Long Island (70-40, 30-17) @ York Revolution (63-45, 27-18)

Friday, September 2, 2011

Sovereign Bank Stadium:  York, PA

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REVS' WINNING STREAKS SNAPPED AS DUCKS AVOID SWEEP

The York Revolution were denied a chance at a series sweep, losing 9-2 to the Long Island Ducks in front of 4,782 fans at Sovereign Bank Stadium on Friday night.  The loss snapped a five-game winning streak and a 10-game home winning streak.  The Revs’ division lead shrinks to 5.0 games over Lancaster with 18 contests remaining in the regular season.  York will host the Road Warriors on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. as the homestand continues.

Scoreless through the first four innings in a matchup of two starting pitchers making their Atlantic League debuts, the Ducks were the first to score, plating two runs in the top of the fifth.  Dan Lyons bunted for a single to load the bases with no outs, but York starter Jino Gonzalez threw errantly to first, allowing J.R. House to come home with the game’s first run.  First baseman Chris Nowak then threw low at home allowing the other two runners to advance, and Kennard Jones made it costly with a bloop RBI single to left-center over the drawn-in infield.  Gonzalez came back to retire the next three, however, stranding runners at the corners and keeping the score close at 2-0.

Ducks starter Josh Banks took a shutout into the sixth before the Revs loaded the bases with no outs on an infield single by Salvador Paniagua, a walk to Scott Grimes, and a bunt single by Chris Walker.  Banks (1-0) allowed a run on a double play hit into by Ramon Castro, but that was all that the right-hander surrendered in six strong innings, maintaining a 2-1 lead into the seventh to earn the win in his first start.

Erick Monzon led off the seventh inning with a homerun to left field, and Ray Navarrete increased Long Island’s lead to 4-1 with an RBI single to right-center.

Gonzalez (0-1) was charged with four runs but only three earned in 6.2 innings.  The lefty struck out seven despite suffering the loss.

The Ducks busted the game open with a five-run eighth inning.  Matt Esquivel cracked a two-run homer to left-center, Monzon added an RBI double to center, another run came across on a throwing error, and Navarrete capped the rally with an RBI double off the left field wall.

The Revs plated their final run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI double off the center field fence by James Shanks.

Notes: The Revs committed a season-high five errors despite entering the game with a league-low 80 errors through their first 107 games.  The Revs suffer their first loss on the current homestand (5-1).  The loss is York’s first home defeat since August 18.  York’s magic number remains 12 games to clinch the Freedom Divison’s second half title.  Corey Thurman (11-3, 3.40) will face Omar Javier (0-5, 4.55) in Saturday’s series opener against the Road Warriors, attempting to tie the franchise’s single season wins record with his 12^th victory.  It is Hispanic Heritage Night presented by Highmark Blue Shield and WLCH FM Radio Centro.  Tickets are available at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS and in-person at the Apple Chevrolet Ticket Office.