(August 18, 2017 – Sugar Land, TX): Down two with two outs in the ninth, Jared Mitchell crushed a game-winning three-run homer as the York Revolution roared back to swipe a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Sugar Land Skeeters on Friday night in front of 6,819 fans at Constellation Field. The Revs improve to 23-18, moving into a tie for first place in the Freedom Division with 29 games remaining in the regular season.
The Revs trailed 5-0 early, as the comeback matched their biggest of the season. It also marked their second late-game comeback capped with a game-winning ninth inning home run in the last three nights, and provided a resounding response after losing a three-run lead to a walk-off grand slam the night before.
The Skeeters scored two first inning runs on a pair of miscues. Joe Benson, who led off with a single, came home on a ground ball that was booted for the first run, and Anthony Giansanti (single) scored when a throw skipped into center field on a stolen base by Kevin Ahrens. In the third, Ahrens added a sac fly, his seventh RBI in four plate appearances. After an infield single by Travis Scott kept the inning alive, Bryan Pounds lined a two-run homer off the left field foul pole to give Sugar Land a 5-0 lead.
Revs starter Steve Janas rebounded in a big way, retiring 10 of his next 11 after the home run, and allowing nothing else while getting his team into the seventh inning, allowing for the comeback to mold. Janas logged 6.1 innings, and allowed four earned runs out of the five total, while walking none and striking out three.
Ryan Dent slugged a line drive home run to left-center in the top of the fourth, beginning the Revs’ climb back.
Down 5-1, Chase Simpson reached base to begin the seventh when Ahrens dropped a pop up at short. With one out, Travis Witherspoon yanked an RBI triple down the left field line, and scored on an Alonzo Harris ground out to bring York within 5-3.
The Revs made their move with two outs and the bases empty in the ninth. With a 2-2 count, Witherspoon lined a single to left to keep the game alive, and Harris followed suit by rapping a single that one-hopped the wall in left, advancing Witherspoon to third base. After falling behind 1-2, Mitchell worked the count even, and blasted a 2-2 offering from closer Mark Haynes (1-3) over the right field fence for a dramatic line drive three-run home run, giving the Revs their first lead since being walked off the night before.
Chase Huchingson picked up his second save of the season, and fifth of his pro career with a scoreless ninth, stranding the tying run at second. Hector Olivera doubled with one out, but Huchingson retired pinch-hitter Cole Gillespie on a ground out to short with Dent making a fantastic backhand play, leaping as he made a one-hop throw to first for the second out. Huchingson secured the victory, retiring Benson on a fly out to left.
Joe Van Meter (1-1) earned the win with a perfect eighth. Ricardo Gomez also played a big role out of the bullpen, retiring both batters in relief of Janas to leave a runner at second base in the seventh.
Notes: The Revs are in first place for the first time since July 20. York’s other five-run comeback occurred on June 21 vs. Southern Maryland, erasing a 6-1 deficit in the second inning in a 15-9 victory. The Revs improve to 11-7 against the Skeeters, setting a club record for most victories in the head-to-head series. It is York’s ninth last at-bat victory of the season and second in three games. The Revs win for the third time (3-47) when trailing after eight. Sugar Land loses for just the second time (39-2) when leading after eight. It is Sugar Land’s fifth loss (39-5) when leading after seven, with two of those accounted for by the Revs over the last three nights. Mitchell’s home run is his 11th of the season and eighth in his last 32 games. York lefty Logan Williamson (5-9, 5.47) faces Sugar Land righty Mitch Talbot (6-3, 3.93) on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 1350, woyk1350.com, and on the WOYK app beginning at 6:45 p.m. ET with Darrell Henry on the call.
