(May 28, 2019 – New Britain, CT): Melky Mesa and Telvin Nash crushed back-to-back home runs but it was an otherwise frustrating night for the York Revolution offense in an 8-4 loss to the New Britain Bees on a cold, rainy Tuesday night at New Britain Stadium.
The Bees jumped to a big lead early and nearly had it all washed away as rain delayed the proceedings for roughly an hour and a half with two outs in the top of the fifth before the game became official.
The evening started with a 29-minute delay at the outset and the Bees came out firing in the home half of the first. After loading the bases with no outs, New Britain scored the first run on a Jason Rogers single to right. Revs starter Troy Terzi committed a throwing error allowing the next two runs to score. Jared James lined a sac fly to left, and another run crossed on an error as a ground ball eluded shortstop Ryan Dent, and the Bees were out to a 5-0 lead.
It was a game of missed opportunities for the Revs offense, going 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranding 12 runners. York managed just one run despite eight hits through the first four innings and ultimately out-hit New Britain 12-8 for the game.
The Revs recorded multiple hits in each of the first three innings and finally scored on a Nash single to left-center in the top of the third, but Bees starter Christian Friedrich put a quick end to that rally by rolling his second 5-4-3 double play in the first three innings.
After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the fourth, the Revs fell behind big as Rogers drilled a bases-clearing three-run double to dead center with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, and the deficit ballooned to 8-1.
With conditions deteriorating, Friedrich issued three walks in the top of the fifth and appeared to slip on a balk before play was halted. The game was nearly official but a potential double play was fumbled by shortstop Alexi Amarista as Welington Dotel picked up an RBI fielder’s choice, cutting the deficit to 8-2.
New Britain reliever Sam Gervacio entered after the delay and retired Henry Castillo on a fly out to deep left, stranding two in scoring position. Gervacio (2-2) retired his first four batters, ultimately earning the win.
Mesa tattooed a homer to left-center to lead off the top of the seventh, and Nash followed by launching one deep into the trees beyond the fence in center, cutting the deficit to 8-4 on the Revs’ third set of back-to-back home runs on the season. But after two-out singles from Nate Coronado and Castillo, reliever Devin Burke entered to induce an inning-ending ground out before also handling a scoreless top of the eighth.
Lefty Michael Johnson closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth for New Britain.
Terzi (1-3) suffered the loss for the Revs, charged with eight runs (six earned) over four innings. He entered play having allowed just one run over his previous 11.0 innings of work.
Reliever Jeffrey Rosa was a bright spot for the Revs, working all four innings after the delay, allowing no runs on just two hits and two walks while striking out five.
Notes: Mesa went 3-for-4, his third three-hit game in the last four contests. His home run was his second in three games, and his hitting streak is extended to 12 consecutive games. The streak is the league’s second-longest this season and is now the longest active as New Britain center fielder Alejandro De Aza lost a 15-game hitting streak in Tuesday’s contest. Nash has now homered in three consecutive games and has crushed seven home runs in the last 15 games. He leads the league with nine long balls on the season, and now has 62 in his Revs career, four shy of Andres Perez’ club record of 66. Rosa’s four innings and five strike outs were season-bests for a Revs reliever. York righty Corey Walter makes his debut against New Britain right-hander Cory Riordan (2-2, 3.33) in game one of a doubleheader Wednesday, beginning at 10:35 a.m. Revs lefty Ian Thomas (1-0, 3.65) faces Bees southpaw Jed Bradley (1-0, 2.81) in the second game, starting approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest. Both are seven-inning games. Revs fans can catch the action live on SportsRadio 98.9 FM & 1350 WOYK, 989woyk.com, The New WOYK app, and WOYK on YouTube beginning at 10:30 a.m. with Darrell Henry on the call.
