(June 9, 2019 – Bridgewater, NJ): The York Revolution made a comeback bid in the top of the ninth inning but fell short, dropping Sunday’s finale 4-3 to the Somerset Patriots in front of 6,763 fans at TD Bank Ballpark. The Revs suffer a series sweep and will look to rebound as they return home to host the High Point Rockers in a five-game series spanning four days beginning Monday at 6:30 p.m. at PeoplesBank Park.
Somerset scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning as Justin Pacchioli reached on a two-out double to left, stole third, and came home as catcher James Skelton’s throw sailed into left field.
The Revs answered in the fourth as Skelton worked a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a ground out, and scored on a two-out RBI double down the left field line by Isaias Tejeda, tying the game at 1-1.
The Revs went in front an inning later as Nate Coronado was hit by a pitch with two outs, setting up J.P. Sportman who drilled an RBI double into the left field corner for a 2-1 lead.
Revs starter Mitch Atkins had worked back-to-back 1-2-3 innings, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth as Scott Kelly drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw. Yovan Gonzalez rolled a ground ball to short and Henry Castillo’s throw home was low, allowing Kelly to score the tying run. Ramon Flores followed with a base hit, Alfredo Rodriguez sacrificed both runners along, and Rey Navarro skied a sac fly to right to put Somerset ahead 3-2. Edwin Espinal added an RBI double down the right field line to make it a 4-2 Somerset lead.
Atkins (1-4) suffered the loss as his string of five consecutive quality starts came to an end. He was charged with four runs (one earned) in 4.2 innings, as his only two starts this season that have not lasted at least six innings have come against Somerset.
Patriots righty David Kubiak (5-1) allowed nothing further in his six innings, limiting the Revs to two runs on three hits and seven strike outs for the win.
The Revs drew closer in the seventh as Angelys Nina drew a one-out walk, the first of the season from reliever Duane Below. After advancing on a ground out, Nina scored as Sportman muscled a two-out bloop single into right-center drawing York within 4-3. Skelton followed with a base hit, but right-hander Mike Broadway entered to record the final out, stranding two runners, before striking out the side in the eighth.
Welington Dotel greeted closer Mike Antonini with a ground-rule double to left-center, leading off the ninth. With one out, Nate Coronado walloped a deep drive to left field but Flores had just enough room to make the catch in front of the fence as the bid for a go-ahead home run came up just shy on an afternoon where the wind was blowing in all day. Antonini followed with a ground out to record his league-leading 16th save.
The Revs bullpen was also strong in keeping the game close. Robert Carson entered to record a ground out, stranding two runners in the fifth. Josh Glick retired the side in order in the sixth with help of a strike out double play on which batter’s interference was called against Gonzalez. Jarret Martin and Peter Tago both tossed 1-2-3 frames.
Notes: Tejeda’s RBI is the 150th of his Revs career, breaking a tie with Bryan Pounds for ninth-most in franchise history. With three strike outs, Atkins now ranks eighth in Revs history with 172; he broke a tie with Wayne Franklin and Matt DeSalvo for eighth by striking out Flores to begin the game. Martin has retired all five batters over his last two outings. York lefty Ian Thomas (1-0, 2.95) starts Monday’s opener vs. High Point. It is a Hunger Free Monday presented by United Fiber & Data to benefit the York County Food Bank; fans who bring a non-perishable food donation get a free ticket to the game. Tickets are also available at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and in-person at the Revs Ticket Office.
