesday as Alex Sanabia takes the mound against Gastonia’s Reilly Hovis at 6:30 p.m. It is PeoplesBank Client Appreciation Night and a PeoplesBank Kids Eat Free Wednesday. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
Notes: Gastonia improves to 12-0 in the second half, holding a seven-game division lead; they had started the first half with a 10-1 mark and improve to 56-21 on the season, on pace to match the league record of 95 wins set by Sugar Land in 2013. The Honey Hunters also improve to a spectacular 30-9 on the road. Reyes doubled in the third, his league-leading 29th of the season.
