(August 2, 2022 – York, Pa.): The York Revolution received long home runs from Nellie Rodriguez and Telvin Nash who clobbered the record 100th of his Revs career, but York dropped its series opener to the Lancaster Barnstormers, 5-3 on Tuesday night at PeoplesBank Park. The loss is the fourth straight for the Revs who drop to seven back in both the division and wild card races, while Lancaster has won four straight, increasing its division lead to two games.
It was yet another back-and-forth affair between the two teams. York got the scoring started in the second inning against Cam Gann as Rodriguez drove his 16th home run of the year to right center field. It took one bounce before hitting the panel to the right of the video board as the tape measure shot gave the Revs a 1-0 lead.
Lancaster answered back in the third on a home run to right field from Shawon Dunston Jr, his first since joining the Barnstormers midseason, tying the game up at 1-1.
The Barnstormers went ahead in the next inning courtesy of another solo home run, this time from Jacob Barfield to right center field. It was his third in just his sixth game with the team, putting Lancaster ahead 2-1 in the fourth.
York tied the game in historic fashion in the bottom half of the inning as Nash blasted a no-doubt home run over the Arch Nemesis in left to knot the game at 2-2. It was the record 100th of Nash’s York career and his sixth since returning to the club in early July. The homer also brought him within three of joining the top 10 in Atlantic League history.
The Barnstormers manufactured a run to go back ahead in the fifth inning. Dunston Jr led off the inning with a single and made his way to second on a walk. Two fielder’s choices later, Dunston Jr came across to score, giving Lancaster a 3-2 lead. It came on a potential inning-ending double play ball, but a low throw from Nash at first for the initial out gave Trayvon Robinson just enough time to beat the return throw.
Revs starter Nick Travieso finished strong in the sixth, retiring the side in order, completing his fifth straight quality start. Over six innings, he allowed just four hits and struck out three.
Travieso’s teammates got him off the hook in the sixth inning. With Nash aboard from a walk earlier in the inning, Melky Mesa dug in with two away. With Nash running on a full count, he scored all the way from first as Mesa drove a single off of the right field wall to tie the game at 3-3.
Roniel Raudes entered to relieve Travieso in the seventh and allowed a leadoff infield single to Jake Hoover, but his aggression proved to be his downfall on the bases. With Hoover attempting to take an extra base on a Jhon Nunez passed ball, Nunez uncorked a bullet to third to nail Hoover for the first out. Raudes went on to end the inning with no damage after a strikeout and flyout.
Connor Lien put the Revs in position to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, leading off the frame with a double down the third base line. The top of the order was not able to muster the crucial hit, however, flying out twice and grounding out to end the inning.
The Barnstormers scraped two across against York righty Brett de Geus in the top of the eighth to take the first multi-run lead of the game. After a strikeout to start the inning, runners reached on a walk and single. De Geus got Anderson Feliz to tap a ball softly back to him as he applied the tag for the out but had both runners move into scoring position with two away. Chris Proctor came up big for Lancaster, lining a base hit the other way to take the lead, 4-3. The Barnstormers also benefited from a York mistake, as Nunez attempted a back pick at third base, but the throw skipped into left field, allowing another insurance run to score, making it a 5-3 game.
York threatened again in the eighth, getting two on with one out courtesy of a Nash walk and Mesa infield single. After both moved into scoring position on a groundout, Nunez flied out to left field to end the threat.
Josh Graham entered in the ninth and struck out the side to close his sixth save and give the Barnstormers the 5-3 series opening win.
York will turn to Jorge Martinez on Wednesday opposite fellow righty Oscar De La Cruz as the Revs look to even the series with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. It is the Revs’ National Night Out celebration and PeoplesBank Kids Eat Free Wednesday. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
