(August 6, 2022 – York, Pa.): Troy Stokes Jr. tied the game with the play of the night on the basepaths and Melky Mesa delivered the extra-inning walk-off winner as the York Revolution completed a thrilling comeback in a 5-4 victory in 10 innings over the Charleston Dirty Birds on Saturday night at PeoplesBank Park. York snapped a six-game losing skid, scoring five unanswered to mount the comeback.
Charleston grabbed an early lead in the first with two productive outs as Edwin Espinal drove in a run on a groundout and Engel Beltre plated another with a sacrifice fly to right field, giving the Dirty Birds an early 2-0 cushion.
Two more crossed in the third courtesy of a two-run single off the Arch Nemesis from Espinal, plating Scott Kelly and Nick Heath, each for the second time, making it a 4-0 lead.
York starter Alex Sanabia was forced to exit with one out in the third. Roniel Raudes inherited a bases loaded situation but got a chopper and a strikeout to get out of the frame. Raudes tossed a total of 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, also leaving the bases loaded in the fifth, to keep the deficit where it stood.
The Revs finally got on the board in the fifth inning. Stokes Jr., pinch-hitting in the pitcher’s spot, knocked York’s second hit of the night, a double off the top of the Nemesis and scored on Elmer Reyes’ two-out single to right field, making it a 4-1 game.
Tuck Tucker and Brett de Geus each tossed scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh, respectively, to keep the game at 4-1.
Stokes Jr. led off the seventh against former Revs righty Isaac Sanchez with his second double of the night, this time a screamer down the third base line. After moving to third on a wild pitch, he scored on a Lenin Rodriguez sacrifice fly to left field to cut the deficit to a 4-2 score.
Nick Green allowed a one out single in the eighth but quickly erased it with a 6-4-3 double play to end a scoreless frame.
Heath drove a ball off the Nemesis with two outs in the ninth against reliever Carlos Ventura, but attempting to stretch it into a double, was gunned down by Telvin Nash who had previously moved to left field defensively. It was the first outfield assist of Nash’s Revs career as Saturday’s game marked his first innings defensively at a position other than first base in a York uniform.
York started the bottom of the ninth inning with a base hit to right from Yerfi Perez followed by the third double of the night by Stokes Jr. on a drive to deep right-center. With two in scoring position, Rodriguez tapped a grounder to short, allowing Perez to score in exchange for an out making it a 4-3 game. Charleston closer Kevin Siegrest responded with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Jhon Nunez, bringing Reyes to the plate with two outs. With two strikes to Reyes, Stokes Jr. took off for third. The pitch sailed high and to the backstop, and Stokes Jr. never stopped running, rounding third and sliding home to tie the game at 4-4 in dramatic fashion, sending the crowd at PeoplesBank Park into a frenzy.
Nick Heath started as the automatic runner in the top of the 10th inning, moving to third on a flyout to center field. With the infield in, Jim Fuller forced a ground ball to third followed by a flyout to right to end the inning scoreless.
With two on and two out in the bottom of the 10th, Mesa played the role of hero, driving a ball off the right field wall, scoring Reyes to give York the 5-4 win. It was Mesa’s second walk-off hit of the season and fourth of his Revs career, tying Andres Perez for the most walk-off hits in the history of the club.
The Revs bullpen also shined in a major way, combining for 7.2 scoreless innings to keep the Revs in the game throughout.
The teams will make up Friday’s rainout on Sunday afternoon as part of a single admission doubleheader. Nick Travieso will get the ball for York in game one as they look to mount a new winning streak with first pitch at 2 p.m. It is Penn State Tailgate Day featuring a Rally Towel Giveaway presented by Penn State York, Sunday Funday presented by Weis Markets, and Bark in the Park. Tickets are on sale at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Shipley Energy Ticket Office.
