AtL York Revolution

Revs Willed To Victory With Inspirational Performance In Game Three

Published on September 26, 2014 under Atlantic League (AtL)
York Revolution News Release


On a night that will go down as one of the most memorable in York Revolution history, the Revs pulled off a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Sugar Land Skeeters in ten innings on Friday night in Game Three of the Freedom Division Championship Series, played in front of a season-high and Revs playoff record 6,682 fans at Santander Stadium. The Revs grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, and will host Game Four on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m., as they aim for their third Atlantic League Championship Series berth all-time.

Down 2-0 and silent offensively throughout the night, the Revs began their comeback as Chad Tracy led off the bottom of the seventh with a monster home run to left field, cutting the deficit in half at 2-1, and setting the stage for one of the most emotional moments in Revs history an inning later.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Sean Smith nailed a drive to deep left-center. Sprinting toward first base as the ball cleared the fence for a game-tying home run, Smith stepped awkwardly and crumbled in pain just past first, seated in the dirt while the scene was bedlam around the stadium. Unable to put any weight on his right leg, Smith hopped around the bases on one foot to a standing ovation, while teammates poured out of the dugout and bullpen to greet him at home plate. Carried off to the dugout by teammates Corey Thurman and Bryant Nelson after reaching home plate, Smith left the field a hero, tying the game at 2-2.

The Revs came close to finding the go-ahead run as Justin Greene followed with a triple off the right field fence, reaching third base with still only one out, but reliever Gary Majewski induced a comebacker from Wilson Valdez, and after falling to both knees, threw to third to retire Greene who was attempting to dive back. Reliever Roy Corcoran entered to record a groundout to end the inning.

York reached the brink of victory again in the ninth, as Corcoran walked Tracy to begin the inning before issuing a wild pitch. That prompted an intentional walk to Johan Limonta, while a sacrifice bunt from Travis Garcia led to an intentional walk of Nelson, loading the bases with one out. Corcoran rebounded to record a pop out and a strikeout, however, forcing extra innings.

Greene led off the bottom of the tenth with a double down the third base line, again setting the table for a potential winning run. Valdez laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Greene to third, while back-to-back intentional walks to Eric Patterson and Tracy loaded the bases. With the infield in, Limonta served a game-winning base hit into right-center, springing a celebration in the outfield as Limonta's teammates chased him in the direction of the game-winning hit.

The Revs improve to 3-0 all-time in playoff extra-inning games, while earning their second walk-off win in postseason history. The other came in Game One of the 2011 Division Series when Nelson connected on a ninth inning home run against Lancaster, also for a 3-2 final.

Ricardo Gomez picked up the win with a 1-2-3 tenth including a pair of strikeouts, while Corcoran suffered the loss.

Early on, Revs starter Jorge Martinez had the spotlight, as five of his six outs over the first two innings came on strikeouts.

Sugar Land took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, scoring on a two-out RBI bloop single to left by Delwyn Young, and again on a single to left by Travis Scott, bringing Young home on a close play at the plate.

Martinez worked 5.1 innings, giving up just those two runs while striking out eight and walking only one. All eight strikeouts came over the first ten outs of the game.

Martinez exited with runners at second and third and one out in the sixth, as reliever Mike DeMark came in to record the final two outs in a clutch spot.

Skeeters starter Steve Hammond took a one-hit shutout into the sixth and a two-hit shutout into the seventh before surrendering Tracy's home run. The lefty allowed just one run over six-plus innings, also striking out eight while walking one.

Notes: The Revs improve to 9-3 all-time at home in postseason play, having won nine of their last ten. The crowd of 6,682 is the biggest at Santander Stadium since September, 2012. York lefty Logan Williamson (6-7, 2.72) gets the start on Saturday, facing Sugar Land right-hander Sean Gallagher (3-4, 4.98). Fans who show their AAA Membership Card in the Apple Chevrolet Ticket Office can receive buy one, get one free tickets. Postgame Fireworks will follow the contest. Tickets are also on sale at YorkRevolution.com and (717) 801-HITS.

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Atlantic League Stories from September 26, 2014


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