York Revolution (58-44, 22-17) @ Long Island Ducks (69-35, 29-12)

Friday, August 26, 2011

Bethpage Ballpark:  Central Islip, NY

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NOWAK'S TWO BOMBS TRUMPED BY DUCKS' TENTH INNING COMEBACK 

Chris Nowak crushed two homeruns giving the York Revolution a pair of leads late in the game, but Kraig Binick’s walk-off two-run homer gave the Long Island Ducks an 8-6 win in 10 innings on Friday night in front of 5,680 fans at Bethpage Ballpark in Central Islip, NY.  The scheduled series finale for Saturday has been postponed until September 6 due to the storm track of Hurricane Irene.  The Revs remain 2.0 games ahead of Lancaster in first place and are next scheduled to play on Sunday afternoon at home, opening a 10-game homestand against the Camden Riversharks at 5 p.m.

Nowak blasted a three-run bomb over the left field foul pole in the top of the eighth to give York a 5-2 lead, and a solo shot leading off the tenth inning to take a 6-5 lead, but neither lead stood up.

Long Island carried a 2-0 lead into the seventh behind starter Dave Williams’ six brilliant innings.  The lefty surrendered only two singles, both to Revs’ leadoff man Chris Walker.

York starter Dumas Garcia was solid in his longest outing of the season, lasting 5.1 innings and allowing only the two runs.

Set up by a bloop double from Matt Esquivel, the Ducks scored a run on a groundout by Matt Padgett, and another on a two-out single by Binick taking a 2-0 lead in the second.

The Revs tied it off reliever Jeremy Hill in the seventh.  Nowak singled to right to leadoff the inning and scored from first with one out when Eric Eymann singled to right-center, and Binick committed an error in center field.  With Eymann at second, Salvador Paniagua drove a game-tying single to the warning track in right field, evening the score at 2-2.  Nowak’s first jack of the game, an inning later, gave York a three-run lead.

The Ducks pulled within 5-3 with an eighth inning run.  After back-to-back walks from reliever R.J. Rodriguez, a wild pitch allowed J.R. House to advance to third base.  Padgett then bounced into a 6-4-3 double play scoring House, but that was all that Rodriguez surrendered.

The Ducks mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth, kick-started by Binick’s infield single.  Kennard Jones then ripped a double just over the third base bag, landing the tying runs in scoring position with no outs.  A wild pitch allowed Binick to score, cutting the lead to 5-4.  Closer Michael Nix came back to retire Ray Navarrete on a pop up for the first out, but Javier Colina followed with a game-tying triple to right-center.  Nix came back to retire the final two batters with the winning run at third, forcing extras.

Nowak connected on an 0-2 offering from Bubbie Buzachero for his second homerun of the game leading off the tenth, but the Ducks again denied York the victory.

Esquivel led off the bottom half with a single to left, advanced to second on a passed ball, and moved to third on a single to left by Padgett.  Freddie Thon’s sac fly tied the game, and Binick followed with the walk-off homer to left field to end it.

Buzachero (7-2) earned the win in relief, with Nix (0-1) charged the loss.  It was only Nix’s second blown save since being named closer, his first since June 14.  He had converted 13 consecutive opportunities.

Notes: York falls to 4-1 in extra inning games.  The Revs slip to 5-9 against Long Island for the season, 2-6 in Central Islip.  York also falls to 55-2 when leading after eight innings with both losses coming against the Ducks.  Nowak’s multi-homer game was his third of the season and second at Long Island.  He has hit six homeruns against the Ducks this season, and becomes the fourth Revs batter to hit 20 homeruns in a single season, having done it in only 62 games (one every 3.1 games).  He has hit 15 in only 38 games in the second half (one every 2.5 games).  The Revs have lost back-to-back road games for the first time since July 24-25.  It was only York’s second walk-off loss of the season.  The Revs’ Corey Thurman (10-3, 3.39) is scheduled to start on Sunday against Camden at 5 p.m.  Gates open at 4 p.m.  Scheduled is Shurfine Baseball Bingo, a Pregame Full Team Auotgraph Session and Catch on the Field presented by Runkle’s Notary, and Postgame Kids Run the Bases presented by rabbittransit.  It’s also Recovery Night at Sovereign Bank Stadium.  Tickets are available at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS and in-person at the Apple Chevrolet Ticket Office.