The York Revolution totaled 17 hits for the third time in the last four games in a blowout win over the Sugar Land Skeeters, 11-2 on Thursday night in the opener of a seven-game homestand at PeoplesBank Park. The Revs have won four of their last five overall, moving into sole possession of first place in the Freedom Division’s second half standings with an 8-6 record.
The Revs got on the board right away against Sugar Land starter Bobby Blevins. Travis Witherspoon, back in the leadoff spot, singled to start off the bottom of the first and moved to second on a balk. Alexi Casilla wasted no time extending his hitting streak to 18 in a row, doubling to right to put the Revs ahead 1-0. After an Isaias Tejeda groundout moved Casilla to third, Michael Burgess drove him in with a sacrifice fly to deep left-center, making it 2-0.
Jared Mitchell led off the second inning, launching a moonshot off the roof off the Revs’ right field clubhouse for his sixth home run of season, extending the lead to 3-0.
The Revs piled it on in the third. York sent nine to the plate and tallied six hits in the inning, chasing Blevins (4-6) from the game. Casilla led off the frame with a triple and scored on a Tejeda deep drive off the batters eye in center field for a double to make it 4-0. Later in the inning, Dayron Varona singled up the middle to bring home Luis Cruz and Mitchell. Following a pitching change, Ryan Dent greeted reliever Sean Gleason abruptly, singling through the left side to bring home Varona and make it 7-0.
The Revs weren’t done with a big lead already built. Casilla singled to lead off the fourth, his third hit of the game, as he finished a home run shy of the cycle to celebrate his 33rd birthday in style. Burgess singled two batters later and both scored on a Cruz triple to the gap in right center, his second triple in the last three games. The next batter was Mitchell who made it three extra-base hits on the night as he doubled for the second time, driving in Cruz to make it 10-0.
Meanwhile, Victor Mateo gave the Revs a great start on the hill, tossing six scoreless innings to pick up his fourth win of the season. Mateo (4-5) allowed just five baserunners on the night and retired 14 of his first 16, allowing just one hit through his first five frames and only three hits overall.
Mateo, who has averaged just 3.1 runs of support on average, had the offense behind him on Thursday night. Tejeda added to the lead in the sixth inning, blasting a line drive home run to left-center field for his 11th of the season to make it 11-0 York.
Joe Van Meter and Luke Westphal followed Mateo’s effort, each tossing scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth. Curtis Partch was touched for a two-run single by Anthony Giansanti in the ninth, ending the Revs’ bid at a shutout, but finished off the win.
The Revs have defeated the Skeeters in a club record six consecutive meetings, including sweeping Sugar Land to conclude first half play.
The series continues on Friday as the Revs send lefty Frank Gailey (7-6, 4.95) to the mound to face off with Skeeters righty Michael Nix (8-5, 2.28). It’s a 6:30 p.m. start at PeoplesBank Park, featuring an appearance by the PA Avengers on Superhero Night. For tickets visit yorkrevolution.com, the Apple Chevrolet Ticket Office, or call 717-801-HITS.
Darrell Henry and Matt Present will bring you the action live on 1350 WOYK, as well as online at woyk1350.com and on the WOYK App beginning at 6:10 p.m.
Notes: Casilla’s 18-game hitting streak ties the ninth longest in Revs history (Johan Limonta, 2014); it extends the league’s second-longest streak of the season. The Revs improve to 11-6 in their last 17 games. York also improves to 16-10 with Casilla in the lineup. The Revs are now 8-3 against the Skeeters on the year, 6-1 at home. York’s nine extra-base hits finished one shy of a season-high. Tejeda now owns an 11-game hitting streak. The Revs totaled 14 of their 17 hits through the first four innings. Every starter posted at least one hit, while six of the nine batters enjoyed multi-hit nights. The Revs have posted 17 hits in back-to-back games and in three of the last four games; it is the first time they’ve posted 17 or more hits in consecutive games and three of four contests since August 6-10, 2015, when they did it in three straight games and four out of five contests.
