Blue Crabs falter twice to York
Team loses Game 2 of series after holding 7-0 lead
After allowing 10 runs on 16 hits in a shutout loss on Tuesday in the first of a three-game series versus the York Revolution, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs came out firing in the first 2 1/2 innings, taking a 7-0 lead.
However, spearheaded by its high-octane offense, York went on to score nine unanswered runs, sparked by two home runs, to secure the 9-7 comeback victory at PeoplesBank Park in York, Pa.
York (19-14 overall), which entered Thursday’s series finale, tied with Sugar Land with the best record in the Freedom Division in the Atlantic League’s first-half season standings, combined for 19 hits in the first two games.
Southern Maryland (11-21) remained in last place in the Freedom Division entering Thursday, 7 1/2 games out of first place, and kicks off the first of a four-game series in Bridgeport with a 7:12 p.m. first pitch tonight.
The Revolution, who led the league with 35 homers on the season entering Thursday, scored four runs in the the third inning, one in the fifth and four more in the sixth.
In the bottom of the third with York in a seven run hole, right fielder Michael Burgess turned the tides with a twoout grand slam to cut the Blue Crabs’ lead to 7-4
York wasn’t done with the long ball as left fielder Michael Rockett hit a one-out solo homer in the fifth to make it 7-5.
In the sixth, the Revolution batted around and scored four runs on six hits, capped by a two-run double from James Simmons to put them on top 9-7.
The Blue Crabs had base runners on in the seventh, eighth and ninth but could not score and lost their third straight contest.
Designated hitter Joel Guzman led York with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, while Rockett and Burgess added two hits in the game.
York starter Micah Owings, a former big leaguer with the Arizona Diamondbacks, improved his record to 2-1 on the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings with one strikeout, allowing no runs and walked just one batter. Mike DeMark got his 10th save of the season as he pitched a scoreless ninth with one strikeout, yielding just one hit.
The Blue Crabs were led by D’Arby Myers with a 3 for 5 night at the plate with a double and a triple. Third baseman Bryant Nelson also had three hits and drove in three runs in the loss.
Blue Crabs starter Jon Leicester got the loss, going five innings and allowing eight
earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Leicester’s record dropped to 2-3.
In the series opener Tuesday, York took a 4-0 lead after three innings and tacked on two more runs in the
fifth on a two-run single by Bryan Pounds. The Revolution scored four more runs in the eighth, capped by a two-run homer from Pounds, who went 3 for 5 at the plate with two runs scored. Burgess and Pounds led York each drove in three runs to lead the Revolution.
The Blue Crabs managed just six hits in the game, one of which was for extra bases, and left seven runners on base.
York starter Jorge Martinez picked up the win on the mound, throwing six innings and struck out three batters, allowing just four hits.
Blue Crabs starter Gaby Hernandez got the loss as he went four innings, allowing four earned runs, while Tim Sexton gave up six earned runs in just one inning of work out of the bullpen. Hernandez fell to 0-3.