The third time was the charm, as the York Revolution clinched the Freedom Division’s First Half Championship with a 6-4 victory over the Bridgeport Bluefish on Thursday night at Sovereign Bank Stadium. The Revs earn their second playoff berth in club history, and their first ever first half title. They become the 13th professional baseball team from York to reach the playoffs, and the third team in Atlantic League history to go from last overall the year before, to first half champs the following year.
R.J. Rodriguez worked a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Josh Phelps swinging to wrap it up, and set off the celebration at the foot of the pitcher’s mound, which carried into the clubhouse.
Scott Grimes got the night started right with a leadoff triple in the first inning, and scored on Erold Andrus’ single into right.
Bridgeport tied it with a homerun from Luis Lopez in the second, but the Revs ripped off what proved to be a decisive four-run outburst in the second.
Steve Haake led off with a double, and with out, Chuck Jeroloman drilled a two-run homer over the Arch Nemesis in left, his first knock on a three-hit night. Grimes and Andrus each drew two-out walks, and scored on back-to-back singles from Ramon Castro and Ian Bladergroen, as the Revs stormed ahead 5-1.
The Bluefish scored runs in the third on an RBI double by Colin Roberson, and the fifth on an infield hit by Charlton Jimerson.
The Revs answered with a big sixth run on an RBI single from James Shanks in their half of the fifth, which plated Castro who had led off with a double, upping the lead to 6-3.
Roberson went yard in the eighth, but Sean Stidfole retired Adam Greenberg on a grounder back to the mound stranding two runners, and squelching Bridgeport’s biggest threat.
Jarod Plummer (1-0) earned the win for the Revs in his home debut, allowing just three runs (two earned), on only four hits in 5.2 innings of work.
The Revs improve to 39-28, and are the first team in the Atlantic League to sew up a playoff berth for 2010.
The Independence Day weekend series continues on Friday night at 7 p.m., when the Revs host the Bluefish with Corey Thurman on the mound, opposite Kevin Mannix. Gates open at 6 p.m. There will be a Postgame Fireworks Show, shot from INSIDE the stadium, presented by PA Lottery and Smart Magazine. It is also a Shurfine Baseball Bingo Friday. Great seats are available at YorkRevolution.com, (717) 801-HITS, and at the Apple Chevrolet Ticket Office.
